Planning a Wedding on a Small Budget

What would you consider to be more important? The wedding or the marriage? Many couples decide that their future marriage is more important than spending tons of money they don't have on an elaborate ceremony. The want to start their marriage with a sweet, loving wedding that doesn't break the bank. Is this possible? Yes, with creativity and planning a lovely wedding is very possible on a small budget.

The first thing that has to be done is the research. If the budget is small, you probably won't want to hire a wedding planner. For a low budget wedding, this isn't really necessary anyway. Research is much easier now with the advent of the Internet. If that doesn't work, there is always the telephone. If you live in a small town, the research isn't as difficult.

After the research is complete, you are ready to come up with a budget. You probably already know how much you want (or have) to spend, so now all you have to do is allot a certain amount of money for each item. Generally, the most expensive items are flowers and food. If the bride or groom doesn't have a home church, a venue can also be pricey. Most churches don't charge if the bride or groom is a church member. This certainly cuts costs.

If the venue is already attractive, decorations will not be very expensive. Most churches need only a little greenery and candles. Certainly you can also have flowers but that is going to cost more money. Don't get carried away here. The florist will try every trick in the book to get you to double or triple the flower budget. Don't be swayed by the more expensive flowers. A bouquet of daisies or a spring mix is perfect for a simple wedding. You should be up front with your florist. Tell her what your budget is for flowers and stand firm. If you are using a church, you can simply move some of the decorations into the fellowship hall after the wedding. No, that isn't tacky! Another great idea is to use the bridesmaids' bouquets as decorations for the food table. People will simply think you are being smart and not wasteful. The bridesmaids won't be carrying their flowers anyway.

Food can be very expensive. If you are renting a venue, you will have to go with their caterer. If you are using a church, you can choose you own caterer, which usually saves money. If money is really a problem, you and your family can do your own catering. A wedding reception on a budget is typically a short reception. There is no law that says you have to have a four course sit down wedding reception. If you do have to serve dinner because of the time of the wedding, opt for a buffet rather than a plated dinner. It's cheaper in the long run.

If you are having a daytime wedding, Saturday or Sunday at 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM, you will need the least amount of food. Most people have already eaten lunch and won't be hungry. You can have cake, punch, cookies, fruit, and some sandwiches. People will be completely satisfied and you won't waste so much food. You might even go to your local grocery store to see if they cater weddings. Publix and Kroger are great places to get everything you need for your reception. Have someone pick up the food, and your friends will be the servers. Don't laugh; some of the best wedding cakes come from grocery store bakeries. The cakes are fresh and decorated just the way you want. And the price is much cheaper than using a wedding cake vendor.

Having a nice wedding on a budget will be a challenge, but it's necessary for the savvy couple. Many couples either go into debt for the wedding or could have had a down payment on a house for what they paid for their wedding. Just change your thinking; a wedding is simply the first day of your marriage. What is really important? The marriage, of course, is of paramount importance.

Copyright 2007 P. Lanners - All Rights Reserved

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