Tips for an Affordable Wedding

Your wedding is supposed to be one of the most enjoyable days of your life. If in the back of your mind, you are thinking of the cost of everything, it can ruin a lot of the fun. Weddings do not have to be expensive to be enjoyable. Finding things like wedding favors and the wedding dress on a budget is not as hard as you might believe. It only means knowing where to look.

There are so many things that are to be considered in the arrangement of a wedding and before and after wedding parties. One of the top tips: Ask family and friends to pitch in where possible. It doesn't have to be anything that costs a lot of money either. Simply having someone make phone calls to places about prices and availability can save you a lot of time and help make things easier. Ask for advice! You might get some tips from friends and family who can help point out where to get great savings and when.

Here are some additional tips on ways to save money and still have a beautiful wedding day:

Plan Ahead - If you can plan in advance, as far as a year ahead, you'll find you will not only save money on locations and items, you'll be able to ensure you get exactly what you want. Discounts and savings can be found if you plan out locations months in advance. You've waited for a while for this opportunity. Taking time to make everything perfect and affordable can help a lot.

When you plan ahead for your wedding, you can also plan out paying for certain things ahead of time. As you plan, you can buy little things here and there, taking it one step at a time. It helps when the cost is drawn out over time, instead of heaped together within a few months' time.

Flowers - Roses are commonly used, but there are just as pretty other flowers out there as well as being more affordable. Have an outdoor wedding near a garden and save on decorating costs on the church. Ask the florist to use flowers that are in season, giving her a color scheme to work with.

Planning an early spring wedding? Why not plan the wedding for a day or two after Easter? The church will already be decorated and ready to go. Christmas weddings are also a great time to plan and know that the church will be decorated with holiday flowers.

Photography - Many people hire wedding photographers, but most people have quality digital cameras today. Those cameras can take very crisp pictures. Ask family members and friends if they have digital cameras and maybe camcorders and if they might bring them along to film the wedding.

If you wish to hire a photographer, consider having the photographer cover only the wedding. Be selective how many pictures you want and which ones. Buy disposable cameras for the bridesmaids and grooms and have them take care of the wedding reception.

Centerpieces - Homemade centerpieces you make yourself can add a personal touch to every table, and can also make things less expensive. Browse for ideas through catalogs and find pieces you will need to craft them together. Make it an event and ask the bridesmaids to help too.

Popular ideas for centerpieces are simple small glass vases with fresh flowers or fruits. Bowls of candy also makes an excellent choice, one that can be eaten and taken home by guests after.

The Cake - Many bakeries are now offering an affordable alternative to the once very expensive piece of the wedding dinner. Now instead of having a whole cake made with all the fancy decorations, only the top and the part of the cake the couple cuts into together are real. Additional regular pan style cakes are prepared with simple designs in the frosting, and passed out. Not only do you save money, you can also choose to have a variety of cake flavors. White or chocolate?

Buffet Dinner - Cost wise, a buffet type of dinner is less expensive than a per plate dinner, and it also avoids having confusion of returning cards back for 'beef or chicken' choices. Try a few fancy dishes and mix it with a few simple home cooked recipes, giving everyone a chance to select and enjoy what they wish.

Most families have that one aunt or grandmother that makes excellent dishes. Asking for them to help with the food as a wedding present makes for a great opportunity to share those dishes with your family. It'll give everyone something to talk about and memories to share.

Wine and Spirits - When you find a place for the wedding reception, ask the owner if they allow you to bring your own wine and drinks to the location. You'll save so much money on being able to choose affordable wine and drinks, or asking family to help out and bring a few of their own favorite selections.

If you are allowed to bring your own wine, you can then make careful selections with a budget conscious wine seller. Look for a place that offers wine tasting and for a knowledgeable rep that can help you make the right selections for the meal and after.

Dresses - Along with planning ahead, shopping for dresses and tuxedos early on will save you hundreds of dollars. Get the bridesmaids involved and have them look for gowns at great prices. If you plan far enough ahead, you can wait for great discounts on off-season racks and take your time filling in the pieces.

Designers will often sell wedding gowns that were samples at 50% off or more. Samples are dresses that were worn by other people just trying them on to check them out. If you wear a common size, you will more than likely be able to find a wonderful wedding dress at a very good price. You can find beautiful dresses on eBay as well.

Tuxedos - Consider tuxedo rentals instead of purchasing. It'll save thousands of dollars. Booking ahead of time ensures you will get the styles you want and that they will be available on the wedding day. Remember, have the tuxedo delivered the day before, to ensure that the sizes have been measured correctly.

Party Favors - Affordable party favors can be found in bulk through online wedding supply stores. These discount wedding favor retailers can save you a lot of money with well thought out, cute party favors. When you shop online, it's easy to find many favors to choose from. There are so many to pick from these days, and they can be personalized to add on that personal touch.

You do not need expensive favors to make a wedding memorable. Some popular choices are little metal bookmarks, fancy teas and soaps, and even small bubbles in a shapely container for the kids.

Invitations - Like party favors, affordable wedding invitations are usually found to be inexpensive when you purchase them online. You can look through set up designs or request for your own design ideas to be made. There are so many varieties out there and they can all be done up very nicely, even on plain paper cards.

You can see previews of what your wedding invitation will look like online before prints are made. Remember to check the previews very carefully. Have someone else look at them too. Often mistakes are made because people are in a hurry and don't look as closely to the preview images. Save money by not having to get invitations ordered twice.

Music - It's easier than ever to compile a list of songs you want to play at your wedding reception and put it up on a sound system rather than hiring a DJ. Imagine not having to do the Chicken Dance if you don't want to. Still want someone to DJ? Ask a musically inclined family member to help out.

Your wedding can be just as magical on a smaller budget. Finding little ways to get people to help out, or planning ahead can make all the difference. Imagine how much fun it would be to have a wedding you can enjoy and not one where you worried about the costs so much.