Congratulations! You are getting married now you need tips on how to plan a wedding. Looking to find how to plan a wedding on a small budget is your wedding budget tight? Here are some great wedding budget tips and hacks and how you can plan a wedding on a low budget. These tips on how to plan a wedding will make your wedding planning easy.
Step One: Determine Your Budget.
To begin, you need to sit down with your partner and determine a reasonable budget. Evaluate your finances and how much you are both comfortable with spending on your wedding.
Step Two: Pre-Planning Phase.
In order to begin planning your wedding you will both need to discuss what the most important features and aspects of your day will be. Depending on religion or lifestyles, you both may have specific elements that you feel must be included, and these can affect the budget so it‟s critical that you write down the “no bargain” aspects of your wedding that you feel you just can‟t do without.
If you haven‟t yet set a wedding date, this is the time to do so. Consider what time of year you should have your wedding (considering the guests and their vacation time or ability to attend based on work), as well as whether you are looking to have a wedding locally or away. The most expensive months in which to get married are spring, summer and early fall, as well as the Christmas and Valentine‟s Day holidays.If you have a wedding that takes place in late fall or early winter you will be able to dramatically trim down on costs.
Step Three: Get Organized
The most affordable weddings are one that are well organized, well planned and well thought out. If you start planning your wedding without writing down everything that you need, you may overlook an important element that you will need to squeeze into your budget later on, so it‟s important to keep a detailed task list of everything that you need to get organized. If you have Microsoft Excel, you will find that it is exceptionally easy to create task lists as well as keep accurate records of everything from contacts, vendors to your guest list (including their phone numbers, addresses, who has responded to your invitations, etc). You can also use Excel to keep an up to date list of gifts received at your wedding so that you can send out thank you notes later on. If you are not computer savvy, you can purchase a wedding planner, which is a simple notepad that contains envelopes and pockets for important notes and memos. You can find these at your local stationary shop, or you can simply create one with a binder, paper, tabs and separators.
Step Four : Ceremony Location
So, you‟ve determined the month of your wedding and hopefully a handful of potential dates. The next step is in scouting out locations and seeing what is available as well as the costs. The first step is to decide whether you intend on having the reception and wedding at the same venue, typically if you do, it will cost far less, however depending on the size of your wedding and the available venues, this might not be feasible for you. If you do not have a particular church or wedding venue in mind, consider renting a hall for both your wedding and reception to save money. Open the phone book and write down the local venues that are available, calling each first to determine availability and cost.
Step Five : Wedding Attire
As a bride, you are likely already dreaming of the perfect wedding gown. Whether you are interested in a traditional, classic or contemporary style, it‟s always best to begin your search early on, months before your actual wedding day.To begin, scour the Internet for wholesale discount bridal shops and wedding magazines to determine the style you are interested in and to get an idea for the price range of each style. As you probably know, every website, every magazine and every offline store will have different prices, sometimes for the very same gown, so it‟s very important to shop around ahead of time, so you aren‟t rushed into making a purchase, days before your wedding. Check your department stores for tuxedo rentals and inquire as to whether there are any special offers, such as the groom receiving his tux rental for free if the groomsmen rent their tuxedo‟s there. Tux rentals often include cufflinks, vest, tie and sometimes even shoes so be sure to ask.
Step Six : Wedding Cake
The wedding cake is one of the most important aspects of the wedding reception. The cake will adorn the main table, and guests should marvel at its beauty. The cake will feature prominently in photos of the reception, and it will be the main attraction when the bride and groom cut the cake. The cake should not only be visually stunning, but it should taste great. Many bakeries focus so much on making beautiful wedding cakes that they seem to forget that the cake will be eaten! You should visit a number of different bakeries, not only to get quotes and look at samples, but also to taste some of their wares. Most bakeries will be willing to give you a taste testing if you call in advance.
Step Seven : Reception Cash Saving Tips
Of all the costs associated with your wedding, your reception can be one of the biggest costs of all, especially if you are renting space or using in house caterers. Discuss what your ideal reception venue would be and then research potential spots in your area, by phoning the venues and asking for prices, availability and included items. When using caterers that are provided by the venue, you can expect to pay 35% more than if you hire an outside caterer, however there are many venues that require you use their in-house vendors so be sure to ask about this when calling each location. One great way to begin your research is by using the Internet and scouring through different areas in your location.
Step Eight : Reception Dinner Budget Saving Tips
When you must use an in house caterer, there is not much you will be able to do to save money other than choosing less expensive food items. A buffet tends to be cheaper than a sit down dinner, and a soda only reception is cheaper than a reception with a full bar. Discuss your options with the venue‟s caterer prior to finalizing your menu details. Many caterers offer a wide variety of services, ranging from hot and cold appetizers, to buffet or served dinners, your choice of bars and some caterers will even include the cake. The actual food served can save you money as well. Cheaper dishes such as pasta or chicken can be just as lovely, but less expensive than pricey cuts of meat or expensive seafood dishes.
Step Nine : Saving Money On Your Flowers
Flowers can be a very expensive part of a wedding. Many people spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on the flowers for their wedding. But there are some tricks you can use to make sure you get beautiful flowers without spending too much money. First of all, don‟t choose roses or other expensive flowers unless you are really certain you want them. Many brides choose roses simply because they believe it is traditional or expected. But these days almost any type of flower is acceptable for a wedding. You can always opt to add cheaper flowers such as carnations into a bouquet with a few more expensive types. Or, you may choose one beautiful flower as an alternative to an entire bouquet.
Step Ten : Saving Money On Your Invitations
When it comes to preparing and mailing out your invitations, you will want to try to send them out within 6-10 weeks prior to your wedding with an RSVP date of at least 2 weeks prior (preferably 3-4 so that you can prepare). This allows for your guests to respond and let you know whether they can make it or not, and gives you time to determine just how many guests are likely to attend, in the event you need to follow up with your reception vendor. Start by creating a “potential” guest list and then if necessary, weed through the list and determine just how many you can afford to invite. If you are having a sit down dinner, you will need to pay for each plate so keep this in mind when creating your guest list.
Step Eleven : Saving Money On Your Wedding Music
Depending on the type of wedding you are having, you may want to have music played during your wedding as well as the reception and dance. Choosing a DJ is always a far more affordable option than hiring a band unless you know someone who is experienced and willing to do this for you. If you are having your ceremony in a church or temple, check with them to see if music will be provided and what the fee is for the provided music. Some couples choose to have outside music played, for example a soloist or violinist, at their own expense.
Step Twelve : Photography And Videography Cash Savers
The photographs and video of your wedding day will be keepsakes that you will treasure forever. The quality of your media, either photographs or video, is dependant upon the person taking the photos or video as well as the quality of their equipment and developing equipment. Photographers and videographers can be very expensive, even for the cheapest packages they offer. Some photographers will provide video service, but in general if you wish to have both photo and video you will have to hire two different people.
Your wedding is one of the most special days of your life and both you and your partner should be able to celebrate your love without the stress that comes with excessive debt from taking out loans to pay for your wedding day. It‟s important to think beyond the wedding day, and to begin your married life in a way that enables you both to continue celebrating one another, rather than struggle for years to pay off a loan. Set your budget and use my tips and strategies to ensure that you stay within this price range when planning out your wedding. You can have a beautiful wedding without spending a fortune in the process, if you take your time, stay organized and on track. I hope tips on how to plan a wedding give you peace.