QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT WEDDING BUDGETS
QUESTION: IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLAN A WEDDING WITH ONLY A $1,000 BUDGET?
ANSWER:
I don’t know about 1000 dollars but my grand daughter’s wedding cost her under 2000 dollars.
It was held on a summer day in the late morning in a garden. So, the invitations indicated casual dress. There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen. The bridal bouquet was made of flowers from the garden. The reception food was a buffet that included: finger food, fruits and vegetables, salads, meat and cheese trays, bread and roles, sweets, soft drinks, champagne and beer all purchased at Costco. Sandwiches from Sub Way. Each 12 inch sandwich was cut to make 3 portions.
Music was amplified from her computer and the guests were asked to take pictures and email them to the newly weds.
It was a beautiful wedding and everyone had a great time, even the guests’ kids.
Oh, yes! Their wedding album includes wonderful photos taken with love by the guests.
For money saving ideas, download the FREE Wedding planning Guide, book I authored.
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QUESTION: HOW TO SET A BUDGET FOR YOUR DREAM WEDDING?
ANSWER:
Today, about 70% of the marrying couples
pay for their own weddings so, setting a realistic wedding budget that you can work with and sticking to, is a must if you are to keep the cost of your wedding within your budget. Your most important tool is a Budget planner.
Your first step is to determine and figure out what you can afford or want to spend. The second step is to assign realistic figures to each aspect of your pre-wedding
activities, wedding day and honeymoon and to stick to them.
The third and possibly the most challenging task is to stay at least 10% below your assigned budget, to secure funds for incidentals and un-foreseen expenses.
To arrive at a workable budget, you may base it on an amount both of you can comfortably take off your pay checks and deposit in a special joint wedding account. Using a credit card is safe and cancelling a transaction is quite simple. However, it is important that you pay each monthly statement IN FULL so there will be no interest
added. You do not want to start your married life with a credit card debt hanging over you.
There are many options to choose from and many ways to save. So, get creative, keep on reading and examine your options.
You will be surprised by how much money you can save over a period of time. If your parents will be paying for the wedding, ask them what their budget is and do your utmost to spend less.
Search The Internet Search the Internet thoroughly and you can save time and money. The World Wide Web provides you with information and resources for making purchases on-line. Many wedding web sites provide links to wedding
related businesses that could be your answer to quality products and services. checklist and a discount bridal mall where you save on wedding gifts and accessories.
As you plan your wedding create three categories:
✓ Must have
✓ Optional
✓ Nice to have.
Base your decisions on availability, on your budget and on your ingenuity. Once you decide what your priorities are, use your ingenuity and creativity. Involve yourselves, your friends, and your families in at least some of the preparations. Loved ones will be honored and appreciate the opportunity to contribute their talents and
connections to your special day, have fun and save you money. Find out if you can borrow attire accessories such as a veil, tiara and jewelry from a friend or a family member. After all you need to have “something borrowed”.
Find products that have multiple uses. For example, favors that accommodate place cards or that serve as centerpieces. Use your ceremony flowers and bridesmaids’ bouquets at the reception.
Vendors and Service Providers
Choose vendors and service providers who can assure that your priorities will be met and that yours will be the wedding you dreamed of.
Do not be afraid to ask for discounts and to negotiate! Wedding vendors and service
providers are quite familiar with budgets. If you convince them that you appreciate the quality of their work or service, vendors and service providers who take pride in what they do will want to work with you. When you negotiate with vendors and service providers, be firm. Stick to what you decided you want and to what you budgeted for. Do not let them talk you into anything you neither budgeted for, nor want. But by the same token, be flexible enough to either spend more or to substitute, if you cannot find exactly what you considered a priority within your budget.
Be sure you are familiar with all changes; return and / or cancellation policies before you sign any contract or finalize any arrangement. Having to buy something twice, or having to pay additional fees for changes can and does add up.
Always keep documentation of every contract and receipt in a safe place and pay special attention to deadlines for returning rented items.
Whatever you are looking for, be it a service provider, wedding accessories, wedding supplies, or rentals, always comparison shop. Interview at least 3 service providers before you select the one who will accommodate you best.
Look for discount malls on and off the Internet. Shop for bargains and at clearance sales. If you are careful, you
can save a lot of money. Do not get confused between inexpensive and cheap. If you purchase at a discount mall,
you’ll generally receive the same merchandise you would at a more expensive shop and be able to return or
exchange items. However, when shopping for reduced priced and clearance items, check to make sure that they
are not of inferior quality since you’ll most probably not be able to return or exchange them.
Wedding Stationery
Create your own wedding stationery and invitation right on your computer and print it on blanks you purchase at Amazon or at a stationery store.
Wedding Accessories for Ceremony and Reception
The basic wedding accessories for the ceremony are a: guest book, pen, ring pillow, unity candle set, candle holder and a flower girl basket. You may wish to add pew bows and an aisle runner too.
The basic wedding accessories for the ceremony are champagne flutes, cake serving set, a keepsake cake top, bridal purse – money bag, garter and a photo album. As most brides opt for coordinating accessories, complete collections are available. You can purchase your collections in an online discount mall and save anywhere from 10 to 25 percent, or you can have others purchase your desired accessories as gifts.
Ceremony Site
The only decorations expected in the ceremony site or sanctuary, are 2 standing flower bouquets. Use flowers that are plentiful and inexpensive. You may wish to add pew bows. If you make your own, you’ll save a lot of money.
Attire
Wedding gown Wedding gowns are very expensive but there are many options you may exercise to get what you want and save money.
- Do you have a friend or a family member who sews? Engage them and in return give them the honor of serving as an attendant at your wedding party.
- Shop for a gown in wedding salons and department stores and check their sales corner before you decide to have it custom made. consider a simple gown off the rack.
- Or comb the wedding ads and auction sites on and off the web. You’ll probably be able to buy a gown that was used only once or even a brand new one for “peanuts”.
- To save even more, you may consider a “prom” or a bridesmaid dress.
Flowers
- Choose flowers that are in season and are grown locally.
- If any of your guests creates flower arrangements even as a hobby, ask them to do the flower arrangements for your wedding.
- If you need to purchase the bridal bouquet and the flowers for the altar at a reputable florist, consider giving the bridesmaids mixed seasonal flowers. They are available in supermarkets, Costco, and Sam’s Club at a fraction of the price charged by a florist.
- Ask your bridesmaids to insert their bouquets in vases to serve as centerpieces for the
reception tables.
Wedding Reception site
When it comes to photographers and videographers, choose your professionals very carefully. Your wedding day will come and go and the photos and video will serve as mementos and memories of your big day. Before hiring a photographer or a videographer compare prices and references. Choose the very best that are within your budget. Even if you need to choose a smaller package, here is where you want the very best. Go for it.
However, consider asking your guests to take pictures too.
Meal
The reception is the most expensive part of your wedding. But, you can plan it within your budget and have a memorable event. You must be very particular when choosing the site. It must be appropriate and fit in with your reception plan. It does not have to be a traditional hall. How about having your wedding in a historical home, a club house, park, a museum, fair grounds, public gardens, on the beach, etc… You need to know if the venue supplies the furniture and dining needs. If not, you must calculate rental fees.
When choosing a wedding site, choose slow period and either a Friday evening, Sunday afternoon or Monday evening and you’ll be able to negotiate the best deals.
If you have your reception catered, you must consider the number of guests, the time of day and the manner in which food will be served. Will it be refreshments only, dessert only, light snack, a sit-down, a buffet? Will you serve alcohol? If bar tenders will serve alcohol, will it be an open bar, and will you or the guests pay for their drinks?
There is an enormous difference in price between a light brunch, for example, and a catered five course sit-down dinner.
Following are some suggestions you may check out to fit your budget.
- Have a brunch or an early lunch and you need to serve fruit and vegetables, salads, eggs, cheeses, pastries, coffee, tea and soft drinks buffet style.
- Have a late lunch and you’ll need to add some meats and poultry. You may still serve it buffet style, or as a sit-down meal.
- A sit-down dinner is by far your most expensive choice
Music
When it comes to music, you’ll need to decide what fits in with your personalities when choosing whether to use instrumental music, a band or a disc jockey. Check out the local colleges and universities and find out if they have a music department. If so, inquire if there are students in the music program who will be able to perform at your wedding for a donation to the school.
Or, you can play pre-selected music from your computer. However, you will need to rent speakers.
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Author Byline
Nily Glaser the founder of the A-wedding Day Magazine, is a published author who presented workshops for wedding professionals all over the USA. She is the author of the almost 400 page downloadable, personalized, printable Wedding Planning Guide – book. It contains information, tips, ideas, worksheets that include details to be used when interviewing vendors and checklist Using it, you won’t forget any detail. Yes, for a limited time, you can login, download and print what you need, FREE, with no strings attached. To get it Click Here
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