6 Killer Ideas to a Cheaper Wedding

A wedding is probably the most expensive occasion you will ever have to plan for; the average cost of a wedding today is 20 to 25 thousand dollars with an industry estimated at 25.3 billion dollars per year. There is huge pressure on young people to spend vast sums of money on their wedding but it really isn't necessary; the day should be about the couple, not what they have spent and a cheap wedding can still achieve this. It just requires a little knowledge, imagination and clever ideas to reduce the huge amount that is spent; which should make for an exciting, memorable day without the financial pain.

1. Hand Designed Brides Dress - A hand made wedding dress which is the norm these days comes at a cost; other options are available, including buying a previously owned dress. Selling previously owned wedding dresses is an area which is becoming more popular; when a bride-to-be realizes she can have a quality handmade dress for half the cost of a new one or even renting it for the day, this begins to make sense.

2. The Wedding Reception - The biggest savings can be made with the reception; the average number of guests is just under 190 but this is an area where costs can be reduced as soon as you start to plan your cheap wedding. Reducing the number of people who attend, including distant relatives or friends you haven't been in contact with for years, will help enormously; you can even carry out some of the catering yourself and have a hot and cold buffet style meal instead of a four courses.

If you intend holding the wedding reception in an expensive hotel then stop and look at the available options; consider holding it at a club perhaps or even book a restaurant where you can keep an open bar to a minimum by only serving beer, wine and soft drinks.

3. Your Wedding Pictures - The obvious choice is to shop around for the best rates, but look at hiring the photographer just for the service; ask family members and friends to take photos of the reception - most will be more than happy to do this. Although it may sound like an unusual idea, you always have the option to not use a professional photographer at all; there is no reason why the photos can't be taken by your guests and you will find yourself saving many hundreds if not thousands, of dollars.

4. Cheaper Contemporary Invites - It is also easy to save money on your wedding by designing and printing all your own stationery; with a good computer program and a home printer it is amazing how professional the results are these days. With sophisticated customization tools you'll be able to enter your own text and preview it before you print; so as not to make any costly mistakes, all from the benefit of your probably underused PC.

5. Wedding Flowers - Florists and flower arranging can be very expensive, especially for special occasions; why not buy them direct and arrange them yourself or enroll a friend to do this for you. Wedding cakes are another costly item but this can easily be made by a friend; these days' people often experiment with different fillings that do not rely on fruit - which has been used in cakes for generations.

6. Transportation for the Wedding Day - One last thing: luxury limousines, although nice, are costly so ask someone you know if you can use their car and make further savings; they may even have a luxury car of their own.

Savings can be made everywhere if you just know where to look but this doesn't mean it has to look like a cheap wedding; who will care providing everyone enjoys the occasion!

Article Source: http://www.imarry.org/wedding-article

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