How to Have an Elegant, Budget Conscious Wedding

While some girls spend their time daydreaming about a fairy tale wedding, others are less concerned with the extravagance of a grand wedding ceremony. Perhaps you are more interested in a private, informal ceremony. Maybe you don't want to blow thousands of dollars on a wedding when the money could be used for other things, such as a down payment on your first home. Simple weddings can still have the grace and elegance of a modern ceremony.

Form a budget. A budget is essential even when planning a simple wedding because you don't want to spend beyond your means. You can easily get carried away and spend more than you intended. For a simple wedding budget calculator, visit the Wedding Manor website. See Resources for link. If you are planning a simple yet elegant wedding with lots of roses for example, you might allow yourself more money in the Flower category. You can still scale back in other areas to save yourself some cash. If you are a planning and simple and inexpensive wedding, you might consider alternatives to a sit down wedding dinner such as finger foods.

Buy a wedding planner instead of hiring20a wedding coordinator. When you are planning a simple wedding instead of a large elaborate gala, you can save some money by handling all of the planning yourself. A great planner to invest in is the "Easy Wedding Planner, Organizer and Keepsake." See Resources for link. This book contains detailed worksheets, checklists, suggestions, and pockets to keep up with information from vendors.

Set a date. It's important to determine what time of year your wedding will be so you can decide on a location. A winter wedding would need to be held indoors, but since most churches are already decorated this time of year, it would save you the time and money of having to decorate the entire place yourself. If your wedding will be in spring or summer, you can consider having the wedding in someone's backyard or at a local park. An outside wedding is simple yet beautiful because of the landscape.

Decide on a color scheme. You will need to choose some colors in order to decide on flowers and bridesmaid dresses. To keep it simple, choose se asonal colors. For summer and spring, go for lighter and brighter colors. Fall and winter weddings should incorporate a deeper color palette. You should choose flowers that are in season because the blooms will be in better condition. If your wedding is held outside, seasonal flowers would be able to withstand the weather better. It's also cheaper to buy weddings in season. For ideas on simple wedding bouquet designs, visit the Love to Know website. See Resources for link.

Choose a simple yet elegant wedding cake. The wedding cake will be the centerpiece of your reception. So if you are planning a simple wedding, you will want a simple cake to go along with the theme. Simple cakes with fewer layers are also less expensive, but can be just as breathtaking. For some different simple wedding cake options, visit the Wedding Information Site. See Resources for link. They have some gorgeous yet simple cakes that can give you some ideas on what would look good at your reception.

Resources

Wedding Manor http://www.weddingmanor.com/wedding_tools/wedding_budget.html

"Easy Wedding Planner, Organizer and Keepsake" http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Wedding-Planner-Organizer-Keepsake/dp/1887169091

Love to Know http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Simple_Wedding_Bouquets

The Wedding Information Site http://www.the-wedding-information-site.com/simple-wedding-cake.html