Kickass Brides: Plan a Damn Wedding Under $6,000

Do you ever peruse TV channels only to stumble on that 'perfect wedding' on WE? You know those skinny, blond brides that have serious discussions if calla lillies match with the flower girl's outfit? How about that wedding dress they had custom made? What about having wedding day pampering with a famous masseuse? Does that nauseate you yet? Does the money nauseate you even more? If you're anything but rich, it's absolutely depressing. Admit it, it's depressing. You're a regular Jane with a desk job, barely making $30,000 a year, and on top of paying every bill imaginable, you've got to plan a damn wedding. Where to start? Well you don't want to start, you've got to work for 10 hours straight. Is there any hope left? How to pay for the wedding? You don't have $25,000 to spend on it, that's for sure. That's when your local Kickass Bride steps in: she shakes you vigorously, tells you it can be done under $6,000, you don't need to stress out, the wedding can be done. Just relax and read on, Kickass Bride-in-training, it'll be okay.

How to Figure Out That Wedding Crap

I know, I know, you're newly engaged. You thought weddings were simple -- just waltz down the aisle and drink profusely afterwards. The real world isn't that simple. You need to find an officiant, book a wedding site, find a wedding dress, buy wedding rings, yadda yadda yadda. You see why bridezillas exist? I know, I know -- I was there too, engaged at 18, still planning a wedding at 21 and counting. Yes, I went through that wedding crap, crying over $5,000 wedding site deposits, stressing out over table decor, wanting to kill my fiance at times. But then I sat back and thought about it. I thought about what every wedding site told me what to do, what I needed to have, how to act as a bride, etc. After a year of planning the 'damn wedding', I realized this was foolery.

Here's what I realized: the wedding industry isn't interested in your wedding. They're interested in your money (definitely not your budget!). To save that money, break those rules, do what you want, don't limit yourself to what that imaginary wedding rule book says. You'll be happier -- trust me. It's how I went from a $10,000 budget to a $5,000 budget. A Kickass Bride is a Budget Savvy Bride!

Breaking Down the Wedding

This is what I figured out during my year of planning. These are the mandatory wedding expenses you should worry about:

- Wedding ceremony site
- Wedding reception site
- Wedding photography
- Officiant
- Marriage license
- Wedding dress
- Decorations
- Wedding rings
- Music of some sort
- Food
- A hotel to officially 'celebrate' married life

Really, that's all you need! Just focus on that and your costs are cut in half.

What I Cut Down On

Here's what I did to cut my budget in half:

- I skipped all floral decor. Floral decorations are very expensive, so cutting that out saves a lot of money (at least $500).

- My total wedding ring cost is $110. Why? No diamonds. Diamonds equal wedding, wedding equals money. You aren't going to save money with a diamond wedding ring. You just can't. You could try to find great deals, but the diamonds are little specks -- in my ventures, the cheapest diamond wedding ring I could find was $225. It was on sale, and the jeweler insisted that my peridot engagement ring needed more diamonds. I promptly left. I can find a better quality ring without spending lots of money, thank you very much. And guess what? I did. I ventured online, looked around, and found a gorgeous plain band that fit perfectly.

- I got my wedding photographers to cut $400 off their wedding package just by asking. My wedding lasts for 5 hours, so I asked for less hours -- in return, I have great photographers who can meet my budget. I was blunt about it: I'm on a budget but I really love your work -- can we work something out?

There are other ways to cut costs here. Avoid busy months, avoid Saturdays, pick less hours. The money drops and you get what you want.

- Food for the reception is a huge expense. Literally, half of your budget goes towards this. Now how did I get it down to $500? By doing an ice cream bar! July is hot, so we're setting up a booth with ice cream and toppings. Add side items, such as cookies and candy -- your guests won't complain. Better yet, it cut my food budget by 75%.

- Speaking of food, what about drinks? I'm skipping the alcohol. Lowered my budget by about $1,000. That's a whole bucket of money.

- Officiant? I'm not too hung up on a specialized wedding ceremony, so I'm going with a Justice of the Peace (not to mention I'm not Christian!). They generally charge less than your priest. Justice of the Peace: Budget Friendly.

- I'm taking advantage of some talented relatives. Music will be provided by a relative. If you have a talented relative, use them! They want to help! Music is a huge cost, and total money saved was at least $750.

Now this wasn't hard to do at all. You just need to throw away tradition -- I know, I know, difficult -- and create your own wedding. Wedding always equals money, so invest yours the way you want to. Spend your money the way you want to! Stop listening to this inflated wedding industry, don't be afraid to use your budget how you want, and you'll save money doing it -- not to mention the satisfaction of having your dream wedding. Be a Kickass Bride and do what you want to do. You deserve it.