Plan the Perfect Low-Cost Wedding

The other day, I heard someone comment that they'd spent $90,000 on their wedding and honeymoon. Of course, it's all financed, so they'll be paying on it for the next umpteen years, with interest... meaning that the wedding really cost a bundle more than that!

These days even a low-budget wedding cost $10,000. Couples and their parents shouldn't plunk down that kind of money for their wedding! That money could be applied toward a home, a car, college funds for future children... anything!

My hubby and I had an extremely low-cost wedding (under $300) which was enjoyed greatly both by ourselves and by our guests. Here's how we did it.

Our low-cost wedding began by choosing a Justice of the Peace rather than having a church wedding. We weren't Christians at that time, so a church wedding was not something we considered. Most JP's perform marriages for a very low fee. We also chose to simply get married down at the courthouse. I found out later that for a relatively small fee, we could have gotten married outside - in a park or somewhere much prettier than the courthouse!

It's still possible to keep a low budget for your wedding if you get married in church. Some churches charge to use their facilities for weddings, and others do not. This may depend on the complexity of the wedding and number of guests. It's easy to clean up after 50 people - not so easy if you've got 500 coming to your wedding! It is customary to pay the Pastor, though. The amount depends on the geographical area, size and complexity of the wedding, and the amount of effort the Pastor puts into the ceremony. Most people offer the Pastor between $50 and $500. If you're really in doubt as to how much to pay, inquire discreetly of the church's secretary. If the pastor refuses the money (some do), it's good form to make out the check directly to the church, and pop it int he mail with a note asking them to apply it to where it can best be used.

The second way to keep costs down is to make your own wedding invitations. There are two frugal ways to do this. The easiest is to swing by an office-supply store, pick up some nice home-printer cards and envelopes, and print your own. It's still frugal, but not quite as cheap, to have the office-supply store print them for you. Postage stamps are expensive, so hand-deliver as many wedding invitations as you can.

Another low-budget idea is to limit the number of your actual wedding guests. Ken and I invited our immediate families and close friends to both wedding and reception, and then sent an announcement to the rest of the world (printed at home on lovely paper... 50 cost us about two dollars to print.) We gave announcements to people we saw, and mailed the rest. If budget is REALLY a concern, use email instead. (However, this isn't a recommended way to tell the bride's mother, if the two of you elope!)

We saved tons of money on our wedding by refusing to purchase a $1000 wedding dress and a tuxedo. I wore a simple dress, and Ken wore a coat and tie. It didn't bother me not to have all the frills and lace. However, I could have had a gorgeous wedding dress for minimal cost if I'd wanted one. Wedding dresses can be found at consignment shops at drop-dead shocking prices!! I've seen $1200 gown for $50. Most wedding dresses will need minor alterations, repairs, or cleaning. Watch out for anything that looks like it would be a lot of work to fix or clean - you don't want to pay for a dress, find out it's not repairable, and then be out the money. You can also find bridesmaid's dresses, tuxedos, and shoes this way. Shop around and put the word out to friends to be on the lookout. The best times to look are between early spring and the beginning of July - between spring cleaning, prom, and June weddings, you're bound to find what you need!

Another possibility is for you to rent or borrow both gown and tuxedo. If you're not looking for a keepsake in the form of a dress, this is an extremely frugal way to go. Shop around for the best price. Some stores will even haggle with you (for example, 10% off in exchange for you referring others to the store, or writing about the store in your blog).

We also saved money at our wedding by doing our own flower-arranging. I called around to a number of florists and even grocery stores, and landed a deal for a number of "yesterday's" flowers. We got everything from lilies to carnations to roses. I sorted through the bouquets, tossed perhaps a dozen flowers out that were wilted, and used the rest. We had flowers everywhere, and they looked lovely! Several people asked me who my florist was, and were shocked when I told them I'd done it myself.

One of the most expensive aspects of a wedding is the reception. Renting a hall, hiring a caterer, providing drinks, music, and cleaning up after it all is expensive! Even for a small wedding reception, the costs can rack up in the thousands. Ken and I catered our own reception, which was held at his mother's home. She has an ample living room. We removed some of the furniture, put a large table for buffet-style food, and decorated with some of the flowers we'd bought at a bargain. We borrowed several nice CD's for background music, and had a designated CD-changing person (my son). Some people get around the music problem by hiring a friend or family member with vocal or instrumental talent, for both wedding and reception. If you don't know anyone, call the music department at local colleges. Students will often do weddings for a low fee so that they can gain experience. If you do this, be sure to get references and hear them play so you know they will provide appropriate music.

For wedding-reception food, think "cheap and easy" party food. We had finger sandwiches on nice bread, meat and cheese roll-ups, biscuits, sausage balls, cheese and crackers, smoked cocktail weenies, several kinds of chips and dip, cookies, and of course - wedding cake! We chose not to serve alcohol - not only a thrifty move, but a safe one as well. We served punch instead - made with fruit juice and lemon-lime soda. We put colored ice cubes in it (made with a contrasting flavor of punch). Some people freeze small fruits, like strawberries, and add them to the punch as flavorful ice cubes.

Not everyone is capable of making a gorgeous wedding cake. You may not want a fussy cake, and if not, then any white cake will do. You could bake it yourself or purchase one from a bakery. However, for most people, the cake is non-negotiable. It doesn't have to be expensive, though! Some people really have the knack to make wedding cakes. Try asking your family and friends. It turned out that my mother-in-law used to decorate cakes professionally, before my husband was even born! She made us a fabulous traditional wedding cake, lovingly decorated, for free.

My last tip isn't about the wedding, but lies in planning the perfect low-cost honeymoon. Ken and I weren't able to take off work long enough to have a honeymoon, but we made up for it later. We went to the beach in the early off-season. Still plenty warm outside, and the water was still warm enough to swim - but the hotel rates were slashed drastically. We found a lovely little inn on a side street. It wasn't beach-front, but for $45 a night, who needs to be right on the beach? The owner was technically supposed to close the pool down, but knowing we were on our "honeymoon", he delayed it until we left. We were also able to upgrade FOR FREE to the suite, simply because he wasn't busy and he knew we were finally having our honeymoon.

If at all possible, get a hotel room with a kitchenette for your honeymoon. Our suite had an indoor grill in it, and so we stayed "home" and cooked steak and shrimp on the grill, with baked potatoes, hot rolls, and a veggie (saving at least $50 on that meal!). Because the room had a fridge/freezer we were also able to enjoy ice cream afterwards, sitting in the cool evening breeze on the deck. Ken and I still talk about that as the best time we ever had, and the best meal we ever ate! You may not be able to book the same "experience", but if you shop around for charm rather than luxury, and look for the practical in a hotel room, you're likely to save a bundle!

Weddings don't have to cost you three times your annual salary to be both memorable and wonderful. You can plan a low-cost wedding by arranging many things yourself and refusing to splurge on wholly unneeded things. Even if you take just a couple of these tips and put them to use, you will save a lot on your wedding.