Tips for Saving Money on Your Wedding

Well, he popped the question and now it's time to plan your big day. More couples these days are paying for their own weddings and in today's economy, it is not easy. Even if you aren't just starting out, weddings are very expensive. The average wedding in America is between $20,000-40,000. I am going to show you how to save thousands of dollars on your wedding.

Saving money on your guest list. The biggest way to save money on your wedding is your guest list. Remember, the more people you have, the more you have to seat, feed, and gift. Keep your wedding smaller and save a lot of green. I recommend no more than 100, less if you have a really tight budget. My grandparents on both sides had very little money and their weddings consisted of immediate family only, both were married in a church ceremony. However, for their 50^th wedding anniversary, they had the biggest shin-dig you've ever seen.

Saving money on your venue. Your venue is the place where this momentous occasion will occur. Some people do church weddings and some do outdoor weddings. Church weddings can be anywhere from $100 to $10,000 plus, depending on where you are and how big the church is. Again, this is where your guest list saves you money. If you have a smaller guest list, you have a smaller venue. Look at churches that are small or look for chapels around your city. Call and get quotes before you settle on one place. If you are doing an outdoor wedding, try your local parks. Most cities have parks with nice pavilions that can be rented for a nominal fee. You can also do a backyard wedding. Use your own backyard or someone else's. This is usually free and can double as your reception area as well. If you don't want or need a church wedding and do not want to do it outside, look into banquet halls, community centers, or your local VFW or Knights of Columbus. They usually have large banquet areas with kitchens and this can do double duty as well.

Saving Money on Your Reception. As I said before, choose your venue where you can have your wedding and reception at the same place. Then you are not paying double. Some churches have a fellowship hall and for an additional fee you can rent the hall for your reception. If you live in an apartment and they have a club house, these can either be rented or sometimes just reserved for free.

• TIP: If the community center or VFW hall is not as elegant as you would like, here is an easy fix. Measure the area of the walls you want covered. You can either hand inexpensive curtains (help up with thumb tacks or staples, don't want to cause too much damage) from a wholesaler or company like www.bedbathstore.com. Your other option is to just buy fabric and do the same. There are lots of places you can find fabric online for less money. One place I like to use is www.fabric.com. Be sure and check their sale areas.

Saving Money on the Food You don't have to have a sit down dinner at your reception. There is no rule saying that you have to feed your guests a five course meal. You can do a snack buffet with meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies, breads, crackers, etc. Or maybe you have a favorite aunt or your mom makes lasagna that is to die for. Recruit them to help you out. Salad and bread are cheap and easy. Pay for all of the ingredients and then get them a special gift for helping out. If you have a favorite restaurant, ask them about catering prices. BBQ is a great reception food because pretty much everyone likes it and you can always buy it in bulk. If you decide to buy alcohol, hire a bartender to work your reception. Buy the alcohol, beer, wine yourself. If you buy beer, just get a keg, it's cheaper and easier. Also have sodas, water, tea (really cheap) and coffee. If you do not want alcohol, use sparkling grape juice for your toasts.

• TIP when hiring a bartender; make sure it is someone who will make sure your guests are being responsible. You do not want them having an accident when they leave. A good bartender will not want his/her reputation ruined. Also, you should not pay more than $30 an hour for a bartender and let them have their tip jars out. If you need help finding one, call a local caterer for names.

Saving Money On Photographers If you want to hire a professional, shop around. However, also look at the local college for a photography student but be sure to ask for a portfolio to see their work. You do not need a photographer at the reception. Buy disposable cameras and let your guests take shots for you.

Saving Money on the "Band" If you want music at the reception, again, go local. Shop around town for a small band and audition a few of them to make sure the (a) have talent and (b) will play the music you want. If a live band is not in the budget or maybe just isn't a priority, bring your iPod or MP3 player with all of your favorites and hook it up to the stereo system.

Saving Money on Decorating/Favors/Flowers/Invitations Do it yourself! Look for ideas in your wedding magazines or online. You can also go to www.dollartree.com and buy decorations in bulk for $1each. Candles are a great way to go and if you want flowers save money buying silk instead of live flowers. Tulle can be bought in your local fabric store for next to nothing. Enlist your bridesmaids or family to help. Or go to a local craft store for your favors, decorations, and flowers, flower girl basket guest book, garter belts and ring pillow. Make your own favors/gifts for your gifts simply by buying decorative bags and filling them with candy that matches the colors of your wedding. Also, the wedding section of your craft store will have other favors you can buy in bulk or customize your candle holders for decorations and then as gifts. Make your own invitations. You can find kits on any office supply store or at your local craft store. Design and then print on your home computer.

Saving Money on the Dress: The dress is of course the favorite part of wedding preparation. Thrift stores often have wedding dresses for very little. Check eBay where you can get a custom dress for less than $200. Also, David's Bridal always runs great sales. Bridesmaid dresses do not have to all be the same dress or even the same color. If you want monochromatic, give your bridesmaids the color of your theme and let them pick a dress in that color that they like. Renting tuxes is still pretty inexpensive. Shop around and have fun. Also, you can get your veil or hair accessories at your local craft store for less than $20.

Saving Money on the Rings The ring is a symbol of your undying love and eternal happiness together, not how much money he makes. Get a set of matching bands that you both like and use the extra money for your honeymoon. You can buy bigger or flashier rings ten years down the road.

I hope this gives you some ideas on where you can save money on your big day. Congratulations and best wishes to you and yours!