Wedding Planning on a Budget: How to Spend Less on Your Wedding

Let's just face it. Wedding planning on a budget is the reality for most of us. Unless you're lucky enough to be marrying royalty, a celebrity, or just some super rich businessperson, you'll be doing your wedding planning on a budget. That said, wedding planning on a budget is not impossible and can even help you keep a clear perspective about the things that are truly important on your long-awaited wedding day.

As a general rule, most couples spend about half their wedding budget on costs associated with the wedding ceremony and the other half on costs associated with the reception. This simple guideline will help you keep an eye out on the distribution of your finances and how to keep your wedding planning on a budget that works for you and your fiancé.

In order to keep your wedding planning on a budget, you can make some simple changes that will save big bucks. One great option to lower your wedding expenses is to create a mp3 mix of songs for your reception (or even bring your laptop full of music). This will help you avoid costly fees for a DJ or band. If you absolutely must book a band for your reception, you may be able to book them for a shorter period of time if you have an mp3 mix to play so the party can continue without blowing your wedding budget out of the water.

Another great option is to avoid paying the cost of a full open bar and perhaps just offer one trademark drink along with the champagne for toasts. You can also similarly save money on the wedding cake and keep your wedding planning on a budget by ordering a smaller decorative wedding cake and provide matching cupcakes for your guests without the intricate (read: expensive) decoration of a traditional wedding cake.

You can also find creative alternatives for centerpieces instead of expensive floral arrangements. By looking for beautiful yet inexpensive centerpiece ideas, you can further keep your wedding planning costs down. Don't forget that another effective way to cut expenses from your wedding is shopping for items without the "wedding" tag. All products in the wedding departments of stores are marked up outrageously. You may often be able to find similar products in other departments that are simply white but not advertised for weddings.

All of these tips can help you keep your wedding planning on a budget while making your wedding beautiful and enjoyable.