Planning Low Budget Weddings

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Is it possible plan for low budget weddings?

Are you fretting over low budget weddings?

The day of your dreams is quickly drawing nearer. However, you have come to realize that weddings can get very expensive, and with only so much money available for your wedding budget, you may ask the question: how on earth am I going to plan for a low budget wedding?

Don't despair; it is possible to plan for low budget weddings! But remember, you have to forget about using a professional wedding planner and do it all by yourself. However, this does not mean that you cannot have a wonderful, beautiful wedding. You can still have the exquisite wedding you want if you just know how to plan it properly.

What are the steps for planning low budget weddings? 

The steps for planning for low budget weddings are essentially the same as for planning any wedding. You should sit down with the love of your life and start to write down the important things that need to be done. Then you need to do the following steps:

  1. The most important thing is to establish your wedding date. You can start to search for a wedding dress and make up a guest list without a wedding date, but there are many other things that you cannot plan for without a wedding date, such as venues, caterers, musicians, etc.

  2. Make an initial guest list. This is where you have to be careful, because a large number of guests will considerably push up the bill for the wedding. To plan for low budget weddings, it is best to invite only close family and friends. You will have the advantage that you will be able to converse with everyone who attends the reception.

  3. Draw up your budget. Make a list of items that needs to be done and that needs to be purchased. Write down the cost down for each item and add up the costs. If you have enough money available to cover the costs, you are very fortunate. If not, you will have to go through the list item-by-item and see where you can cut down to make it fit within your budget.

  4. Use the list of items that needs to be done and that needs to be purchased and make a timeline from it. Work out which items will require the most amount of time to set up and put them first in the list. Write down a due date next to each of the items on the list. You can now use this wedding planning timeline as a handy guide and checklist for the smooth planning of your wedding. Also write down who is responsible for the item, and what the budget for the item is.

  5. Make a list of family and friends who have special talents, hobbies, or businesses that you can make use of. In many cases, family and friends would feel affronted if you get in a professional to do a job at the wedding that they would have done for free, and perhaps at the same level of professionalism.

Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration. -- D.H. Lawrence

Tips for planning for low budget weddings 

The wedding day: It is usually cheaper to get married on a Friday than on a Saturday.

Photography: Get a digital photographer, so there are no proofs to approve first. Just make sure that the photographer will release all right to the images, and provide all images on DVD without watermarks. You can then have the best photos printed very cheaply at a digital printing kiosk and upload them to a website for friends and family to admire wherever they are.

Items for the reception: Don't buy - rent or borrow as many items as possible. For example, items that you can borrow are a cake knife, serving set and toasting glasses.

Flowers: Most families have someone who arranges flower for a hobby - ask her to do your flower arrangements. You can buy flowers cheaply at a flower market, or even try to get flowers from your own garden, or from a family member's garden.

The transport: Forget about renting a limousine. Ask a friend or relative with a luxury car to assist you, and you may get the transport for free. Such a person will usually be honored to perform this duty and usually they like to show off their cars, anyway.

The reception venue: If you get married in a church, try to rent the church hall as the reception venue. These are usually cheaper than other venues, and the guests don't have to leave the church grounds to travel to another venue.

The wedding dress: Rather rent a dress than have one made at an extravagant cost, buy one at a department store, or look on the auction websites like eBay for a secondhand one.

Bridesmaid's dresses: Consider buying the bridesmaids' dresses at a department store, instead of having them made -- this will also be a big money-saver. Another advantage is that they can be worn again after the wedding.

How do I ensure that I keep within the wedding's budget? 

Don't feel alone when you ask this question. Did you know that going over a budget is the single biggest worry for marrying couples? It has been estimated that about 80% of couples go over budget when planning for their wedding.

Click here to find out how you can take control your wedding budget and get more ideas for low budget weddings.

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