Planning a Wedding on a Tight Budget

$20,000 is a lot of money to most people. It could represent a new car or a down payment on a dream house. At any rate, there is a lot of money to be saved for the couples who are wise!

The two most important keys to planning a wedding on a tight budget are planning and organization. I can assure you that you will not save any money if you start planning your wedding two months before hand.

In order to plan you need some help. Get yourself a 3 ring binder, some paper, and dividers. Every time you see something in a magazine, on the internet, or something just pops in your head, put it in the binder. Periodically you will review each section. Look at all items and jot down thoughts of how you can save money. Rate all of the sections and decide which are the most important to you.

I will give a couple of ideas to start your thinking process. Let's talk about the wedding dress. Just because a wedding dress is expensive, doesn't mean that YOU will look good in it. A second hand dress that costs $100 may flatter your figure better than a one of a kind designer dress that costs $10,000. You would be surprised at all of the places that you can get a wedding dress. Even Amazon and Ebay have them. Just make sure that you check the seller's reputation and return policy. This is an area that a sharp bride could save a lot of money!

Photography is another area to save money for the couple planning a wedding on a tight budget. You do not need to use the most popular photographer in town. You can get a much better deal from someone trying to build a reputation. Just make sure that you check their references. Look at their work. Make sure that their personality blends with yours. A wedding photographer can change the mood of a wedding in a hurry.

Unless you are totally worthless at planning and negotiating, you can skip the wedding planner/coordinator. With all of the resources available today, you probably will end up spending more than you save. I would have a very close and trusted friend or relative keeping an eye on things on the big day. They should have a strong personality and a list of everything that is supposed to happen. You will be too busy to worry about details on the wedding day.

Using friends and relatives is a great way to save money. And it can really give them a lot of satisfaction knowing that they helped with "Your Perfect Wedding". But a word of caution here. Make sure that you know and trust everyone %100. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of the role that they will play. Remember that just because someone is nice and has a camera; that does not make them a wedding photographer. A decision gone wrong here could ruin the biggest day of your life.

So to sum up planning a wedding on a tight budget, make sure that you plan and organize. Do your research. Invest in a couple of books and software programs to help you. Make sure that everyone involved has a clear understanding of exactly what you expect from them. Following these tips will help you have that perfect wedding day on a budget that you can afford.