Plan Inexpensive Weddings

It is a cliche but that doesn't make it less true "if you fail to plan you plan to fail." What you need is the solid plan for your budget. Otherwise you will come to your wedding stressed out and miserable.

Take a good notebook for your wedding plans. Divide your notebook into twelve categories.

To simplify the planning tasks you can get yourself a wedding planning software like this one.

As you know the budget gets the top priority since everything else will revolve around the money you are going to spend on your wedding.

The first page of the budget section gives you the overall picture. It will show you the amount you of each category. Put the dollar limit for each section. Then keep track of your actual expenses by recording each one. It is known fact that cost of small things quickly add up into large sums. That's why you need to keep track of each one no matter how small it is.

I put the percentage usually spent for each category. Keep in mind that this percentages only guidelines since every wedding is different.

Reception food and drink .....................50%
Bride's attire ...............................10%
Photography/videography ......................10%
Music ........................................10%
Flowers ......................................10%
Invitations and postage .......................4%
Miscellaneous (decorations, transportation
parking attendants, thank-you notes,
guest book,clergyman's fee,etc.) ..............6%
_____________________________________
Total ....................................100%

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In my opinion the most exciting part of the planning time is trying the wedding dresses. I can give you a few tips that can significantly cut the cost of your wedding attire.

The Bride's Dress

Something Borrowed
The total cost of this plan is the price of an alteration, if it's required. If you borrow a gown from a friend, be sure she has been married for at leas a year. She deserves to feel like Cinderella for the first year and really shouldn't loan out her dress. After a year, of course, she feels like an "old married lady" and is glad to share her gown with a friend.

Rent It
If I knew then what I know now, this is the idea I would encourage. Rental prices vary from shop to shop throughout the country. The main problem you'll have is finding a good shop close enough to your hometown. All the larger cities seem to have wedding attire for rent, and many of the smaller cities do, too. But you may have to drive thirty or forty minutes to find what you want.
These rental stores can be found in the yellow pages under:
*Bridal Attire
* Costumes
* Wedding Rentals
* Rentals

Prom It
Have you noticed prom and special occasion dresses lately? Many can easily be converted to a wedding gown. If it's a strapless gown, you can add detached puffed sleeves, a lace jacket or a train made out of the same type of fabric or lace.The bridal party catalog of JCPenney's offers many affordable special occasion gowns suitable for the bride, including a white or ivory sleeveless Scott McClintock gown with a train.

Bridesmaid's Gown in White
Something the bridal shop staff may not tell you is that many brides purchase their dress off the bridesmaid's rack. Bridesmaid's dresses are often available in white or ivory and are considerably less expensive that the bridal gown. Some of these dresses even have a short train, but if you want a longer one, just add it yourself.

Free Seamstress
If you're handy, why not purchase the pattern and fabric and sew the dress yourself? Or you may have a talented aunt or grandmother who would be honored to sew the gown for you. There are many advantages to making your own gown:
* You can try on wedding dresses in salons to find a style that you like, then buy similar pattern.
* The dress will fit you perfectly
* You know the dress will be ready for the wedding.
* It will cost you a fraction of the price of a store-bought gown.

The guidelines for the bride's headpiece, the bride's slip, the shoes are similar to above tips with certain exceptions.

Now find out how to plan inexpensive weddings tips for the rest of the budget.