Cheap Wedding Plans

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Is it possible to have cheap wedding plans?

Are there such things as cheap wedding plans? You may have wondered about the same question. You had stars in your eyes when the love of your life asked you to marry him, but the stars soon disappeared when you discovered that it would not be possible to have your dream wedding. Weddings these days are just too expensive.

Don't despair; there are cheap wedding plans that you can use! But remember, you have to forget about using a professional wedding planner or coordinator and do it all by yourself. However, this does not mean that it is not possible for you to have a delightful, beautiful wedding. You can still have the charming wedding you want if you just know how to plan it properly.

How do I go about drawing up cheap wedding plans? 

The steps for drawing up cheap wedding plans 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 perform the following steps:

Step 1: The most important thing is to establish your wedding date. Almost everything in the wedding plan depends on this date being available.

Step 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.

Step 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 lucky. 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.

Step 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.

Step 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. You can also ask them to contribute their skills to the wedding as their wedding gift to you.

Marriage is the most natural state of man, and... the state in which you will find solid happiness. -- Benjamin Franklin

Tips for drawing up cheap wedding plans 

The wedding day: It is usually cheaper to get married on a Friday than on a Saturday. Also consider having your wedding on a weeknight or a Sunday. There is less demand for these dates, so vendors will most likely be willing to give you a better deal.

Master of ceremonies: You surely have a friend or a family member who has the gift of the gab and will do it as a favor or as a wedding gift. A professional MOC may cost you an arm and a leg.

The reception: Have a potluck wedding reception. Many guests may be delighted, if not relieved, to be given the choice to bring a reception dish instead of a wedding gift. You will save a lot of money on catering expenses this way.

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.

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. You can also get many items cheaply from eBay.

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.

Stationary: Software to make your own stationary is really easily available and very cheap. Rather print your own invitations, order of service, menus, place names, thank you cards etc. than using an expensive print shop.

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.

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 cheap wedding plans.

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