Wedding Budget Tips

I have a wedding budget of $7000 . Do you know of any great ways to save money?

Answer:

Cheap Wedding Success is filled with ways to keep your budget down, so my first piece of advice would be to have a look around on the website and see where you can save. You should be able to trim your budget in all areas of your wedding and here are my top tips for keeping to your wedding budget:

1. Set up a budget
The only way to keep track of what you’re spending is to use a budget. Ideally use a spreadsheet, so you can see where your money is going and how much you’ve got left. Update it regularly and no cheating – you’ve got be honest with yourself!

2. Shop around
Whether you’re buying pretty little table decorations or considering full-on caterers, search around and get three quotes. You'll be surprised at the difference in the prices you find for the same, or very similar, products or services.

3. Do it yourself
Consider doing as much yourself as possible. You can easily make your own favours, invitations, decorations, centrepieces and wedding cake. Put together, you could easily shave thousands off your costs. It’ll also be rewarding and make your wedding more personal and unique.

4. Get friends and family to help out
If you can’t manage it all yourself, then look around for the hidden talents of friends. We’ve all got friends who love to DJ, those that are a dab hand in the kitchen, an aunt who likes flower arranging and a friend with a fancy car. They could donate their services as a wedding gift or they may just do it out of love!

5. Avoid 'wedding' products
We all know the word ‘wedding’ invites a premium price, so choose non-‘wedding’ items when shopping for shoes, cakes or photography. With suppliers for larger items such as venues, caterers, florists and photographers, get them to cater to your needs and not your occasion.

6. Shop online
You’ll usually find the cheapest prices online, so shop around. Ebay is great for cheap decorations, accessories, invites, favours etc. It's especially good for cheap wedding veils and made-to-measure wedding dresses (for under £100).

7. Do your own catering
If you can, try to cater yourselves, you’ll knock thousands off your catering budget. If DIY catering is too much, then think about doing something different such as an afternoon tea, a sit down buffet or simply serving up canapés.

8. Keep your perspective
It's easy to get carried away with your wedding and go over the top with all those ‘little things that make the difference’. Don’t forget your wedding day is about you, your partner and your union together – nothing is more important than that.

I hope these tips helps.