Planning a wedding can be an extremely stressful and costly endeavor. But a wedding doesnt have to be expensive to provide a wonderful experience. You can still have your dream wedding at a fraction of the cost. There are many ways to make your wedding less stressful on your finances so that you and your future spouse have more money to spend on things to start your lives together. Here are a few suggestions on how to cuts costs and still have a beautiful wedding.
General
Set a Budget: The first step to keeping your Santa Barbara wedding spending under control is to create a budget. Decide how much you can spend and dont overspend. Not even for the delightful themed extras. A few dollars here and there can add up over time.
Keep It Simple: One way to save money and your sanity is to simplify your wedding. Sometimes less really is more. Do you really need every one of those five-course dinners to enjoy your special day?
Do Your Own Hair and Makeup: You shouldnt have to break the bank to look good on your big day. You can save a lot of money by styling your own hair or if you have a friend or relative do it for you. If you are worried about how it will turn out, give it a test run before the big day to make sure you get the look you want.
Wear Suits: If you want to save some money on rentals, and if you arent picky about matching everything precisely, you can wear have the men in your wedding wear suits instead of tuxes. Suits are a better investment, as you are more likely to have an occasion to wear a suit again and many in your wedding will already have a suit to wear in their closet.
Let Bridesmaids Wear Their Own Dresses: If you allow your bridesmaids wear their own dresses they will save money, and you will know that they will be comfortable wearing a dress they picked out. You can pick a certain color to coordinate them all.
Grow Your Own: If you have got time to plan in advance you can plant the type of flowers you would like to have at your wedding. You can always enlist friends and relatives if you dont have a yard. Not too many people will object to free landscaping, and you can save a bundle by raising the flowers yourself.
Buy Wholesale: If you don’t have the resources to plant your own flowers you might find more reasonable wholesale prices at a local flower market. You might not get the same wholesale price as resellers, but you will still get a bigger discount than at a retail establishment. Remember that the more flowers you buy from a single vendor the bigger discount you are likely to get. If you can pay with a cash back credit card, you might save even more money.
Arrange Flowers Yourself: Arranging your own flowers can be easier than you’d expect. There are many books available on the subject that you can purchase or get from your local library or if you really have the time and inclination you can take an inexpensive class on flower arranging.
Use Flowers In Season: Flowers that are in season and readily available are much more reasonably priced than those that might be more exotic. You can consult with your florist about the flowers that will allow you to make the most of your budget and still look great in arrangements and bouquets.
Limit Your Attendants: A small wedding party can cut the overall cost of the wedding. Again Less is more. If you think there will be hurt feelings if you limit the number of attendants,
Consider Alternate Transportation: Unless it’s your dream to be whisked away with your new spouse in a limo or horse drawn carriage you could consider an alternate means of transportation as a way to save money. Borrow an antique car from a friend or relative or try jazzing up your own with some wedding decorations.
Make Your Own Favors: If you want to give guests a little take away gift and still not spend a fortune make the favors yourself. You can tie them into your wedding theme or make them very personal to you and your guests. You can also have a small party to enlist friends and relatives help you make those favors.
Print Your Own: Making your own invitations is easier than ever nowadays. You can use your own computer software and paper bought from your local craft or stationary store to print your invitations much more cheaply than you can have them printed for you.
Make Your Own Wedding CD: Instead of hiring a band or DJ to play as you walk down the aisle, you can make your own wedding CD of your favorite songs or ones that have special meaning for you and your spouse to be. You can give a copy of the CD to your guests for the wedding favor.
Get a Smaller Cake: Cakes are available in all shapes and sizes, but the fancier the design, the more expensive the cake. Sheet cakes are much more reasonably priced than tier cakes. If you are looking for something photo friendly, get a small tier cake for you and your spouse and a larger sheet cake for your guests. It all tastes the same even if it doesn’t look the same, so decide if the frills are worth the expense.
Have Alternate Desserts: If cake is not your thing, you might consider a cheaper dessert. Pies, tarts, mousse, chocolate covered fruits and even attractively arranged cookies and brownies can provide a cheaper and more creative alternative.
A wedding is an occasion for celebration, not for stressing out over finances and small details. You can still achieve your dream of having a beautiful wedding even if it isn not champagne and caviar. The idea is to make your special day personal and special, not expensive. The point is to strike a balance. You do not want to look needy on your wedding day but you also don’t want to build a lifetime’s worth of debt.