subject: Your Dream Wedding On A Budget [print this page] Every bride and groom wants their wedding day to be memorable, special, heart-felt and financially manageable.
For this reason, the weddings that once cost $60,000 are rare but the fact still stands that $30,000* is the average cost for a shin-dig to remember.
Given that this amount can sensibly pay for a deposit on a house, honeymoon or a really, really nice sports car, it is hardly surprising that the ultimate dream wedding is now planned well within a sensible price range.
Obviously some choose to put their wedding on hold until they can save enough money to splurge on this special occasion, but more often or not, the trend is to stick to getting hitched with the dollars in mind.
Now, what budget means for one person is not budget for another and there are certainly things that you should never, ever, EVER compromise price wise. We will get to that later.
For example, instead of Vera Wang, another local designer will do just as well in the fashion stakes. Instead of Lavish, rare and impossibly unseasonal flowers, cyclical ones will make a beautiful addition to the day without the massive price tag.
Perhaps a horse and carriage was once a dream idea, but these days, cars of all types and styles are available just check out your local car show for someone who is more than happy to show off their engine for hardly anything at all!
While eloping is still probably the cheapest option, if you want to share your big day with family and friends then a budget wedding is the way to go.
In saying this, a grand and glorious wedding idea does not have to be crushed so dont panic. There are plenty of ways to cut the costs without compromising on the quality.
Lets face it you have 2 major expenses which are difficult to overcome catering and drinking for one, and photography is the other.
Photography packages can be priced from $3,000+ however, most of the expense isnt in the actual photography, but the time spent printing and preparing the formal wedding album. I really admire photographers for the amount of time they spend on the day, (both before the brie arrives and during the ceremony AND the reception but also the editing tie and touch ups afterwards.
To save money, Ged McMahon from http://www.gedmcmahon.com/ recommends purchasing a DVD of the images so that you own them all. A lot of photographers will suggest, very strongly, that you purchase expensive offers but lets face it, you can make beautiful albums down the track when some more money is available, he said.
And now for the MOST important part of your day. Can you get married without a Venue, a Photographer, Flowers, even a Dress? Yes of course you can.
Can you get married WITHOUT a celebrant? Absolutely not!
This is one thing that you should not skimp on. How many horror stories have you heard about celebrants!?!? I have heard of ones wearing outrageous hats, speaking incoherently, showing up late, incorrect paperwork the list goes on.
Your personalities should match with your celebrants 100%. If you believe in a wicker handfasting, choose someone who can do that if you want to abseil down a cliff while yelling I do, choose someone who will happily jump down there with you
My point is this: after the food is gone and the drinks are drunk, and the flowers fade and the dress is hung up in the wardrobe. What is it that you will remember most? The vows you took and the person who made it happen for you.
For the ultimate budget wedding check out our other handy tips:
a) Call in favours from friends!
b) Do the invitations yourself.
c) Choose seasonal flowers.
d) Pick a venue which allows BYO alcohol.
e) Consider having a cocktail party instead a sit-down dinner.
f) Do your own hair & makeup.
g) Use an iPod for music rather than hiring a DJ or band.
