| In today's society, it seems if everything isn't big | | | | you are giving a speech to mention and thank |
| and extravagant, it's either boring, lame, or "why | | | | each person that helped out with the wedding. |
| did I waste time going to this". That goes double | | | | Lisa, the photography, will surely appreciate the |
| for weddings. Weddings in America normally cost, | | | | kind words and mention in front of the family and |
| on average, around $19,000. That's for the | | | | friends. |
| wedding plus 200 guests. The average | | | | 4. Don't splurge on a wedding dress: Instead of |
| honeymoon tacks on another $3,500 to $4,000 | | | | going out and buying an expensive wedding dress, |
| to the cost. Getting married can really break the | | | | why not wear a dress you already own? Of |
| bank, but it doesn't have to. | | | | course, you may not want to and that's |
| There are many ways to cut costs and still have | | | | understandable. Instead, why not go out, splurge |
| a beautiful weddings ceremony and reception | | | | on a very hot little number that you will wear |
| without having to go broke. | | | | multiple times. That way, at least you can easily |
| 1. Shrink the cake: You can save a nice amount | | | | justify the expense of buying it. Plus, your spouse |
| just by reducing the size of the cake. You could | | | | will love it. |
| buy a small, magnificently decorated cake for | | | | 5. Save the flowers: In place of spending tons of |
| pictures. Then, you have just a plain sheet cake | | | | money hiring a florist to make bouquets of |
| to serve your guests. | | | | flowers, spend some time and make them |
| 2. Get out of the "wedding" hype mode: Weddings | | | | yourself. You could even go so far as to make |
| are a huge deal to retailers. Don't go into a retail | | | | only wrist corsages for the women and |
| store looking for a "wedding". Anything, whether it | | | | boutonnieres for the men to put in their |
| is a dress, shoes, and flowers, if attached to the | | | | buttonholes. If you don't like the idea of making |
| "wedding" word can instantly mark the price up | | | | your own flowers, then you can save a lot of |
| by 25% or more. You can still go to your favorite | | | | money by just going with silk flowers. The |
| stores and buy what you want, just leave the | | | | advantage there is you'll always have the flowers. |
| wedding out of it. | | | | They will never die, never wilt, and you don't |
| 3. Use your friends and family: No matter what | | | | have to worry about keeping them alive by |
| you may think, your family is more talented than | | | | watering them. |
| you think. Do you have a musician in the family? | | | | See, you can even have fun planning a fabulous |
| What about an artist? How about a bartender or | | | | wedding and not even worry about how you are |
| even a photographer? I'm sure you have those in | | | | going to pay off the debt because you won't be |
| your family. They may not be a "pro" in their | | | | in any! It shows anyone can have a beautiful |
| respective hobbies but you won't have to shell | | | | wedding without having to sacrifice because of |
| out mega-bucks for a pro to come out, either. | | | | money issues. The most important thing you can |
| Use their talents and you can give your big day a | | | | do is plan wisely and start saving some money a |
| more intimate atmosphere. Just be sure when | | | | year or so before hand. |