Cheap Wedding Plans

From LoveToKnow Weddings

Trying to make cheap wedding plans is difficult when many wedding money saving ideas are aimed at cutting costs for weddings that are thousands of dollars in the first place. Luckily, it is possible to have a cheap, nice wedding with some extra planning, compromise, and a little hard work.

Do not let money woes ruin wedding plans.

Cheap Planning Help

Hiring a wedding planner is usually out of the question if you need to keep costs at a bare minimum. Instead, talk to your friends and family who recently got married about wedding planning issues, like things they wish they would have done differently and what they loved about their weddings. Plan a simple lunch and bring a notebook so you can write down suggestions and ideas your friends have about planning a wedding.

You can also visit the library to check out wedding planning guides for reference. Free bridal catalogs and wedding catalogs help make the planning process easier without denting your budget. Take advantage of all wedding freebies and samples you come across during planning.

Bridal Budget Busters

One of the first things you need to do after setting a budget is figure out how to cut costs of the top bridal budget busters. While they may vary slightly from couple to couple, the top three or four expenses usually include the ceremony/reception location rental and food.

Making homemade wedding centerpieces and buying a cheap wedding dress will save a few dollars, no question. But if you really want to plan a cheap wedding, you must drastically reduce the cost of your biggest expenses.

Location

Simply reserving a place to host your wedding can be thousands of dollars. To keep your location costs down, consider the following:

Active members of religious organizations often can get the use of their church free or for a small donation. Find out if you can use the kitchen and dining hall for a reception, too.
Look around your home, your parent’s home, or your future in-law’s home. Can you turn a large parlor into a small ceremony space? Do they have a garden that would be perfect for a backyard wedding? A wedding at home is cheap yet intimate.
Think about your club and social network ties. Are you a member of a club that has a meeting hall that may be used as a wedding location? If not, do you know anyone who can get you the use of a hall, restaurant backroom, or other location for a deep discount?

Even if the location is less than ideal, you can always use some budget wedding decorations to make the area more celebratory.

Food and Drink

Feeding the guests at your wedding reception can be a huge expense, especially if the guest list is long. Skip looking for a wedding caterer and find ways to have the basics without that additional cost.

Consider asking aunts, grandmas, or other relatives known for their culinary skills to give you a hand in the kitchen. They may be happy to provide potato salad, homemade dinner rolls, or barbequed pulled pork in lieu of a gift.
Plan a wedding finger food reception with small appetizers and mini-sandwiches instead of a full meal.
Serve guests wedding sheet cake instead of a tiered huge wedding cake. Alternatively, serving a cupcake wedding cake, with homemade cupcakes on a tiered stand, can also be cheap and easy.
Have your wedding mid-afternoon, so guests do not expect a meal. After the ceremony, serve wedding cake, punch, and mints to everyone.

Alcohol is often a huge part of the dinner budget. Forgo it completely to save yourself a bundle. Serve punch, soda, water, and milk instead. If you want to have alcohol, skip the liquor and only serve beer and wine or champagne. Purchase beer and wine in bulk from a warehouse super store or watch for local sales and specials to get the best deal.

Just because you are planning a cheap wedding day does not mean you cannot personalize it. Couples who want alcohol at their event but need to keep costs extremely down might want to consider serving non-alcoholic drinks alongside a single “signature” drink. The signature drink can be a favorite drink the couple shares or one they create themselves.

Cheap Wedding Plans: DIY

Planning a wedding on a small budget means you may not have a lot of cash, but you should make room for a lot of time for DIY projects. DIY, or do-it-yourself, has caught on for both big and small budget weddings. Anything and everything that you, your fiancé, your family, or your friends are able and willing to make or do for the wedding will help keep your budget in check.

Cut your own bouquet to save money.

Pick wildflowers from your backyard and put in glass canning jars for a cheap wedding centerpiece.
Choose wedding reception favors that can double as centerpieces.
Swag streamers in your wedding colors across the ceiling in a geometric pattern.
Put disposable cameras on every table instead of paying the professional photographer to stay through the reception.
Create a CD mix of your favorite love songs and/or dance tunes in lieu of hiring a wedding DJ or band.
Make your own bridal bouquet, along with bridesmaids bouquets, using cheap faux flowers from a craft store. Tying a ribbon around single stem live carnations, peonies or roses is another option for brides on a budget.

By tapping into your creativity, you can come up with simple ceremony ideas and simple wedding reception ideas that will keep your cheap wedding plans intact.

Planning the wedding yourself, slashing big expenses, and making the small items results in a beautiful but budget-friendly cheap wedding.

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