Keep wedding costs from exhausting financial resources
Monday, June 22, 2009
Cost of an average wedding? Between $20,000 and $30,000, say online sources.
Not having to sell a kidney to pay for it? Priceless.
"There are a lot of things that are nice to have but you don't absolutely have to have," said Michelle Preli, editor of brides.com. "It's all up to the budget and personal choice of the people planning the wedding."
A dream wedding can be dreamy, indeed, but breaking the bank to pay for it is a nightmare. By comparison, $20,000 would pay for about four years of weekly counseling, which might not be the worst idea for those who choose to start their marriage by incurring wedding debt.
Wedding experts and brides-to-be chime in on six simple tips for cutting wedding costs.
1. Ditch dinner.
Full sit-down meals are often a waste of money and food. Most wedding guests don't need the traditional rubbery chicken cutlet to have a good time. Sarah Guin and Jason Lawhorn, whose wedding date is Aug. 8, have decided to swap food for friends, limiting their menu to cake and other desserts. "We're having a pretty big wedding," said Ms. Guin, "but we decided we'd rather have more people come and have just cake than have less people come and have a full meal."
2. DIY or phone a friend.
Ask a few friends with good digital cameras to be your wedding photographers. Ditch the band, invest in good iPod speakers and blast wedding playlists of your choosing. Examine what can be accomplished by you and your friends of varying talents before paying for services. Local graphic designer Beth Rogers made her own invitations for her July wedding to Ron Spruill.
3. Be frugal with flowers.
Remember two words: in season. Research to find local, in-season blooms at a fraction of the cost of flying in exotics. Since a lot of cost is correlated to floral arranging, according to Ms. Preli, flowers are a great place to put the DIY theory into action. The Total Package in Ooltewah teaches classes on floral arranging. Flowers also can be transported from the ceremony to the reception hall and employed for multiple purposes.
4. Trim the fat off the guest list.
Poor single Sal doesn't have a special pal? Most weddings cost per head, so seat your unattached friends together and avoiding eating the cost of dates for anyone not in an exclusive, serious relationship. (Besides, weddings can be a great place to meet someone). Same for your old boss or the third cousin once removed you haven't seen since your baptism.
"The biggest way to cut the wedding budget, bar none, is to decrease the amount of guests," said Ms. Preli.
5. Waste not, not wasted.
You hope the groom's fraternity brothers have grown up since college, but just in case, getting rid of the open bar is a great way to save money and avoid antics. "Alcohol is a big expense," said Ms. Preli.
For their July 11 wedding reception, Jennifer Leck and Chris Bowen chose a venue without a liquor license and went to Costco to buy wine in bulk. A champagne-only reception or limiting the spirits to a signature cocktail also work.
6. Go green: Get a recycled wedding gown.
Sure, many girls dream of looking like a princess bride, but it's possible to do so in a way that is both fiscally and environmentally prudent. According to theknot.com: "Purchase your gown secondhand -- reducing fuels used in creating a new gown and lessening demand for overseas labor." Browse classifieds or consignment shops for gently used gowns at a fraction of the cost. Anna's Attic consignment boutique on Hixson Pike carries vintage and used gowns.
