How to save BIG bucks on your wedding.

While planning my wedding, I've been obsessed with finding every means of cutting costs without cutting quality. I got so SICK of all those sites and books and articles that give such great advice such as "wear your aunt's wedding dress from 1987" or "have your father photograph everything"... Personally, I want something a bit more updated for a dress than a sea of old lace and poofed sleeves. And as for Papa, I want him enjoying my wedding, not running around stressing the photo ops. If you're as sick of tired old ideas as I am, here are some more practical ideas and tips to help you along. Enjoy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. My Dress The Dress-
   See my article "How to find your dream wedding dress for under $200.00". This step can save you thousands of dollars from the get-go without costing you quality or dream-like beauty.
2. After Hours The Tux-
   This is probably one of the cheapest “big” items you’ll have to worry about. Many men will simply choose to rent their tuxes. There are numerous places that offer this service, some national and some local. Take a little time to shop around. Larger chains will usually offer a discount for the Groom’s tux if he has his groomsmen order from there as well. Other places will have coupons or sale rentals. Local shops are a good source too. Some are less expensive than the national chains, and the quality can be just as good.
3. http://www.wedding-veil.com/store/product.php?productid=16322&cat=250 $54.00 The Accessories-
   Here’s another place that can make or break your budget.
   Your first step is to have an idea of what you are looking for. If you want a tiara but only care that it LOOKS like a million bucks, try Wal-Mart, Sears, Outlooks, or other inexpensive places. Be warned that you will get something either plastic or metal, more than likely not silver... and the jewels will more than likely be resin, plastic, or at best, CZ.
   If you’d rather something more glamorous, go to your local jewelry store, or my personal favorite, Wedding Veil.com (http://www.wedding-veil.com/). Here, you can find tiaras, veils, shoes, jewelry, combs, and much, much more.
4. Warrington Country Club The Ceremony and Reception place-
   Look for country club packages or party venue packages. Many country clubs and other “party” or “event” venues will have inclusive packages. For example, for our wedding, my fiancé and I are getting married in PA, near his hometown. We found Warrington Country Club absolutely beautiful. Their packages are WELL inclusive. For the ceremony room, reception room, all décor flowers, unlimited open bar, all catering, white glove servers, the wedding cake, decorations, a wedding planner, and an outdoor picturesque area for photographs, the price is UNDER $80.00 a person (price includes all taxes, tips, etc). Many caterers charge more than this a head! This decision saved us thousands of dollars, considering all that it included.
   Shop around for packages. While some places will do just about everything for you, some places can give you deep discounts if you select two or more of their offers.
5. The Flowers-
   Choose seasonally available flowers for all arrangements and bouquets. There are a ton of sites that can help you with this. Try http://weddings.about.com/od/weddingflowers/a/Season.htm, or any search engine (try multiple) searching for Wedding Flowers by Season, or bouquet by season. You can have out of season flowers or exotic flowers, but be prepared to spend quite a bit more.
   Try a local florist or grocery store for your flowers. Because national chains get better discounts on their floral inventory, the discounts can be much greater for you.
6. http://www.publix.com/custom/wedding/CakeDetail.do?categoryId=1&cakeId=39 The Cake-
   Order your cake at a local supermarket. No laughing here, ladies… you can get a beautiful cake done at less than half the cost of a typical wedding cake. You can special order, pick from current selections, or alter so many styles from local grocers such as Publix (http://www.publix.com/custom/wedding/WeddingsAndSpecialOccasions.do), Albertson’s (http://albertsonsmarket.com/eventplanning/) or Ingles (http://www.ingles-markets.com/bakery/cakes/wedding4.php). Look online or go to the bakery the next time you visit the grocery store to see what they have.
7. Personalized wedding champagne flutes The Wedding Favors-
   Pick your table favors from Oriental Trading Company (http://www.orientaltrading.com/application?namespace=browse&Ne=90000&Ntk=all&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&cm_re=TOP-_-PS-_-PS&event=catalog&N=377344&origin=catalogCategory.jsp&tabId=PartySupplies). These are the most beautiful or most treasurable items I’ve found, but if you’re having a large wedding, OTC has some unique, interesting, and fun items that would make lovely table items, gift bag fillers, or doo-dads. They also have personalizable items. Lastly, they carry wedding accessories, bridal accessories, invitations, candles, and miscellaneous tableware. The item in the picture can be found at http://www.orientaltrading.com/application?namespace=browse&origin=catalogProducts.jsp&event=link.itemDetails&demandPrefix=12&sku=OTCG1691&prodCatId=379700&mode=Browsing&erec=56&No=1&sp=true&Ntk=all&Ntx=mode%252bmatchallpartial&cm_re=PS-_-Wedding-_-Personalized&N=379700&sd=Wedding+Champagne+Flute+Glasses
8. http://www.barriedownie.com/ The Photographer/Videographer-
   I will be honest with you. In my researching a P/V, I was FLOORED at the prices. I found packages ranging from $700 to $7,000! That’s a wide range! My advice is to first, ask your friends. They may know of people in the biz, or have recommendations for you otherwise. Once done, check popular wedding publications or websites (such as www.theknot.com) for photographers and/or videographers. Research both P/Vs as well as companies that only do one or the other. If a company does both, they can usually offer you a discount if you get both services.
   
   Even if you research a company on the web, still contact them personally (phone, in person, or via email). Let them know some specifics of your wedding, the date, place, and number of guests. Some venders will cut the price for certain conditions such as ceremony and reception in one location, small weddings, weddings that are a year away.
   
   Look for the packages that suit your needs. Remember that these days, most photographers will give you the CD of proofs or negatives of EVERY picture they take. If this is the case, check your local Wal-mart, CVS, and other photo labs, as well as SnapFish, Webshots, and Winkflash for pricing. If you have the negatives or a CD with the photographs, you can have them printed yourself… for much cheaper than most P/V’s will charge. Also remember that with careful research, you can find special sets, like flush mount albums, online.
9. The tips and tricks-
   If you want advice but don't want to pay for a coordinator, try some online sites. I really liked http://www.ezweddingplanner.com/. This site has great references, articles and links. While the design of this site isn't spectacular, the features are. Best of all, it's free! They have sections for your budget (which has estimate/actual/paid), a wedding planner that has dates and sends email reminders for the big stuff, a people section for your attendees, a seating chart, vendor listing, an events section, and many lists to help you out. Another great website is www.theknot.com. There are articles, planning areas, dress pictures, and vender listings by area. You won’t find everyone on here, but they do have an amazing listing.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay for everything by credit card. Your card company offers buyer protection in case someone is out to scam you or does not preform as planned. Sometimes, this may be your only recourse if an issue arises.