How to Plan a Wedding on a Small Budget

If your dream wedding is a lavish affair that approximates every celebrity’s big day captured in glossy magazine photos then stop reading—this eHow is not for you. If on the other hand, you want your wedding to be special and reflect who you and your partner are without costing you a small fortune, read on. Even though banks are happy to dole out a loan for a wedding that is bigger and easier to get then a loan for your education, you don’t want to start your married life saddled with the kind of debt that could easily have been a down payment on your first home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access

1. Have an honest conversation with your partner about what you see for your wedding and what you can afford. Come to an agreement about the cost of the wedding and what it is about a wedding that is important to you. You might not care if the music at the reception is programmed by your friend’s MP3 player, but you might feel that it’s not even worth getting married if you can’t treat your friends to a delicious meal. Make a list of those elements of the wedding that are most important to you as a couple and focus the bulk of your budget on those items.
2. Pick the size of your wedding. Size, along with budget and areas of emphasis, will dictate the shape of your wedding. A more homespun or casual wedding can more easily accommodate a large number of people even when the budget is limited. If you value expensive food and drink consumed in lavish surroundings, you might want to opt for a more limited guest list. By agreeing on the number of guests early in the planning stages you’ll be able to explain to family and friends that invitation decisions (or lack thereof) were constrained by your available budget.
3. Choose the date and time of day. You will probably find that unless you want to elope to a chapel in Vegas you need at least 6 months to plan your wedding—longer if you have your heart set on getting married in a particular venue as they may have a waiting list. The time of day is crucial too; serving dinner to your guests can be much more expensive than breakfast, brunch or lunch, and your alcohol bill will probably be smaller the earlier you host your reception.
4. Consult with an expert about what can go into making a wedding and what is required for a legal ceremony in your locale. Start by visiting your city hall or by consulting its website in order to ascertain what legal documents, fees or other requirements are necessary for your nuptials. Then either buy a bridal magazine, borrow one from the library, or look up a bridal website; most of these sources will have a checklist of items that you might want to consider for your own wedding. You don’t need everything of course and don’t let their 18-month timeline scare you if you are working on a tighter schedule. But consulting their list might clue you in to wedding items that you otherwise wouldn’t have known about.
5. Talk to your friends and family about what you are planning to do. The people who are closest to you want to be involved in your very big, very happy day, and most will be thrilled to lend a hand in making your day special. If people offer to use their own skills (for instance as a cook or decorator) consider letting them be a part of your day as more than just a guest—their involvement will make your wedding feel more special, while allowing you to spend a little less in those areas.
6. Once you’ve decided what items you are spending the bulk of your wedding budget on, think about those items that are necessary to the wedding but that you aren’t as interested in putting a lot of money towards. A wedding can be held at someone’s home for instance, or in a backyard instead of renting a church and a reception hall. A local bar may be willing to give you their space for free in exchange for holding your reception there during non-regular business hours. A wedding dress is what you make it and doesn’t need to be purchased at a bridal shop: consider looking for an ensemble that fits your personal style from a shop that you frequent regularly. These suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg, this is an opportunity for you and your partner to get creative and have a wedding that is unique to the two of you.

Tips & Warnings

• Everyone has their own idea of what makes a ‘proper’ wedding, and when those expectations aren’t being met they can sometimes bring out the worst in people. Once you and your partner come up with a plan for your wedding, stick to it—don’t be swayed by the needs of family or friends.
• Friends and family aren’t the only ones who may get upset about your plans for the wedding, it is quite common for either the bride or groom or both to become angry at anything that does not meet their exact expectations. Try to set the goal of stress-less wedding planning for yourself; you are throwing this party in order to enjoy your wedding and hopefully have your friends and family enjoy it with you.