I am not a fan of the word cheap, I much prefer to use the words ‘budget’ or ‘inexpensive’ but whatever the term used many brides are looking for a cheap wedding these days.
The economic downturn has led many of us to tighten our belts, whether we are getting married, but for those couples who are about to begin their wedding planning, making every cent go as far as it can is now more important than ever. The wedding industry has responded in part and as travel companies have been one of the hardest hit finding a cheap honeymoon has never been easier.
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But if you are looking to cut your costs then here are a few ideas to help you with your wedding planning
Consider the time of year when you want to get married. The high season for weddings is traditionally May through to September, so naturally booking a wedding during these months will cost you more than one booked in April or October. Winter weddings have become quite fashionable but avoid the busy holiday season when hotels and venues will be booked to the rafters for various festive events.
Consider the day of the week when you want to get married. Saturdays are the most popular day for obvious reasons, but they are also the most expensive and you are unlikely to get your first date choice unless you book very, very early. Fridays are fast becoming the next choice day and are also becoming more expensive. Try for a midweek day instead which will be significantly cheaper.
Trim down the guest list. Remember more heads more money! Intimate weddings are the hot trend for this year, so trim down the guest list to those family and friends who are most important to you. This will also reduce your venue costs - because you won’t need to hire such a big reception room; it will cut down your catering costs - because there are less mouths to feed; and it will reduce your beverage costs.
Check out your options on the catering front. Sometimes a buffet can be cheaper than a formal 3 course meal, but make sure this is case as it can vary from venue to venue. If you are having a small, intimate wedding then a buffet may be too much food for the number of guests and much could be wasted, whereas for a large wedding a buffet could be the most cost effective solution. A 3 course meal will also need more catering staff to serve it and more chinaware, glasses and cutlery too. All of which will add extra to the price.
Buy your beverages from a wine merchant. Some venues may require you to buy your champagne and wine etc from them, others will be happy for you to supply your own. In the case of the latter the venue will probably charge you a corkage fee to open the bottles, so make sure you find this out first. You can also cut down on your beverage cost by supplying enough champagne for two glasses per guests, and enough wine to serve each guest throughout the meal. Then have a pay bar for the rest of the reception, which means guests will then have to pay for their own drinks.
Having a cheap wedding doesn’t mean having to skimp on the things you want; it simply means cutting back on size and quantities. With every vendor you meet with ask about cost saving alternatives, particularly for things like flowers and your wedding cake, a good tip is to make them aware from the outset what your budget is and make sure they work within it.
Author Resource:-
Georgina Clatworthy is a dedicated full time writer who composes informative articles related to wedding favors and wedding. She is connected with 1WeddingSource, today’s leading wedding social networking planning site.
