You don’t need me to tell you that money just isn’t flowing like it use to. Everyone has experienced the crunch in one way or another which is why some brides are changing their wedding budgets and getting more creative with their cash. Keep in mind: budget does not mean cheap. There are plenty of ways to have the lavish wedding of your dreams without getting into serious debt. Here are a few items we’d like to share:

1 – Do Your Research

There are so many wedding vendors nowadays that you simply must do your research. Look around and see who has the best price best with the best quality. Photographer ‘A’ might be fantastic but Photographer ‘B’ might be just as good plus comes along in a package with a videographer and a disc jockey. You don’t believe me? Check out the website for ThePros.com. I know plenty of people who went with them and who were very happy with their service.
Also, when comparing wedding venues – look to see what they really have to offer. Banquet Hall ‘A’ might have a koi pond and a gazebo but banquet hall ’B’ will throw in a wedding cake, free centerpieces, and will let you remove 20 guests 2 weeks before the wedding in case of late withdrawals. Forget the unnecessary glitz, if you go with venue B you just saved yourself over $3,000!

2 – Cut Your Guest List

Think about it, the average dinner plate at a wedding is anywhere from $100-125 per person. If you take 10 guests off your list you could be saving up to $1,250! That’ll pay for you a big chunk of your honeymoon! Although you might want to invite 175 people at first, it’s really the people who you are truly close with that make your wedding day special. Not your second cousin twice removed (unless he’s the life of the party) or your best friend from kindergarten who you haven’t spoken to since junior high.

3 – Rent your Wedding Jewelry

Ladies, we all want to look fabulous on the day of our wedding and there is no reason that you shouldn’t go all out – just do it the smart way. Renting your diamond jewelry is not only classy –it’s economical! For only $100 you can rent the gorgeous Coleman Pendant – a 3 dimensional pear cut diamond. Utterly stunning!

So simple yet so beautiful! Nothing glitters like the Coleman Pendant

Budget Tip: Try to put aside 20-25% of your monthly income aside just for the wedding. I know this is difficult – but it can be done!! When one of my girlfriends was engaged, she sat down with her fiancé and looked at their expenses. They were spending 35% of our joint monthly income on going out! For 10 months they decided to only go out on Saturdays, to only take ‘staycations’, not to buy each other presents for any holidays/anniversaries, etc. By the time the wedding came around we had enough money to pay cash for everything!