Wedding Tips For Budgeting The Perfect Cheap Wedding

With the average wedding costing around $30,000 these days there are very few prospective brides out there that aren't trying to find cheaper alternatives from everything to the wedding dress to the honeymoon and everything in between. Well, with some good planning you can have a "cheap wedding" without it looking like a cheap wedding. Most women dream of their wedding day from the time they were little girls. But it just doesn't make sense to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a wedding when you can still have the dream wedding for a whole lot less.

One of the first things you need to do is to develop a wedding plan along with a budget and stick with it! Decide how much you can spend, work everything into that budget and stick within your means no matter what. Consider working with a professional wedding planner or consultant who knows how to find ways to save you money. If you don't think you can afford a wedding planner, then get on the internet and do your homework.

The first and probably the most important thing is to plan the budget and that starts with deciding who is going to pay what. Traditionally, the bride's parents would foot most of the bill, but that doesn't necessarily hold true anymore. Now days, with the cost of weddings and the fact that a lot of couples are getting married later in life, the money is contributed by a combination of the bride's parents, the grooms parents and what the bride and groom have saved. Find out what that total figure will be right up front so there are no surprises later.

Once you have set a budget with the total amount of money you will have to spend, you will need to set that money into different categories that you want to spend it on. Here are my suggestions for the budget categories. The percentages listed are just suggested starting points and can be adjusted to your needs.

Ceremony (3%): Location fee, marriage license, officiant fee, musician's fee, ring pillows

Wedding Attire (11%): Dress, Headpiece or veil, shoes, jewelry, hair and makeup, Groom's tuxedo or suit, shoes, tie, etc. Flower girl and ring bearer clothing.

Reception (49%): Reception site, food, drink, cake, favors, rentals

Flowers (9%): Bride's bouquet, maid-of-honor bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres, centerpieces, flower girl basket, ceremony

Music (8%): Band or DJ, ceremony musicians, sound system rental

Photography (12%): Photographer and videographer's fees, albums, additional prints, disposable cameras for candid shots

Transportation (2%): Transportation for wedding party, guest shuttle and/or parking attendants

Stationery (3%): Invitations, thank you cards, response cards, postage, calligraphy, guest book

Gifts (3%): Bridesmaid and groomsman, flower girl and ring bearer

It is accepted practice that attendants pay for their own clothing. Rentals that will have to be returned and/or purchased, traditional, themed or even home-made outfits are always other options as well, depending on your wedding's unique style, set-up and context. Traditionally the bride and/or her family would pay for the bride's dress, veil and accessories; her mother's dress and father's formal wear as well as the bride's trousseau, honeymoon clothes and lingerie.

Reception - the bulk of the cost for any wedding would be the food and drink, party rentals, music and entertainment of your guests on the big day. Making it all fit your budget is both a challenge and a joyful endeavor! Shop around and be creative, making your reception the one to remember without having to break the bank!

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