How to Throw Your Dream Wedding on a Budget

wedding

Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the greatest days of your life. However, it’s important to remember that one of the leading causes of divorce is money issues. Make sure not to get yourself into so much debt on your wedding day that you begin to build the path to your marriage’s end. There are plenty of ways to have a magical wedding day that you have always dreamed about without sacrificing your future. Whether it’s looking into Whitsundays wedding packages, the rings, the decors such as Backdrop Event Drapes, entertainment or food and drinks there’s plenty of different areas that you can choose to save money on depending on what sort of wedding you want to have.

The Engagement Ring

The first step towards saving money can come in the form of the engagement ring. However, it is important to be careful if you are trying to save money here. Some women are not going to be satisfied with anything other than a large diamond ring.

Casually discuss how your prospective bride feels about engagement rings at some point before buying. You can do this by watching a movie that features a wedding. That way, it will seem natural to bring it up. You might also want to have the conversation well before you actually propose if you hope to keep it a surprise.

If your potential fiancé is open to a less traditional ring, you can both save money and get her a bigger stone. A large sapphire is a much more impressive look than a small diamond. If she still wants the look and feel of a diamond, but without the price tag, take a look at Moissanite engagement rings, visit the website here.

There are many arguments out there against diamonds for engagement rings. First off, they are boring. They are impressive geologically due to their hardness, but they are boring, with their colorless look. Stones like sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and topaz come in beautiful colors and cost a lot less, so you can afford a big center stone. If you still want diamonds, you can have tiny ones that surround and complement the center stone.

Another argument against diamonds is that they are not nearly as traditional as many people seem to think. Diamond engagement rings did not become popular until 1947.

With so many diamonds also being tied to conflict and bloodshed, insane costs, and boring looks for smaller rocks, going with an alternative could be a great option.

Picking her birthstone as the center stone is a great way to add that little personal touch to the ring and make it special. However, if she was born in April, then her birthstone is a diamond, so that won’t help you to get away from this expensive rock.

Decide What Is Important to You as a Couple

One of the things you absolutely must do when deciding on where to save money when it comes to your wedding is determining what is most important to you both. Is it important that you share the same name after your wedding? If so, do some research on how to legally change your name. You will likely find that there are some things you both care deeply about and other areas where you could not care less. One option that can add a little cost to your wedding but protect you from devastating bills in case of a disaster is wedding event insurance.

DJ or Band?

How about neither. Instead of paying far too much money on a DJ or wedding band, you can simply make your own playlist, rent a wireless speaker and connect your laptop. Then you just need to press play and have someone adjust the volume between dinner and dancing, and you are good to go.

Even a good wedding band isn’t going to sound as good as the original artist, and an expensive DJ is likely to have at least one or two songs that don’t hit the mark for you. Create your playlist yourself, and it will simply be one hit after another.

Nobody Needs a Monogram

Wedding favors might seem like a great way to thank your guest and share your special day with them. However, the reality is that aside from your mothers and grandmothers, your guests probably aren’t going to care too much about memorabilia from your wedding. They will care much more about food and drink and remember it fondly from photographs.

Food and Drinks Matter

When it comes to your guests, the most important thing is making sure they are well fed. The majority of the people at your wedding will be satisfied as long as there is good food and they get enough of it. However, there are cheaper ways of doing this and more expensive options. Having a plate made up for each individual guest is typically one of the more expensive routes to go.

Cheaper options are a buffet, and if you are up for it, you could even have the wedding reception be potluck style with everyone bringing something to contribute. You can also do a combination of the two. That way, you can ensure that you have a certain food that you desire and fill out the rest of the menu with items from some friends and family who have a better track record in the kitchen.

Drinks are another important aspect of your wedding day but can get real expensive real quick. You will likely have many guests who want to wet their whistles, but they do not necessarily need a full bar with any drink they could imagine. Sticking to beer and wine is a way to keep costs down but still satisfy your guests.

If you need to cut costs further, you can even forego a bartender altogether. Instead, get tubs filled with ice on a table where your guests can help themselves to a drink.

The Dress

Fashion changes. You may end up looking back at that extravagant wedding dress in 10 or 20 years and wonder what you were thinking. Simple and elegant tend to stand the test of time and cost a whole lot less. A more understated dress can still be stunning to look at without the stunning price tag.

Saturday in Summer

Do you have to get married on one of the most expensive days of the year? A summer wedding is going to be your most expensive option for when to get married. Switching from Saturday evening to Tuesday morning might not be an option you are willing to consider if you want a big party and for guests to actually attend your wedding.

However, switching the season still gives you the option to have the big party you dreamed about while saving a ton of money on your venue.

Do You Really Need to Invite Bob From Work?

There will be a lot of pressure to invite everyone you know to your wedding, but you should not cave to that pressure. Each attendee adds cost to your wedding. Consider who is likely to still be an important person in your life in five years. You will be looking at the pictures for the rest of your life.

One easy way to whittle down your guest list is to create a little test with questions like:

  • What is their favorite color?
  • Do they have pets?
  • What is their middle name?
  • Have you ever spent time with them one on one?
  • In which month were they born?

If you cannot answer a single question, then they might not be someone you care enough about to invite them to your wedding. It is your special day. Make sure it stays that way.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of The World Financial Review.