5 Great Tips for Throwing Your Dream Wedding for Less

It is no secret that weddings are big business. In the United States, there are an average of 2.4 million weddings every year. About one third of all brides spend between seven and 12 months planning their weddings. About 48% of all couples start their wedding planning online. Approximately 40% of couples look for unusual wedding venues and wedding reception places for their big days. They say they are looking for places that reflect their unique personalities. While it is all too possible to spend tons of money on your wedding and reception, you really do not have to. If you are looking to have your dream wedding while saving money on the big day.

Tips to Making Your Wedding Great for Less

1. Keep it small. Some people, when planning their weddings, want to invite every person they have ever met. Others feel that anyone who wants to come to their wedding should be able to. Those are nice thoughts but a large wedding party is one of the best ways to drive up your budget. Smaller weddings are more intimate. Think of the smaller wedding reception places that you have been to, they tend to seem warm and inviting. Think of the people that really mean something to you and for whom your wedding will really be special. Remember all of the readings you have been to that you just went to because you “had to.”
2. Consider personal homes and outdoor wedding venues. There are certainly enough wedding reception places that you can rent, if you want to go that route. You can have a beautiful wedding this way, too. Unless you do not have a venue that your heart is set on, consider a local park. Nearly 35% of couples choose to hold their weddings outside these days. These can be really special, fun and unique. If you have a friend or family member with a yard or garden, that might be a great spot. Anything you can have indoors from a dance floor to a wonderful meal can be done outside.
3. There is a lot you can do yourself. With today’s printers, you can design and create your own invitations. If you want to go to an outside printer, look at Vista Print. For your catering, have someone you know do it. If a friend or family member cannot help you with the food for your wedding, look into hiring a local, small restaurant. You can get some great catering from family owned restaurant. You can even buy your own alcohol. This is often one of the more expensive parts of any catering job so buying it yourself can really save you some money. Some wedding reception places will allow you to stock their bar. You can always do this when you have the wedding at a private home.
4. Shop around. Look at at least a few different bakers for your wedding cake. Talk to a few different florists. It can be amazing how two places can charge vastly different amounts for the very same thing. Even if you find there is no price difference between two shops, you will feel better paying that having had done some research.
5. When you first talk to vendors, do not tell them what you are planning. There is something that goes on in the mind of a vendor when they hear the word “wedding.” That thing is not think, “This person needs to save money.”andnbsp;Many providers of the services commonly associated with a wedding have policies to raise the prices for their services for weddings. When you first start talking to them, leave out the kind of event you are planning. Please note that you have to tell them when you sign a contact (or before).

Remember, your wedding is just one day. You can find the best wedding places and spend one million dollars and it will still only be one day. Try to not stress over all the details and the things that go wrong. Your wedding day should be special but if you throw a great party have fun and your guests will remember that much more than any of the wedding reception places they have been.

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