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Thursday, March 6, 2008

If Money Matters

True enough, a wedding is the most difficult event to plan and prepare for. And it gets even more challenging if the budget is tight. But don't fret, we have come up with some tips to help you stay on track money-wise.

1. Limit your invites to the most important people in your life. Less guests less expenses.

2. The venue eats up a huge percentage of the budget so be wise and practical when selecting your venue. If possible, have both the ceremony and the reception in one place to minimize your cost.

3. Resist the urge to pick foods that are costly i.e. lobsters, steaks. You can still impress your guests with less expensive food.

4. Keep your invitation simple. If you have the time or extra helping hands, you may even want to consider making the invitation yourself. You can get wedding invitation kits from wedding supply stores or even your local craft store.

5. When decorating the venue, keep the use of flowers to a minimum. They are costly. Use candles (they go a long way when it comes to giving life to a venue), tulles and ribbons as substitutes.

6. While it is nice to be entertained by a live band, recorded music will do just fine.

7. Forget about hiring an emcee. Ask a family member or a friend to emcee instead.

8. Ask yourself if you really want your wedding on a film. Will you spend some time after the wedding to watch it? Or will the video end up in your grandmother's chest in the attic?

9. Opt for a less extravagant cake. Get a 2-tiered cake instead of a 4- or 3-tiered cake. Another option is mini cakes arranged in a layered cake rack.

10. Limit the champagne to the toast. Instead of wine, serve less expensive drinks.

11. Forget about hiring a wedding planner. You can still get the job done with the help of family members and friends.

12. Instead of hiring a limousine, look for alternative means of transport i.e. a friend's Bentley, your fathers Mercedes.

13. Always haggle for a lower price with the vendors. Since they expect some negotiations to happen, they would most often give a quote that is higher than what they are willing to accept.

Johanna Docena is the owner of Docena Bridal, an online wedding store that sells bridal jewelry, wedding attendant gifts and wedding accessories. Visit us at http://www.docenabridal.com.