The cost of weddings continues to rise with the average wedding costing tens of thousands of pounds, but there is more than one way to handle the many expenses involved in your big day. As you get ready to say your vows remember that your wedding is as unique as you are, and you need not hold tightly to the norm. To save the most money for your wedding, you must remember that there are dozens of clever, simple ways in which you can reduce your wedding debt from the start.
You finally found the person of your dreams and your wedding should be everything you have always dreamed of and more. Before you can start on the details you must arrange a date and venue. The most beautiful and popular venues are booked months in advance. Therefore, it is imperative that you find and book your venue as soon as possible. One of the easiest ways in which you can finance your wedding is by booking during an off-season month. More weddings happen in spring and autumn, so consider a beautiful winter wedding instead. Not only is snow a perfect backdrop for wedding photos but you are likely to see reduced booking rates and more available dates.
Pay Attention to the Date
Many brides book their caterers well in advance, and while this is a very clever idea, it is possible to book them too soon. You might send out a hundred invitations only to receive just fifty RSVPs. If you book too early, you might end up paying for food that is wasted. Instead, send your invitations out as quickly as possible and set an RSVP deadline. Once that deadline has passed, you will know exactly how many to expect and you can book your caterer without the worry of spending too much on food.
Many venues simply seat as many guests as possible, but some make brides pay per seat. In such a situation, the same strategy can be employed to save money. In addition, fifty empty seats can detract from the beauty of your ceremony and make your wedding appear unattended.
Let Others Help You
It might be tempting to take care of all the finances on your own. After all, it is your wedding, but your family and friends are more than happy to help with the little things. With luck, your parents or the parents of your groom might just decide to help with one or more of the larger expenses. Small things such as confetti, string lights, and more can be taken care of by your bridesmaids. The longer you wait to begin buying the little things, the more you might also save in the long run. It is a huge temptation to begin buying up everything you need sooner rather than later, but there are many things that can wait until closer to the date.
Remember to Check Yourself
Wedding fever is a real disease which can cause you to buy far more than you actually want or need for your wedding. Many brides reach the decorating stage of their big day and find that they did not need seventy purple ribbons after all. Enlist a close friend or family member to remind you what is most important as you shop for the big day. With a second pair of eyes and a gentle reminder, you can save hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.
Photo courtesy of www.arabiaweddings.com.
