Television shows and movies feature brides planning their weddings with unlimited budgets and with absolutely stunning results – the kind of results brides-to-be aspire to. The problem is, a beautiful wedding with an unlimited budget isn’t a challenge to create but most of us just don’t have that much money to throw around! The good news is that a budget wedding can be just as elegant and memorable. It just takes a little thought, some careful planning and the right information at your side.

Here are some ideas to help get you started:

1. Attire

A big part of any wedding budget is going to be the attire. This includes attire for the bride and groom as well as members of the wedding party.

There are many ways to save money on a wedding gown. One is to check out the clearance racks at all of the local bridal salons. You may be able to find a sample dress for a fraction of the original price. Even if it needs a little work from having been tried on so many times, it can still result in a huge savings.

Another place to look is classified ads, such as those on Craig’s List. Gowns being sold in this manner are often sold just to make room in the former bride’s closet, so the sellers are not usually looking for a lot of money.

Renting a bridal gown may be another good option for a budget wedding. You may have to drive a little to find a bridal salon that rents their gowns, but it will be worth the drive. You may be able to rent a designer gown for just a few hundred dollars.

For the men, consider having the groom wear a suit instead of a tuxedo if the wedding is to be rather informal. If he is going to rent a tux, shop around for the best prices. Many rental places will offer the groom’s tux free if you hire attire for the groomsmen at the same time.

2. Flowers

Some brides spend more money on flowers than is really necessary. While flowers certainly add to the overall beauty of your day, they offer a great opportunity for you to trim your costs to create your budget wedding.

Firstly, consider smaller arrangements and bouquets. This is a simple way to reduce your costs without making many changes to the overall design. Put simply – the more blooms you have, the more expensive it will be.

For the bouquets, consider something as simple as a few roses with ribbon wrapped around the stems. Some brides and bridesmaids even carry a single rose or other flower. If this doesn’t appeal to you, you can always add foliage to your bouquets and arrangements to make them larger without adding significant cost.

You could also simply visit a wholesale flower shop and then create the arrangements and bouquets yourself.

Another idea is to eliminate some of the flowers altogether. You probably still want a bouquet to carry, but instead of placing floral arrangements on the altar or in the center of your tables, consider using candles instead. Elaborate candelabras can be rented for a fraction of the cost of flower arrangements and look absolutely stunning. Candles are also wonderful for creating an intimate and romantic atmosphere. This is a great choice particularly for an evening wedding.

3. Cake

Wedding cake is typically priced by the slice. Simply ordering a cake for fewer guests can save you a lot of money and keep you on track for your budget wedding.

Many guests will not even eat your wedding cake, so having fewer slices (or smaller slices) should not cause you any problems. But, if you are worried you won’t have enough, order sheet cakes. They will be kept and served from the kitchen so your guests never have to know. Then you can still have the cake of your dreams and feed everyone while saving on the expense.

For example, say that the cake you like is $5.50 per slice and you are having 250 guests. Your wedding cake would cost you $1375. If, however, you ordered the cake for 150 people, the cake would be just $825. Add a couple of full sheet cakes for another $40 each and your grand total is $905. That’s a saving of $470!

4. Food

Food is often the biggest single expense of a wedding and can easily run into the thousands. There are ways, however, to reduce your food expenses without making your celebrations any less enjoyable.

For example, rather than serving a full meal, consider having your wedding at a time of day when a cake and punch reception would be appropriate.

Or, if a sit down meal is important to you, have a buffet rather than a plated and served meal. This is a great choice as it allows picky eaters to be able to take what they want and, of course, it saves you money on your budget wedding.

Some brides even take on the task of preparing the bulk of the food themselves. This is not as daunting of a task as it may sound, but it can be a bit of work. Make sure that if you choose this option that you have plenty of help from members of your family and bridal party. If you can pull it off, it will not only save you a lot of money, but make your wedding day even more special because of the contributions of all your loved ones.

Your Budget Wedding

These are just a handful of ideas. There are so many more things you can do to reduce your costs without reducing the quality of your special day.

If you are planning a budget wedding, make sure you grab your copy of Erica Yoon’s “Amazing Wedding Planning.” She is the queen of helping you save money while still creating the wedding day of your dreams. Her book is full of insider secrets and ideas that you won’t find in your typical bridal magazines and it is an absolute must-read for the cost-conscientious bride!

Remember, just because your wedding is a budget wedding it doesn’t have to look cheap or tacky at all. With careful planning, a little creativity and the right information on hand, your wedding will look like a platinum wedding, but without the platinum price tag.

Click Here To Grab Your Copy Of Amazing Wedding Planning & Start Saving Now!

Technorati Tags: Budget Wedding, budget wedding ideas, wedding budget, wedding cost, wedding on a budget, Wedding Planning

It is only natural that you would want everything to be just perfect, no matter what the cost. But the truth is, money doesn’t grow on trees and you do want to have some cash left for your honeymoon and for your newly married life. Starting your new life together in debt is not much fun.

So what should your wedding cost and is a budget really necessary?

When you look at the figures, the average wedding cost can be a little intimidating. According to market research firm, The Wedding Report, the average cost of a wedding in 2008 was $21,814. While this seems high, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is for hidden or unexpected expenses to add up, giving you a figure even higher than that. That’s why you need a wedding budget and you need to stick to it.

When working out your budget, try to be comprehensive and try to avoid under-estimating. Keep in mind that the average couple spends more than twice the amount that they had originally planned for their wedding.

Here are some things to consider when creating your wedding budget.

The reception takes the largest chunk of the average wedding cost at 40-50% of the total budget. This includes everything from location to food to a DJ or band for your wedding dance.

The cost of venues vary greatly. If you are getting married in your own church, you may only have to pay the cleaning fee. Other locations can charge anywhere from a couple of hundred to several thousand for rentals. Consider choosing a location that can host both your ceremony and reception. That way you only have one venue fee and your transportation costs are lower. Keep in mind that some venues require you to use their bar service, catering service and/or DJ. These may add on extra fees to the wedding cost that you were not expecting.

Count on 10% of your budget for attire. This includes clothing and accessories for the bride and groom. Don’t forget to include jewelry, make-up and hair services. Generally, bridesmaids and groomsmen pick up the tab for their own attire, but you may wish to purchase jewelry for the bridesmaids that they can wear on the day as your thank you gift to them.

Flowers for both bouquets and decorations are a part of almost every wedding and range between 8 and 10% of the total wedding cost.

If you choose to hire a professional photographer and/or videographer, plan to spend at least $2,000, or 10% of the average budget. This may seem like a lot, but consider this aspect carefully. Right now, it may seem a logical place to cut costs, but these memorabilia will be priceless in 25 years time.

Other smaller expenses include:

Invitations, place cards, thank you notes and other paper items (3-5% of your budget)
Transportation (2%)
Miscellaneous items like taxes, tips and insurance (6%)

Don’t forget to also purchase thank you gifts for the wedding party and table favors for your guests.

Keep track of everything you spend and categorize it appropriately. You will soon see the little costs adding up and be able to cut back when you reach the spending limits that you have set for yourself.

Your wedding cost is significant but with careful planning it does not need to be exorbitant. A well-thought-out budget will relieve your money stress and allow you to enjoy your special day. And, of course, there are always plenty of ways to cut costs without reducing the quality of your wedding or sacrificing any of the things that you dream of.

Erica Yoon can show you how to save 50-80% of your entire wedding cost without compromising on your dream, regardless of your budget. She did not hire a wedding planner and yet managed to save over $10,000 on her own wedding with a few insider secrets – secrets she wants to share with you.

If you want to know how you can reduce your wedding cost and still have your dream wedding, you need to read her “Amazing Wedding Planning” book. It’s full of insider tips and tricks you just won’t find anywhere else.

Click Here To Grab Your Copy & Start Saving Today!

Technorati Tags: wedding budget, wedding cost, Wedding Planning