Wedding Planning at a Budget   by Jhong Ren

Every bride and groom who have limited financial resources would need to cut corners while planning their wedding.

In fact, there are hundred and one things that you can either outsource to others or do it yourself.

Now then we know wedding planning can be outsource? Hmmmm…

Even though we wanted to fully plan our wedding by ourselves, the thing is as much as we want to, we have limited time and energy.

But again, I have seen many brides who did items by themselves.

Plus another big contributing factor to the big hole in your purse or pocket is the ability to be frugal, decisive and able to bargain.

Usually after the wedding, the couples would have used up all their savings or even in debt!!!

Many brides in fact take the 1st offer for wedding packages and bridal studio offers.

If they have read this book, they may do otherwise.

They did not know that if they bargain just enough, they can save another few hundred dollars to even a thousand dollar.

During my wedding planning, I did a lot of bargaining and I pushed my way through. I got another 5R wedding album for free. This album would have cost me another 200 dollars.

In addition, did I tell you I got 2 helpers room instead of one (worth $500) and free corkages for 40 bottles of wine (previously 15) and I saved another $300!!!

Wow, a saving of $1000!!!

While I was planning my wedding, I bought this wedding ebook on wedding planning.

At that time I was lost. Frantic for a solution, I bought this ebook and I’m glad I did.

Now I still do.

This book helps me save $500.

Initially, I went to bookstores to look for books on wedding planning at a budget. But it seemed to me that those books offer high-end services and products.

Perhaps, the importer thinks that all Singaporean are really rich.

So, spend your money wisely as wedding is just the first step to a life-time of marriage.

About the Author

Jhong Ren runs My Wedding Blog- an online wedding diary that gives more than just the usual tips and advice on a daily basis. Check out http://www.romance-fire.com now and by all means leave us your comments, share some of your own wedding experiences.

The Five Biggest Wedding Budget Traps   by Nicola Ray

At some point in your wedding planning process, you are likely to fall victim of a wedding budget trap. Sometimes they’re hard to resist and other times, you don’t see them coming at all. Make sure you’re aware of the biggest budget traps, so you can tackle them head on.

The dress
Here’s the scenario: you have in mind the amount you want to pay for your dress. You go to the dress shop and the assistant starts bringing out lots of beautiful dresses for you to try on. You start trying them, getting carried away with all the lovely dresses and then you find the one. It’s perfect. It looks great and you feel like a million dollars! Then you look at the price tag and it’s way over budget. Your heart sinks.

Be very careful when dress shopping. Make sure you stipulate your budget to the assistants and ask them to ensure they stay within that budget. You must be strict. I have seen lots of brides easily spend an extra ₤300 or more being ‘upsold’ by the wedding boutique. It’s not worth it – so don’t fall into this trap.

The rings
Again, with rings it’s very easy to overspend. If you’re in a shop, state your budget clearly to the assistant and ask them to stay within it. Only view rings that are in your budget.

It’s easy to be distracted by all the lovely sparkly jewellery and the desire for a nicer, bigger, fancier ring. You’ve got be strict with yourself. You can always upgrade later in life!

The venue charges
You’ve found the perfect venue and it’s within budget – great! You should be very proud. Now, be careful. Check that everything you think you’ll need is included in the cost, BEFORE you sign the contract.

I’ve seen several brides get stung close to their wedding date. They find out XXX isn’t included or they need to have the additional room even though they don’t require it. Watch out and make sure you ask the venue lots of questions to make sure you don’t get caught out.

Invitations
Buying professionally printed wedding invitations and stationery can easily run into hundreds of pounds. It’s also easy to overspend when you see how lovely the other pieces of matching stationery are. Suddenly you’re spending a fortune and so this is one of my biggest budget traps.

The various designs, personalisation and fancy printing techniques will all add to your budget. But there are ways and means of not falling into this trap. If you’re going with printed stationery, stick with simpler designs, avoid fancy printing techniques and lots of different colours. If you’re feeling adventurous, make your own invitations – you’ll save a packet.

Corkage
Many couples find the perfect venue, only to realise that the corkage costs are going to be a fortune. The best way to avoid this trap is to check the corkage costs BEFORE signing any contracts with the venue. There’s no point buying that wine on offer, only to find your corkage cost is £7 a bottle – you won’t save anything.

Speak to the venue about other options, such as providing a limited bar or larger bottles of wine or champagne so you don’t have to pay so much corkage. Another alternative is to provide cocktails – spirits will go a lot further then bottles of wine.

Traps like these are a nightmare for your wedding budget. So watch out, prepare in advance and stand firm with your budget.

About the Author

Nicola Ray is the owner of Cheap Wedding Success, a website dedicated to planning and creating the perfect cheap wedding. With lots of advice, tips and ideas to lower the cost of your wedding, Cheap Wedding Success is the perfect place to start.