Wedding dresses and tuxedos... Bridesmaids and Groomsmen... Maid of Honor and Best Man... The Bride and Groom... The day has come for everyone to witness this special day where two people are joined in matrimony. Everything leading up to this day has to be planned out and executed...

The very thought of thinking about a wedding budget is enough to cause shivers down the in-laws spines. Everything will need to be perfect as no one wants to mess up such a glorious day! The wedding budget can be a bit confusing as well as intimidating. Dresses will have to be purchased. Flower arraignments and stationery will need to be created. Even the place to hold the ceremony will need to be mapped out. Every single thing on this day will need to count towards your wedding budget. This makes it very important that you have the necessary information to carry out the many tasks.

First things first, the wife to be may have one idea in mind. Maybe they are looking for a traditional style wedding complete with all the bells and whistles. The groom however, may want something modern yet simple. It's important to first get a perspective of how the wedding should look. This starts with the participating couple. There should be ample time where both can discuss how the wedding should look and feel.

The next agenda in mind is to figure out how much you are willing to spend. The obvious option to start is to ask the parents. Determine if they will help out with the financing and what they are willing to contribute towards. Keep a notebook or journal nearby to jot down notes. This should be notated and will help to form the actual wedding budget.

Now is an excellent time to open a "wedding bank account." The funds in this account should only be used for the wedding and nothing else. This will help in tracking all the expenses you incur. Don't try to supplement this amount by taking out a loan. This will only be unneeded debt headed into the wedding. If you see that the plans you and your spouse-to-be will cause your budget to go over the projected amount, reconsider what you are willing to compromise.

Next, find any talented friends and family members who are willing to support you on this special day. You will be surprised how many people would be willing to help out. This makes for a more personal wedding, as each individual will have something to contribute to the success of the wedding. Remember that photos will need to be taken, dress makers and beautician will be needed for the women. Stationary designers and decorators will need to be established. Even the entertainment portion will need to be addressed. By asking family and friends, this will help diminish cost when setting up your wedding budget.

After this has been done, the next task is to determine how many guests will be attending the ceremony. If a big wedding is planned, make sure your budget fits the amount of guests. This can be a humbling experience, as this will cause you to consider how close you are with the person. Some ideas for controlling the amount of guest includes:

• Invite friends that you spend most of your time with. Inviting co-workers will only raise the budget.
• Include relatives that include the immediate family all the way up to first cousins. Anyone who doesn't fit within this range would be extra and thereby raise the budget.
• Don't include people that you may only have business with. Lawyers, Doctors, or anyone else who isn't a part of the family shouldn't be at the wedding.
• Don't include long, lost friends or school friends you haven't kept in touch with. If you haven't spoken to them since you last saw them, then chances are they won't even miss the occasion.

Again, this will be a difficult task, especially if you have a large family. This is a decision that may need the assistance of parents. They will be able to help you make the choices you make. Shaving off the guest list could mean thousands of dollars saved. However, if you have a large budget, then by all means invite whomever you feel.

Now is the time where all the major purchases will need to be itemized. The place where the ceremony will be held, alcoholic drinks served during the reception, and catering fees will run you a high tab on your budget. Don't forget to include other high expenses such as cost of wedding dress, music and entertainment, and limousine services complete with driver.

Once all the checking for prices have been completed, finish filling out the rest of the budget with the cost of everything else. Remember that invitations will need to be printed and the florist will need to be paid, etc. Take a look at the budget you have to see if there are areas that can be trimmed down. Believe me, there will be spaces where you can trim down. The list of talented relatives and friends will come in handy as this may relieve some of the burden off your shoulders.

Did you notice some areas that can be trimmed? Most times you will. If not, here's a few examples of how a wedding budget can be further trimmed:

• Cut back your guest numbers further.
• Reconsider where the ceremony will be held. Maybe there's another place that offer the same style and look you desire for a fraction of the cost. Or better yet, reschedule the wedding to a weekday if you have the day set already to the weekend. This may save you up to 30% off your budget.
• Consider having family members help with preparing the food. This will help to cut down on budget expenses by 15% alone.
• Set a limit to the bar budget. If you are serving alcoholic drinks, you can offer beer or wine by the glass. Or you can offer free drinks for a limited amount of time. Other ways include offering free drinks during the toast and have a bar ready afterwards to charge.
• Everyone in the wedding pays for his or her outfit. Getting the bridesmaids and groomsmen to rent or pay for their attire set to the wedding specifications will help save you a bundle. This shouldn't be too hard to do if you alert everyone well in advance.
• Have a relative drive an expensive car. Limousine services can be cut fro the expenses by having a relative or friend with a real nice car do the driving. This vehicle can be a SUV or a luxury car. Gas may be the only thing that you would need to pay.
• Take advantage of modern technology. MP3 players are the wave of the future. Many of these tiny machines can even hold up to 5,000 songs or more. These players can be hooked up to a stereo, thereby eliminating a need for a DJ.

Most people seem to think that weddings are expensive. It doesn't have to be if you carefully follow a budget plan. Watch out for the small items that seem to creep up in budget. Spending a little extra here and there will eventually rack up. Keep all receipts and remember to update your wedding budget regularly. This will eliminate any surprises further down the road.