5 Great Ideas on Saving Money for your Wedding

Most women are filled with dreams of the perfect wedding. This is something they imagined as a young girl. For some, it is the traditional bride in the white dress with all the trimmings. Others yearn for something a little different – perhaps on the back of a Harley or a sky dive from 25,000 feet. Whatever your vision, there is no reason why every couple can’t realise those dreams and afford their perfect wedding.

Traditional or contemporary, a wedding will cost money. The total cost will depend on how much you can afford or how much you are prepared to borrow. It doesn’t matter how well you have thought out every step and costed all the finer points, the money you end up spending will probably total twice that amount. It can’t be helped. Here comes the bride comes with a price tag.

One of my favourite sayings is, ‘I love a good wedding’ but the truth is I love all weddings. Witnessing two people prepared to stand in front of a gathering of family, friends and strangers, while they declare their undying love, stirs the romance in my soul. But I know from experience romance is an expensive business. All couples stepping out on what could be the biggest day of their lives need to be prepared for a big outlay for their wedding.

Take the following ideas into account when saving for your wedding to prevent disappointment on your special day and accumulation of debt that you may struggle to cover after the honeymoon is over.

1. Be prepared
2. Look for bargains
3. Cut costs
4. Put a little aside regularly
5. Ask for help

Preparing for a wedding starts with listing all the details and expected costs. Step it through from the dressing of the bride, groom and bridal party. Include all the finer bits and pieces from the hire charges for the men’s outfits to the purchase of the wedding gown. The first thing I did when I was planning my wedding was to buy a folder for gathering information. This included conversations with potential suppliers, quotes and eventually the final invoices. I documented these details into a spreadsheet to keep an up to the minute record of what this wedding was costing.

Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and shop for bargains. If you end up in a discount store at the other end of town or search for the best deal online and end up saving fifty dollars, this is money you don’t have to find. This is a good thing. None of your guests will know will know you spent hours walking the streets to find those perfect napkins to match the colour of your bridesmaid’s dresses, at a bargain price, unless you tell them.

 When looking for savings for your wedding think about how you can cut your costs. You may have grand ideas but if you can’t afford them they will never eventuate. Yes, it would be wonderful to have the designer cake but if you can source this from a local supplier, perhaps someone who is trying to earn money from a hobby, you could save hundreds of dollars without skimping on the results.  

This is the big one that will make the difference in your overall savings plans for your wedding. By putting a little aside on a regular basis you are building a nest egg. Isn’t that what getting married is all about? Nesting for us is the same as the birds collecting their twigs one tiny piece at a time.

Set up a bank account specifically for your wedding costs. Make regular deposits from daily savings by doing without one cup of coffee per day or one dinner out per week. Instead of spending $30 to have a manicure do your own nails, put the money aside and physically walk this money to the bank. You will be pleasantly surprised at the end of a few months how much money you have saved.

Family and friends are sitting in the sidelines through the preparation and planning stages of your wedding. They are waiting to help you out every step of the way. Chances are they need you to ask for help before they will offer for worrying that they may offend or be seen as interfering. Let people know the specific areas you may need some advice or even some additional cash funds. For some couples, money in advance can take the place of an inappropriate gift.

As much as I love a good wedding, or any wedding, the last thing I want to know, is that the bride and groom have poured all their money into keeping their guests entertained at a huge cost to themselves. Good weddings are priceless yet need not cost the earth. Talk about your plans, together as a couple, share them with family and friends and reach out for help. The guests at a wedding are not there to drain every cent from your savings but to witness a wonderful event. Keep it real and set the scene for a union that will last for many years to come.

Copyright © 2012 Karen Wilton