How to Have an Elegant, But Cheap Wedding

With the recession in full swing, many couples who have been planning a wedding are looking for ways to save money on this special event and still have the elegant wedding they dreamed of.

Parents, too, are finding themselves in a position in which they cannot afford to pay as much towards the wedding as they planned. Wedding insurance has become more important than ever in ensuring that cancellation of the event won’t spell financial disaster. Many couples that had planned to get married this summer are thinking about postponing the wedding or scaling it down.

The wedding budget is all-important. Most couples no longer have the funds available to pay for what they originally planned for the wedding.

According to Saran Allot-Davey, financial advisor at Heron House Financial Management in Newport, South Wales, “The mood has changed. A few years ago couples were prepared to get into five years of debt to pay for their big day, but in a time of recession many people don’t want to spend huge amounts of money on a wedding.”

One of the ways you can cut down on your wedding expenses and still have an elegant event is to enlist the help of family and friends in the preparation. This can include such things as making your own decorations, preparing the invitations and making the cake.

You don’t have to go to the companies that produce these wedding essentials for a high price and you can make them they way you want them by taking the time to do them yourself. A friend who is a good photographer could agree to take your photos for you – at far less cost than a professional photographer.

You do need to have a budget of how much you can afford to pay for all of the wedding details. Once you prepare this budget, the key to saving money is to stick to it. There are many places where you can buy what you need at a fantastic discount. Laura D’Arcy, for example, found the wedding dress of her dreams at a charity store.

Laura picked up the dress for only £200 – a savings of £800 from the average price of a wedding dress. “I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I put the dress on and it fitted me perfectly,” she said. “I expected it would take weeks to find the perfect outfit, but not only have I found a wonderful wedding dress, I’ve found one that costs a fraction of the price I thought I would have to pay,”

If you are looking to save money on your wedding day, check out the many websites devoted to providing cost-cutting ideas for the bride and groom. Rental stores are great options for bridesmaids’ dresses, for example. It also helps to choose your wedding day during a season of the year when there are few weddings, such as in the winter.

During this time of the year many venues and caterers have reduced prices. Buying a second-hand wedding dress can save you a fortune and there are websites that have just what you need. Check out what’s available on eBay.co.uk and theweddingdressmarket.com.