Thinking of getting married but deterred by the costs of a wedding that you hear vary from "a lot", to "expensive", to "extravagant"? Don't worry. All is not lost. A wedding doesn't have to be extravagant to be memorable. With a little thought, research and forward planning you can do it, even on a budget. Thinking things through now will be a great lesson you can carry into your marriage. For example, which is more important: A three thousand dollar wedding dress, or a quality bed and beautiful bedding you can have fun in for many years? Starting your marriage on the right foot, and not burdened by the debt of a large, extravagant wedding is a great blessing, and will set you in good stead for the years ahead.

As the very first step, decide what is really important to you and what may not be necessary. It's important you work through this together. Remember you're not just planning a wedding, you're preparing for a marriage that will include lots of difficult decisions and financial considerations over many years. If you start discussing money here, in the wedding planning stages, then you will face the difficult financial decisions that will come along later with greater unity of mind and heart, which can only strengthen your marriage. Give and take is crucial to the survival of your marriage.

Sit down together and determine exactly what funds you have available for your wedding. Include your own savings as well as any money your parents are willing to contribute. Then use the following guidelines to determine how much to spend in each category.

40%: Reception/Caterers
10%: Wedding dress (and accents)
10%: Alcohol (includes bartender)
10%: Music (either live music or a DJ)
8%: Photo/Video crew - don't scrimp on this, or risk your second-cousin's-friend doing it - these are your memories. We all think we'll remember things for ever, but memories fade with time.
7%: Flowers/Decorations
5%: Invitations/Place cards
4%: Wedding bands/Wedding hall
3%: Wedding cake
2%: Miscellaneous (favors, transportation, lodging)
1%: Groom's tuxedo
Total equals 100% of available monies.

It sounds so romantic to be able to say you visited somewhere exotic on your honeymoon. You have many years ahead to have fun together, don't sabotage them by starting your marriage in debt because you couldn't do without the hugely extravagant wedding and luxury honeymoon resort that you borrowed to get. Patience brings greater rewards! There are many ways to have a fun and romantic honeymoon without getting in debt. Be creative. Or ask those whose opinion you trust for ideas.

The place where people make the biggest mistakes in planning a wedding is spending too much in some of the categories that don't matter so much. For instance, it is nice to have a professional and elegant invitation. However, hiring a calligrapher to do it may not be the best way to spend your money. You can make your own invitations on your computer and achieve excellent results with a little effort. Craft stores sell whole kits for making wedding invitations quickly and easily.

Set up a special bank account that you can use solely for money for your wedding and add to it whenever you can. Just a little financial planning and responsibility goes a long way to an affordable, memorable wedding.

Copyright 2006 Sigi Delboda

Sigi Delboda is the webmaster of
Yes Weddings - a Weddings Portal now a premier resource for weddings information. Be sure to visit her website at: http://www.yesweddings.com/