Steps for Planning a Wedding:
Your Dream Day on a Budget

Joan Burns, Event Planner Extraordinaire,
shares 10 steps for planning a wedding on a budget.

Weddings can cost more than you bargained for if you don’t have some guidelines. Here are 10 steps for planning a wedding within your budget.

#1. Stay away from "prime" time.

Consider getting married during an off-month and even an off-day! Most weddings take place in the spring or summer. Plan a fall or winter wedding and save money. You might even think about a Friday or Sunday wedding. Most wedding vendors charge higher prices on those precious few Saturdays than the other days of the week.

And serving brunch or lunch is always less expensive than dinner food.

#2. Think about planning an outside wedding.

If you have the option of not having a religious ceremony in a church or synagogue, call your city and see what areas they may have available for a ceremony.

Many cities have parks with gazebos or gardens and only charge a small permit or maintenance fee. The outdoors can save money because you will have a natural décor.

#3. Ask a friend to perform the ceremony.

Some states and counties allow ordinary people to obtain a license to perform weddings for a day. Check to see if your wedding ceremony is in one of those areas that have this available. You can have a friend perform the ceremony and save money on an officiant!

#4. Don’t spend big bucks for a bridal gown.

This is one of the steps for planning a wedding every bride looks forward to. My advice: Look at your local department store in the formal wear department. You might find a nice white formal dress that will do the trick for a lot less than what you pay in a bridal salon.

Even in the bridal salon, if you see a bridesmaid dress you really like, ask if it comes in white or off-white.

Consider a simple flower or sparkling comb instead of a veil. If you are a seamstress, you can even find patterns to make you own veil if you decide to wear one.

#5. Order your flowers from an ‘amateur’.

Flowers for the ceremony and reception can be expensive and most brides get married around holidays or try to have flowers used that are not “in season”. This will drive the price up.

One way to save is to contact a local high school or community college that has a horticulture department to see if they offer classes in flower arranging. The instructors and teachers are floral designers. Usually for the cost of the flowers and supplies, the class will arrange the flowers for free!

Just share your vision or ideas and let them make a prototype before you commit.

This is one of the steps for planning a wedding that lets you get what you want and give back. Don’t forget, great floral designers had to start somewhere!

#6. Print your own invitations.

You can find save the date cards, wedding invitations, ceremony programs and reception menus by the armful at the local stationers, online and at the party goods store. It can be one of the most overwhelming and costly steps for planning a wedding. Plus, you have to have some way for your guests to RSVP, as well.

The most cost-effective way is to make them yourself. By going to the local paper store and investing on some great laser printable paper and printing them on a laser printer you can make all the parts of your invitation for pennies.

Here’s where the people at Kinko’s might become your best friends!

#7. Bring your own caterer.

One of the smartest steps for planning a wedding on a budget is to choose a reception site where you can bring in your own caterer. Most hotels and restaurants have a rule about bringing in your own food except for the wedding cake.

Consider a renting a vacation home. Or check into your city’s recreational buildings. Or, perhaps a family member or friend has a wonderful backyard that you can use.

The trick here is to make sure the venue will seat the amount of people on your guest list and that you can make it look as magical as you envision.

I would recommend a little research, but if you are able to bring in your own caterer, you can really help your budget.

#8. Go ethnic.

Speaking of the caterer … One way to save some money is to go for an ethnic cuisine instead of the traditional prime rib carving station.

Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Hawaiian…..all of these are tasty and satisfying for your guests -- and less expensive than the traditionally served chicken, beef and fish dishes.

You can actually build a theme around the menu, if it's appropriate.

Sometimes, your favorite local restaurant will cater the food for you. It doesn’t hurt to ask. The main point here is to always check over the contracts before you sign and know what you are contracting for!

#9. Negotiate with your photographer.

Definitely one of the most important steps for planning a wedding is choosing the photographer.

There are some very talented photographers out there. And this might be an area where you can justify spending a lot of money and you should designate a large chunk of your budget for the photographer, if you desire. These are the photos that you will be looking at when you are both old and still in love.

However, if you are really looking to spend less, you can do it here. Photographers usually offer packages that include nice albums. When you find a photographer whose work you really like, (yes, please look at their work!), ask if they have "a la carte pricing". If they only take the photos and give them to you, you can create your own album. Perhaps you can have them for fewer hours and than their package states.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate for what you want. Good advice when it comes to every one of the steps for planning a wedding on a budget.

And here is a big tip. Look at a local photography school or college for a second-year photography student. They will be less expensive and could be extraordinarily talented. (Just make sure you ask to see their work.)

And try to get them to take engagement photos before you sign a contract to make sure they can capture you and your fiancé during this special time.

#10. Don’t load up on the bridal magazines!

Yes, look at them for ideas of colors and décor. But bridal magazines can lead you down the road to spending more money than you budgeted for. All of the high-end gown designers, resorts, florists, photographers, etc., spend lots of money to advertise in these magazines.

If you are prudent, you will be able to find the same quality at a lower cost just by checking around locally. And don’t forget to consider a professional wedding consultant or coordinator. Their job is to help you save money and keep your budget on track.

Your wedding day should be magical and remarkable. You are creating the memory of a lifetime. You can create your dream wedding on a budget. It just takes a little planning!

For more beach wedding ideas, read Steps for Planning a Wedding: California Beach Weddings.

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