Planning a wedding as exciting as it is, it also is a stressful job, heavy on your pocket. Once you start planning you will know how expensive everything is. Everything beautiful is also everything very expensive and out of your pocket range. It’s hard to know how to manage the budget.

1. Book early

Your stylist, photographer, venue, band, or caterer book them all as early as possible. You might be surprised to know how much you can save by booking early. As dates get nearer rates to go hire as service providers know that people coming to book them are most likely desperate and out of options. Booking early will also give you peace of mind.

2. Be your own stylist

There are thousands of videos on the internet to guide you through the process. It might take months of practice to get hang of things but it will be totally worth the money you would be saving. Plus it would be some extra fun too.

3. Request assistance

Ask someone who has recently gotten married to assist you in wedding planning. They have already done their research and know which best cheapest service providers you can work with are. This will save you time, hassle, and fuel money for starting your research from scratch. I asked my cousin who got married a year ago for assisting me and she was a great help! She was my guardian angel.

4. Borrow

Borrow as much as things possible instead of purchasing or renting. You would be surprise to know you might even be able to borrow a beach house, or farm house as venue saving you tons of money.

5. Get involved with the guest list

Wedding planning is an overwhelming and consuming process. Sometimes people go the route of the division of labor, or out of respect give the authority to their parents/elders to make the guest list and send invites. You might want to get involved in the process and check who is getting invited to your special day after all you will be paying for them to attend the event. One of my friends let his mother be in charge of the guest list and was surprised to see the entire city at his reception. You don’t want to be that kind of surprised. If you are on a budget keep the number small and limited to just a close circle.

6. Go easy on the food

No need for a lavish feast or posh dinner. You are inviting people to celebrate your happy moment and not to fight their never-ending hunger. Let the event be about you and your partner and not about food festival. One dish and some drinks should be enough. Much of the food goes wasted anyway at weddings. If you are worried people will judge you that you were miserly with food, let them judge you. Negative people can’t just help it, they will find one thing or another if they want to bad mouth you. Save the money, your hard-earned money.

7. Tell friends and family cash will be appreciated as wedding gifts

You might mention it in email or in person. I have seen some people do this even on the invites. If not all but some people will comply and it might help you pay the cheque you gave to your service providers. Some vendors would even take the cash after the event.

I hope you found these tips helpful. My best wished for your big day and a blissful upcoming married life. Just remember weddings are important but there are better ways to spend your money, so do not go all out and spend everything you have. Be mindful of your expenses after all an extravagant ceremony doesn’t ensure a happy marriage.