To create a wedding budget, I suggest you assess your funds and determine how much of your savings you can use now and how much more you can save before the wedding date to cover your costs. Then be realistic. Do you need to spend your maximum budget? Can you set a lower budget to ensure unexpected costs don’t derail your attempts to avoid excessive debt? I recommend you itemize everything to ensure you don’t go over budget. This can also help you avoid going into debt and having to borrow money to cover your costs.

Spending a lot of money on a wedding may seem like a good idea at the time, but as time passes, and arguments over money and debt grow, you may reconsider. Sticking to a budget now will allow you to start your marriage with less debt and greater finances to fund your dreams together, like a house, a maternity leave, or simply a vacation to reconnect with each other every year.

Here are a few tips to help you reduce costs, have fun together, and stick to your wedding budget;

Reconsider your Guest List and Your Date

Cut down your guest list as much as you can. As much as you’d love a celebrity to join you, do you want to be paying for the meal for the next year?

Scout a Different Location

There are a lot of amazing and gorgeous places where you can do your wedding, but some of them may be pricey. Do you know someone with a great backyard? Or does a friend or family member own a local restaurant or venue that you could use? Look beyond traditional venues, consider terraces, gazebos, and other places like breweries and barns.

Dress the Part

Consignment stores can offer hidden treasures for brides. The average wedding dress can cost $2500, but online and local consignment stores can offer dresses for a fraction of that with no less style. Online shopping can also help you find your dream dress, and you can have it shipped to you and then tailored locally to save costs.

Feed the Masses

Look local and think beyond the traditional catered affair. A food truck is a fun option for an outdoor wedding. Perhaps a family member or friend has a killer appetizer recipe they could use to “cater” for you? Are you friends with a restaurant owner who could cater for you?

Capture the Moment

Instead of hiring a professional photographer to record the whole event, use a pro for a few photos and recruit your guests and the smartphones they’re looking at anyway, to capture special moments from your wedding. Guests can email you their photos and you can create a unique and personalized wedding album that will have you smiling at the memories of everyone’s happiness on your special day.

Honeymoon at Home

People travel here from around the globe for their honeymoons. It really can be a magical place to celebrate your love. Get creative and enjoy yourselves wherever you are because that’s what it is really about anyway!

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