Cheap Wedding Plans
Clever thinking will save $'000's

Cheap wedding plans might sound like a joke, but it is possible to get married on a tight budget if you forget convention for a moment.

What do most brides put straight on their wedding "must have" list?

• A beautiful dress with flowing veil & posh shoes

• Smart wedding venue with the best food and champagne all round

• Gorgeous flowers everywhere!

• Old fashioned wedding car

• Matching outfits for groom and attendants

• Hen and Stag weekends

Before rushing out to buy a stack of wedding magazines, only to start shaking when you see the cost of everything (!) take time out to think for a moment.

What are the absolute essentials versus the "nice to haves"?

Weddings on a Budget

OK so you and the groom need something nice to wear. You have to pay someone (church or registry office) to marry you and it would be great to have a celebration party afterwards.

But that's all you NEED to actually get married, the rest is borne out of convention.

Think about these things for example:

• How many guests do you really need? Aunt May and cousin Jesse that you haven't seen in 20 years may be family but you are paying so why not cut your list down to the people you love the most?

• Do you really need an expensive dress to look amazing on the big day? Believe me, you will have a huge smile on your face, however simple your frock, so why not just choose something affordable that you feel good and look great in?

• Flowers are expensive so how about a simple bridal bouquet, forget the church flowers (they will only be enjoyed by the next entrants anyway) and keep flowers at the wedding venue to simple table decorations.

• Use a friends's posh car to arrive at the church?

• Surely your groom can borrow a smart suit?

• Why not have a big dinner party for everyone rather than separate hen and stag nights/weekends?

• All the other smaller things like cakes, favors, invitations can be done cheaply or even DIY saving $'000's.

Think that sounds cheap and nasty? Well I did it like that and had the best day of my life. As did our 50 guests who wrote thank you letters for such a great party!