Very Elegant

Very Elegant

Everybody wants his big day to be special and memorable. The average wedding nowadays costs between 20.000 and 30.000 Dollars - but in times of credit crunch not everybody can afford to spend this kind of money. Being on a tight budget doesn´t mean you have can´t have a stylish wedding - here are some tips on how to organize an elegant but cheap wedding.

Set up a Budget

A crucial step for the organisation of a cheap wedding is making a plan. Without a plan costs add up and you will run out of money really fast. So you will have to sit down and talk things through. Determine what is important for the two of you and at which points it might be possible to compromise. You want the dress of your dreams? Then you might have to save money on the reception. Your fiancé has his heart set on live music? Cut down on the guest list perhaps. You get the idea - get your priorities clear.

In a second step determine how much money you will be able to spend and then divide it between the different points on your list. Use a checklist in order not to forget anything. This way you´ll stay on top of everything and avoid ugly surprises.

Setting the Date

By choosing the date of your wedding wisely, you can save a huge amount of money. Go for the off season, avoid the typical wedding season (spring) and days like Valentines day, "pretty" dates like the 10 of October 2010... Wedding venues tend to charge a hefty surcharge for these days. If you decide to get married on a friday you might be able to get an even bigger discount, just make sure to ask for it! Make sure people know you are looking for a good price and ask for their advice. Nowadays being on a tight budget is a very common thing and nothing to be ashamed off!

Hands on: Do it yourself

You want an elegant wedding for a cheap price? Then start working! If you do it yourself, you won't have to pay anybody for it! While some things are better done by professionals (like the photos for example) there are lots of things that you can do yourself. Do the first step and skip the wedding planner - this will save you a huge amount of money! Browse the web and look through bridal magazines and books (visit your local library and see what they have on weddings) to get inspired. Take note of everything you like and then think about how you can copy it. A classical do-it-yourself project when it comes to weddings is the decoration of the reception and the wedding favors. For an elegant wedding make sure you chose your wedding colours wisely and then coordinate the different elements around these colours.

Shop smart

You could just go to one of the established wedding shops (there are plenty on the web) and get everything you need there - this is the easy, but also the expensive way. If you want to save money, here are some ideas:

Buy flowers that are in season rather then going for what you've seen on that glossy bridal magazine. Try to copy the style you like with similar colours. You might just buy a few of the expensive variety and complement it with a cheaper flower - this way you get a similar effect for less money. Instead of visiting your local florist, buy your flowers at a farmers market, or online at a wholesale seller - very often they offer wedding packages, that are really good value.

Visit your local dollar store (or shop online) and see if you can get items like candles, decorative pebbles, flower vases, bowls, artificial plants etc. here. Borrow items like potted plants or decorative statues from friends and use whatever you have at home.

These are just a few ideas on how to have an elegant wedding for cheap money.

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Elegant but Cheap Weddings: Have a Dream Wedding on a Tight Budget