Planning a wedding is no small matter. Factor upon factor will have to be considered and reconsidered before the final decision is made. And then, a totally different vetoed decision may just overturn that seemingly final decision just before the event gets underway.
It has been agreed that the one main factor to consider is the budget. Naturally, the bigger the budget, the more resources there are to rely on to achieve that beautiful, impressionable wedding. This is not to say that a smaller purse will not achieve the same result – in fact, real-life situations will often prove to us that sometimes it is the smaller, cheaper wedding that will be etched in memory, aside from being healthier on the pockets.
The main things to prioritize when planning a wedding are the costs of the wedding gown and groom’s suit (whether rented or purchased), wedding venue, reception venue, catering costs and number of guests on invitation. When on a tight budget, you can still have the wedding of your dreams, albeit on a smaller, possibly cozier scale.
The first thing that you may and can painfully reconsider is your gown. These days, a bride does not have to be married in a Vera Wang, Valentino or Gucci to look stunning – although 7-star designers now also have their lower-end lines to cater for those wish for a designer look without the cost. Many boutiques and bridal houses also offer designer look-a-like gowns at a fraction of their counterpart’s cost. These dresses are made every stitch as stylish and vogue-looking as the original that, once worn, you can be assured that no one will be the wiser at the wedding.
Next, the recurring issue – to rent or to buy. Evidently, renting the gown is friendlier on your purse. However, do weigh your pros and cons carefully before jumping onto that bandwagon. If the gown you choose if a one-of-a-kind, voluminous design with satin bows and silk petticoats, then obviously, it would be a no-brainer that you rent. On the other hand, should your gown be an off-shoulder body-skimming design or two-piece bustier that can double up as an evening dinner ensemble, then it may just be a better option to purchase the dress for that impending company dinner or even, God forbid, another friend or family member’s wedding!
Then, to cut costs further, the wedding venue needs to be reconsidered. Naturally, having the ceremony at a place where everyone and anyone can come and watch is the ideal dream for every wedded couple. But if this means booking months (in some cases, a year) in advance and holding it in an area the size of three football fields, then it may be wiser and more cost-effective to rent either a town hall, church/temple community hall or even to have it on your front lawn (just remember to have it trimmed and well-tended to at least two weeks prior). The beach is another choice to consider, although from enough experiences told and retold, make sure you lay down a platform or board on the sand before putting the chairs and tables on it. Otherwise, you may be embarrassed to find your guests and food sinking slowly but surely into the sand as the ceremony goes on.
Wedding decorations, or the absence of it, can be a cost-buster. Remember, the smaller the venue, the lesser the décor, the smaller the cost. As mentioned earlier, an area as large as three football fields will not do your wallet any good if it will cost you half or more of your total budget to decorate. Thus, having it at the beach or your home may just be the right thing for you as these type of places force you to apply more discretion to the decorating that needs to be done. And just in case you lose your perspective, keep telling yourself: the main focus of the wedding should be the wedded couple and not the wedded place!
The reception venue is a point of much contention. A five-star hotel ballroom complete with chandeliers and tables with matching table-runners and gilt-topped chairs looks perfect but will cost you the world, and sometimes even more. To counter costs, have it in your community/church/temple hall. Make it more memorable and have it in your family home. With family and friends lending a hand, you can also cut down on catering costs for food and staff.
And the most sensitive area of all to consider when planning a wedding on a small budget, the guest list. More often than not, this will be the time when the wedded couple will have disagreements with each other, in-laws, parents, even extended family members, who will insist that this and that person must be invited simply because of blood. However, who and who NOT to invite is strictly a bride-and-groom issue. Unfortunately, this rule is not respected, and almost never followed, by many. Should the guest list be far longer than is absolutely necessary, do a buffet-style reception, indicate clearly on your invitation cards that it will be snacks and finger foods and time your wedding ceremony to suit the serving. Then, you can spend more on soft drinks and light refreshments. This way, your guests will be fully prepared for a lighter meal and attend your wedding, hopefully, on a fuller stomach.
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