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by: SeanLamb
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With the costs of arranging a wedding ever spiraling upwards, it is very easy to spend more than you can afford. The reception, the dress, flowers, limousines and all the other paraphernalia that goes into making the day memorable come at a significant price. A wedding is a very special occasion and one that, you hope, is never repeated, so you really want to push the boat out with the best of everything. Although understandable, if there is not a limitless supply of money, do you really need to start your married life with a huge debt? This is why many couples are opting for a budget wedding, so below there are some ways where you can economise and still have a great wedding day.

Almost never considered are the costs associated with the hand made wedding dress; many brides sell their dress soon after they are married and this is a sensible way to reduce the cost. It is easy to buy a wedding dress that has only been worn once for less than half the price and there are now many shops that specialise in pre-enjoyed wedding dresses. If you are worried that your dress may have been already seen by the vicar, you could visit shops some distance away which minimises the chances that it has been seen before.

The largest single cost is that of the wedding reception but even here savings are possible. You may not believe it but statistics show that an average of 189 guests attend so when you are planning your cheap wedding, this is where most savings take place. Don't invite everyone you know, in particular relatives that you haven't seen since you were a child or people who are just acquaintances. Where the meal is concerned, why not have a buffet instead of a full, waited on, three or four course blow out. Further reductions can be made in the choice of the wedding reception venue. Instead of a fancy hotel, it could take place in a friend's house or a local club where money could be saved on both food and drink if you either make them yourself or get friends to help.

Although most professional photographers are employed for the entire day, this isn't strictly necessary as the majority of guests will be taking photos anyway and would be willing to share them. You could even dispense with the services of a photographer completely providing you have a friend or relative who is a keen photographer and who would be happy to do this for you.

Other areas where you can be assured of saving money, are wedding invitations and other stationery. With today's home computers and printers you are able to provide near professional results. There are a range of inexpensive and sometimes free software so that you'll be able to enter your own text and graphics. Don't forget to preview it before you print so as not to make any costly mistakes.

Florists and flower arranging can be very expensive, especially when they know it's for a wedding, so why not buy them direct and arrange them yourself or get a friend to help out. If you have a college or adult education centre nearby, you could check to see if they run flower arrangement classes and ask a couple of students if they would be willing to do yours.

You may be surprised at just how expensive a lavish wedding cake can be, so for the budget conscious a good alternative could be a large sponge or chocolate cake. Are any of your friends good in the kitchen? They may be honoured if you asked them to prepare your wedding cake. Failing that, you could buy some ordinary fruit cakes and then ice them yourself, adding the pillars and toppers the night before.

As a last cost saving measure, ask a friend or relative who has a nice car, if they would be prepared to decorate it and use it instead of a limousine, they will be more than happy to play an important part in your big day. Yours may be a budget wedding but it can still be enjoyed by everyone that attends and they won't have noticed it was arranged on a very tight plan.

About the Author

Author Sean Lamb is a freelance who covers many different topics. This is one in a series about weddings and civil partnerships.

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