Marriage
Wedding Planner
Another Client Confesses Her Wedding Tale of Charge and Regret
When planning your wedding try not to get too carried away. Don't do what Kristeen did and whip out the credit cards to make-up for the difference of what she wanted and what she could afford. "My husband and I decided we wanted a small wedding; a traditional church service followed by a small reception in my parents' backyard. A small wedding was not cheap. I decided, without my husband knowing, to use my credit card’s help with the costs." Kristeen explained.
Like anything else, you should only plan to buy what you can afford when it comes to your wedding. If you're working with a $10,000 budget, don't plan a $100,000 affair. "My poor husband had no idea what anything really cost because I didn't want him to say, "Oh we can't do that."
“I wish I just listened to him”, she sighed. "Then I thought to myself - we will make it all back at the wedding. Well we didn't, and in the end, my wedding cost around $13,000 dollars. We received about $4,000 in gifts. " said Kristeen.
The average wedding cost $19,000 and is based on 125 guests. If you can pare your guest list down to 65, you'll already have shaved a hefty 50% off your reception/catering bill.
As for Kristeen, once she started to think about their future she realized what a mess she had made by charging up her credit cards for a fleeting moment. "All in all, I am almost 30 yrs old and $27,000 dollars in debt, I had no plan and no way to pay-off the debt until I joined Consolidated Credit Counselling." Currently Kristeen and her husband are members of Consolidated and they are on their way to a debt-free life.
Give Yourself Enough Time. Set a wedding date that will allow you and your family time to store up funds for wedding-related expenses.
More Work. If money isn't readily available, consider getting a second job to supplement the wedding budget. Or, simply cut the budget.
Set Limits. Invite 100 guests instead of 150. Set a limit first and then create a list that falls within those guidelines. For example, first cousins may be invited, but second cousins are not. Have two bridesmaids instead of ten. Serve three courses instead of five.
Do It Yourself. Enlist the creative talents of relatives and friends who can help you make your wedding gown, create floral arrangements or even bake your wedding cake for you. Coordinate the alcohol, make the favors, and address your own envelopes.
Loosen Up. The less formal the affair, the more affordable. Instead of a sit-down dinner, go for a casual brunch or barbecue. Get rental cars in lieu of limos. Choose a morning or afternoon wedding. They're less expensive than evening affairs.
Pick And Choose. Indulge in a designer dress, but go barefoot. Ditch the hors d'oeuvres and spend your money on exquisite entrees. Serve a great cake and skip the dessert table.
Put It Off. Get silver wedding bands now and upgrade to platinum on your first anniversary.
Coordinate With Others. If another wedding is being held within a few hours of yours in the same location, perhaps you may be able to share some of the costs of flowers and decorations.
No Holidays. Holiday weddings are more expensive because you are competing for catering services, wedding and reception sites, D.J.'s, limousines, photographers and more.
