How To Wedding and Wedding Planning Tips

Great deals can be found when you know how much money you are working with. It really doesn’t matter how small your budget is for the reception because all budgets can be accommodated.

Your reception budget should consist of approximately 30% of your wedding budget or more. Most wedding receptions are so expensive due to the fact of providing meals, decorations, hall rentals etc. For the purposes of this guide, I will give two different examples of common receptions and an idea for cutting costs on the food and drinks as well as give you the best tips for throwing your reception on a budget.

Renting a Hall

If you prefer to rent a hall or space for your reception, you must consider many things before making this decision. You will have to think of the prices for the hall rental, the cost of using their servers (most halls include servers in price and they are not negotiable), decorations, flowers, meals, drinks etc.

When you wish to rent a hall for your reception there are some things that the hall will include in your rental that you can’t avoid paying for such as: servers, decorations, and wine. However, some halls will give you the option to pick and choose the extras that you want.

Depending on the type of hall that you choose to rent, the costs can vary greatly. For example, if you rent a large hall, you could pay more than if you rented a legion hall.

You might also want to consider that if you are starting with a small budget, that renting a hall might not be worth the effort and money, or it may leave you with less options.

There are a few tips when renting a hall that could keep a great deal of your costs down. Let’s take a look at them.

1. You should only consider renting a hall if you have invited 50 or more people to your reception.
2. When renting a hall, you have to decide if you are opting for a cash bar or an open bar. A good compromise is to purchase a few cases of beer on your own and host a cash bar for those who want mixed drinks if you are trying to keep costs down.
3. Rent a hall that you can decorate yourself
4. If you must have servers, rent a hall that includes servers in the price of the rental or go with a hall that lets you bring your own.
5. Choose a hall that will cater to whatever your needs or budget is.
6. When it comes to the food, you should go with a hall that will allow you to bring your own food if you would prefer to not pay extra for catering.
7. Serving vegetable and fruit trays, as well as finger foods like finger sandwiches will be of great value in accommodating vegetarians
8. Opting for a casual reception will allow you to serve your food buffet style which will be predominantly cheaper.
9. Opting to tell people to forego giving you a wedding gift and serve a completely cash bar is a great way to accommodate guests and recover some of the money for the hall.
10. Opt for non-weekend dates because these are not peak hours for the hall and the prices may be cheaper
11. You should choose to host your event during the winter for the best rates
12. Negotiate a special discount by paying cash instead of credit card. Most reception halls will do this
13. Choose to go with a non-dinner reception offering instead snack foods and munchables

Hosting a wedding reception at a hall does not have to cost through the nose if you know how to get around the basics, which I have just mentioned.

Most people would like to host their reception at a reception hall because they feel that it is more elegant than hosting it outdoors, however, this is not always the case. Sometimes, hosting your event outdoors is more fun and it is also much cheaper.

Labels: Planning

When it comes to your wedding services alone, nobody wants to spend an arm and a leg on this and still have to foot the bill for the reception. Really it depends on where you want to your wedding to be and what type of service that you are hoping to have.

There is a way to satisfy all types of weddings as long as you know what your options are. Let’s take a look at the different types of ceremonies that you can choose from that can save you a great deal of money.

Church Ceremony

When you want your ceremony to be in a church, you will often have to pay for the rental and the priest or minister to perform the ceremony.

Some churches will decorate for you while others will not. If this is an issue, be sure to ask first. How much money you will pay for the ceremony will vary and will depend on how the policies of the church.

Here are some tips on how you can save money on a church ceremony:

• Look for a church that offers complete services or all inclusive packages rather than separate fees
• Try to bargain deals for outdoor weddings
• Rent the church alone and hire your own minister
• Have your services on a day where there are no church services because it may be cheaper
• Decorate the church yourself
• Offer to volunteer at the church for awhile in exchange for a discount
• You can save some money by hosting your ceremony in the church basement rather than in the worship center.
• Churches will often offer more inexpensive prices if you are a member of the church.

Outdoor Ceremony

You can save a great deal of money by hosting your ceremony outside like in a beautiful park, at the beach, on a hilltop or even in your yard.

Of course, having the ceremony in your backyard is the cheapest. Here are some of the formalities that go with having an outdoor ceremony that can save you money all around.

The best way is to have the service in your backyard:

• Choose an open public forum that does not generally have a great deal of people trying to access it, and get the right permits etc. beforehand
• Opting for an ordained minister rather than a priest etc. is often cheaper. Just be sure to check that whoever you choose can legally perform wedding ceremonies in your area.
• You can forego the chairs and have the guests standing as long as you host a short ceremony. A nice white or themed linen on the ground for guests to stand on is an elegant touch
• When going with outdoor ceremony, people often opt for the portable arch because it is easy to transport and just as elegant
• Of course, you can always host your ceremony at city hall and save your money for the reception. Record the ceremony and host a viewing during the reception

Outdoor ceremonies open the door to many themes that can greatly reduce the cost of your wedding and reception. Hawaiian themes and beach themes can help you save money on formal wear, and decorations etc. because people having an outdoor wedding are often casually or island dressed.

It makes the ceremony more comfortable for the guests too because they are also dressed casually.

Outdoor ceremonies can immediately switch from ceremony to reception which saves some extra money on travel fees too, such as limos etc. The Hawaiian theme will be a great way to have a luau or pig roast reception.

You might want to consider a theme that lets you have a picnic for your reception party or a beach party or bonfire, but I will get into themes in more detail in a later section.

All of these tips were designed to help you find deals and discounts. You can also choose to have your ceremony at a courthouse or city hall building; record the services and play the recording during your reception instead. It is a nice way to share your vows with your friends and family without spending a fortune on the ceremony.

Wedding Chapel

When most people think of wedding chapels they think of Las Vegas style chapels, but that is not all that chapels are. If you are a religious person, it is very easy to solve the question of a wedding chapel because you can choose to get married in your usual place of worship.

This may be a church, synagogue, mosque or other religious temple. However, if you have not had a religious upbringing, are marrying someone of a different religion or culture, or simply would rather select a different venue, it is important to discover what wedding chapel options are open to you.

If you would still like a ceremony in the style of a particular religion, most chapels have a host of different officiates who can provide the appropriate wedding ceremony to suit your own specific needs. The majority of wedding chapels are designed in the style of churches. Most couples seek this traditional type of scene, even if they do want a non-denominational ceremony.

Chapels advertise features, such as stained glass windows, oak flooring, historical buildings, chandeliers and more. If you would prefer a modern building, it is possible to find chapels that are less traditional, such as those that are located in art galleries but you will need to research them well if you want to get a good deal.

Wedding chapels come in various sizes, and you must calculate how many guests will require seating at your wedding before committing to a particular chapel.

The majority of chapels seat between a hundred and a hundred and fifty guests, but there is one to suit every size of wedding. In Las Vegas, for example, there are chapels just large enough for the Bride, Groom, officiate and witness.

The location of your wedding chapel is key. There are numerous choices in cities and towns, but you may opt for a more natural or dramatic position. There are wedding chapels located anywhere from the Smoky Mountains to Hawaiian beaches, from Lake Tahoe to Disneyland!

If you have connections to the military, you could consider holding your wedding in a military chapel on a military base. There are long waiting lists for these facilities, but they are usually free (except a charitable donation).

Some facilities offer a choice of chapel depending on your religion, and it is possible to find Protestant, Catholic and Jewish chapels. However, there may be restrictions on decoration or numbers of guests.

There is also a vast array of novelty, or themed, wedding chapels springing up everywhere these days. The first themed chapels originated in Las Vegas, but it is now possible to find outlandish chapel designs anywhere.

Aside from the ubiquitous Elvis chapels, there are options such as a neon wedding at the luminous chapel in New Orleans, or a Cowboy chapel in Nevada. Try to incorporate the theme into other aspects of your wedding, such as your attire, the music and food. Some chapels even supply costumes for the guests, which can really make your day a great deal of fun.

Labels: Planning

12 months before your Wedding day

• Announce the engagement
• Set your wedding date
• Create a budget
• Hire a Wedding Coordinator (optional)
• Create your guest list
• Start brainstorming ideas and themes
• Reserve your Ceremony spot
• Book an Officiate
• Make reservations for your Reception area
• Book a Photographer and Videographer
• Book Caterer, Florist and Music (Band, DJ, etc.)
• Look for a Wedding gown and Tux, allowing time for alterations and fittings
• Register for gifts
• Select and call the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
• Agree on a date to order bridesmaids' dresses and groomsmen's tuxes
• Choose a destination for your Honeymoon
• Apply for passports, if required

6 months before your Wedding day

• Finalize your guest list
• Decide on the timeline and details of Ceremony and Reception
• Order/make invitations, and thank you notes
• Make airline and hotel reservations for the Honeymoon
• Choose a caterer, a florist and place an order for the wedding cake.
• Book Transportation (Limo, Antique Car, Etc.) for wedding day
• Shop for any Party rentals

3-4 months before your Wedding day

• Mail out/hand deliver invitations
• Confirm wedding details and contracts with all wedding vendors
• Choose gifts for your attendants
• Set a date and time for the rehearsal dinner
• Help make travel arrangements for any out-of-town guests
• Make final alterations and fittings for the Wedding Gown and Tux
• Set time with your Photographer for the Bridal Portrait or
• Engagement shoot

1 month before your Wedding day

• Apply for the marriage license
• Buy your wedding bands
• Finalize music list and no-play list with band or DJ
• Attend showers
• Make insurance arrangements

1-2 weeks before your Wedding day

• Schedule the rehearsal a day or two before your wedding day
• Make an appointment with a Beauty Salon for day of wedding
• Send a wedding announcement to the local newspapers (optional)
• Make necessary arrangements for name & address change, if any.
• Discuss final details with the reception Site and the Caterer
• Pack for honeymoon
• Write out all checks needed for wedding day
• Send reminders to the rehearsal dinner attendees about the location & time
• Discuss final details of the ceremony and reception with family and bridal party
• Wedding day or day before
• Visit your Beauty Salon for manicure and pedicure
• Host the rehearsal and dinner.
• Make sure the ushers have the final guest list.

Special note: This timeline was adapted form a timeline that was created by www.onewed.com and is meant as a sample. Bear in mind that everything in this timeline is optional and may change the timeline as you add and remove certain aspects.

Labels: Planning

The first thing that needs to be considered when planning the ultimate wedding is how much time you will give yourself for the planning. In essence; this means what day that you will set the date of the wedding.

This may sound like a trivial matter, but it really is important because it will let you know what the time limit is for making your preparations. Some weddings can take up to 3-4 months to prepare for and plan.

This is pretty typical; depending on how big you are planning for your wedding to be and how fancy etc.

If you are not giving yourself more than a month, then planning is naturally different. Because of the differences in the time that you are giving yourself to planning the wedding, it is best to give the best planning methods and you may use them or not use them as they apply to your case.

One of the most important factors that go with planning a wedding is determining who you will be delegating specific duties to. For example, if you are terrible at choosing flowers, who will you assign to do it for you?

It is always best to try to give different duties to others so that you will not be overwhelmed by them yourself. Let’s take a look at some of the various duties that you can hand out:

Catering: Who do you believe would be the best person to handle all of the arrangements for the food and drink at your wedding?

Invitations and seating arrangements: This person will be addressing and mailing out invitations and making sure that people are seated in a fashion that will ensure everyone’s mutual comfort and enjoyment.

Decorations for wedding and reception includes center pieces

• Rehearsal dinners etc.
• Music and/or DJ
• Brides maid and groomsmen gifts and favors
• Gowns, and tuxedos
• Bridal showers/bachelor parties etc.

All of these things are usual must haves when it comes to a wedding, unless of course, you opt not to have bridesmaids or groomsmen in the wedding. All of these things can be murder to try to do on your own as well.

That is why you have to get in touch with people who are capable of taking over some of the menial jobs for you. All of these things seem small at first, but they can quickly add up to quite a bit of money when they are all combined together.

After you have delegated the responsibilities, you should next set a specific time period to have all of the tasks completed. Creating a to-do list and time sheet is a great way to do this. That way, when all of the tasks are finished you can easily check them off.

You should set up specific times and days to discuss the progress of things as well, just in case things are not going so well. In doing this you will be able to help make sure that all things are running smoothly.

You might be wondering what happens when you have done all of this and are ready to get started. First of all, you have to be willing to follow the general wishes of the couple to be wed; that is unless you are the couple and are planning your own wedding.

When planning a wedding on a budget you have to lower your requirements just a bit. For example, you can’t try to have to fillet Mignon if you are throwing the wedding on a fish stick budget. I have broken down the various aspects of the wedding planning to the last details so that you will get a better idea of what I mean.

Ideally, you would want to have at least a year to plan the wedding, but that is not always possible or desired. For the purposes of this guide, I have set up a 12 month wedding timeline that will certainly make it a little bit easier to host your wedding. This will be on next post.

Labels: Planning

Special Note: This chart is a general breakdown of the costs and how much of your budget should be applied to what. This chart was produced by www.BrideSave.com if you would like to see more information

Perhaps the most important thing that must be done when you are ready to begin planning your wedding is to first create your budget.

Your budget is important because it is almost impossible to know what you can afford for each aspect of the wedding if you don’t give yourself a limit to the overall spending costs. For most people, creating the budget is the hardest job to do because you want to have the nicest and most memorable wedding that you can afford.

The days when the wedding is paid for by the parents of the bride are practically gone now. Parents will often contribute to the wedding cost as a gift to the couple, but it rather rare for parents to cover the whole cost of the wedding these days.

Usually it is because the parents simply can’t afford it, but couples today often prefer to pay for their own weddings because it ensures that they can do it the way that they want to without interference.

A lot of the time, parents will forego paying for the wedding and pay for the honeymoon instead. Basically this makes creating your own budget very important; especially if you are paying for both the wedding and the honeymoon yourself.

These days, 4 out of 5 couples pay for their own wedding and it helps to know how your budget should be broken down. The chart above should help.

As with the above chart, when creating your actual budget, you should use the chart information as a guided starting point. From this chart, you will next have to create your actual dollar budgeted amount.

When creating your budget, you will first begin with the overall amount that you can afford to spend. The average wedding today costs approximately $19,000. This is not a definite, but this is what the figures currently show.

Now you will need to take that starting amount and apply it to an actual separate dollar amount. If you are not good at percentages, you can always utilize the internet and check with the various websites that offer you free or cheap wedding budget calculators that will do it for you.

With these calculators, all that you have to do is give it the total budget amount and then it will calculate for you how much money in dollars that you will have to spend on each aspect of your wedding.

Once you have figured out the dollar amount that you can spend on each aspect of the wedding, you can then begin to create a chart that will itemize the list for you. I have included a quick table to help you out in this area.




What this table is meant to show you is what needs to be done, but the blank areas are designed as a means of bringing out the dream of it all into reality. You have to make a list of all of the things that you will need to get in order to fulfill your wedding hopes.

This is necessary in order to know if what you dream of can even be afforded within your set budget. If it can’t, you will have to do any or all of the following:

• Lower the guest list
• Forego some of the services
• Lessen the wedding party
• Forget the extras like limos

It is with the budget that you can set realistic goals for your wedding and whether or not if your budget is realistic to your finances. If it isn’t, you will have to change or get rid of something. It’s that simple.

Once you have decided what you want to include and what you can afford, it is on to the planning stage.

Labels: Creating Budget

A wedding is probably going to be the biggest event that you will ever plan in your lifetime. When you are making such a commitment to the person that you love and plan to spend the rest of your life with, you will want everything to go just perfectly.

Weddings are always a welcome addition to everyone’s circle and they can a great source of joy to all people involved.

Nothing can be as fulfilling and as overwhelming than planning the wedding of your dreams. Most people assume that the most difficult part of having a wedding is getting the groom to propose.

But happens after that has been accomplished? What happens is the wedding has to be planned right down to last flower and place setting. It really doesn’t matter what type of wedding that you are planning to have or how many guests that you are planning to invite. You can plan a beautiful wedding that can suit any and every budget.

These days, most couples would prefer to spend the majority of their money on a great honeymoon, but still they want to have a memorable wedding. This will be your comprehensive guide to having the best and nicest wedding on a budget.

Just because you don’t have the money to be able to afford the fanciest of everything, you can still host the wedding of your dreams. People throw weddings on a budget every day, and with this book handy, you will be able to do it too.

Why should something small like money put a stop to your dream wedding when it doesn’t have to? These days, just about every wedding that you will see (unless the couple is rich) is going to be held on a budget.

Some weddings are even held on a budget as little as $1000. Just because you can’t afford to pay thousands and thousands of dollars for a wedding doesn’t mean that you can’t throw a wedding to be admired by others.

With this guide to having a nice wedding on a budget, you will learn
how to:

• Get deals on flowers
• Get deals on catering
• Get cheap decorating tips
• Tips for hiring a DJ or music
• Save money on bridesmaid gifts
• Save money on photography

There are so many aspects to throwing a wedding that it can cost you an arm and a leg. Nobody wants to spend every dime that they have on their wedding, yet they still want the best wedding that they can possibly get.

With this guide on hand, that is exactly what you will get and at rock bottom prices too! This guide will be your comprehensive guide to saving money on all of the costs for your wedding. We will explore themes and extras and how you can save money on all of them.

Labels: Introduction