In times where a lot of people are battling to keep afloat financially, the costs of a wedding can put a lot of stress on a relationship. But with a couple of clever ideas, you can still have your dream wedding, without emptying your piggy bank completely…

1. Invite only the people who really matters in your life! If you are in wondering if you should be inviting a specific person, ask yourself if you’ll still be in contact with this person in 25 years, having coffee and reminiscing over your wedding day. If the answer is no, scrap this individual from your list. Do not feel obligated to invite anyone, this is YOUR day.

2. Choose your wedding venue wisely. There are a lot of venues that do not charge an arm and a leg, but still offer the same (and sometimes better!) services than the well-established competition venue up the road. Do your homework, compare packages, make sure to know exactly what is included and what is excluded from the venue’s quote.

3. Some venues allow the bridal party to provide the wine and fruit juice for the table. If this is the case, buying in bulk from a liquor store or wholesaler will already save you a lot of money.

4. Some couples spend astronomical amounts on wedding favours. Remember that a wedding favour is only supposed to be a token of appreciation. Something small and meaningful is sometimes more powerful than an expensive favour that will only end up in someone’s drawer. Why not consider a personalized key-chain? (this can double up as a place card, killing two birds with one stone!) Other popular options are sweet tables, personalized chocolate or a bottle of wine with a personalized label.  The word “personalized” is the keyword here – your guests must still feel that you’ve gone through some trouble when choosing their favours.

5. Why buy a dress that you’ll only be wearing once? There is no stigma connected to renting a wedding dress. Most of the well known designers have a range of wedding dresses available for rental. These dresses are still adjusted to fit you perfectly, and no one will be able to tell that it was not designed specifically for you!

By keeping the 5 tips above in mind, your money will go a long way! The most important thing is to have fun! Planning your wedding is a wonderful experience, don’t let the stress caused by the “wedding finances” ruin it for you! 

Article courtesy of For Ever After Bridal Directory (www.foreverafter.co.za) - where you will find everything from the day you get engaged, right through to your honeymoon!