A FAIRY TALE WEDDING

(ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET)

Peggy D. Mercer

THE PERFECT WEDDING PLANNER FROM INVITATIONS TO DECORATIONS WHAT TO WEAR AT THE CEREMONY AND PARTY WEDDING FAVORITE MUSIC EATING AND DRINKING NO-STRESS CHECKLISTS

OUTSIDE THE BOX ebook publishing

eISBN 978-3-943686-16-6

INTRODUCTION

He’s popped the question. The ring is on your finger. Now comes the stressful part. You want to throw the wedding of your dreams, but you’re not Donald Trump’s kid. What do you do?

Statistics say the average wedding costs $20,000. Most young girls dream of the fairy tale wedding: long white gown, 8 bridesmaids, a sit-down dinner, the band everyone dances to.

Many brides have been dreaming about their wedding day since childhood. These dreams come with an expensive price tag and the realization of their fairytale day may be distant. Although weddings are very costly today, your dream day can happen. I am going to share some tips to cut corners and save money without making huge sacrifices.

By taking the time to plan and investigate, you will be amazed at the amount of money that you save. Would you arrive at an interview for your dream job without prior preparation? No, you would not and that is why preparation and research will make your wedding a success without re-mortgaging the house!

It's only natural to want the Cinderella fantasy wedding, complete with ice sculptures, a heavenly cake, and thousands of guests who've flown in from around the world to enjoy the accompanying dinner. It's only human to cry at the bill that this dream can rack up.

Costs can add up quickly. Factor in the meal, the liquor, the music, the dress, the flowers, the photographer, the decorations and the dream wedding can seem way out of your league. But it doesn’t have to be.

How can the average person have a beautiful wedding with all the bells and whistles on a working person’s salary? Perhaps the three letters/words that say it best are – DIY (do it yourself!)

Spending your life savings on your big day is crazy. You can have elegant, beautiful weddings without breaking the bank.

Having a cheap wedding doesn’t mean giving up style or sentimentality. It means using your imagination, using your own hands or the help of friends and family. Ask anyone you know to help out. Almost everyone will be happy to oblige. They’ll be part of your special day which makes them special as well!

This book will give you the best tips and tricks from the experts to cut costs without cutting class and sophistication. No one will know that your budget equals the grocery bill of a family of 4. They’ll be oblivious as they toast the new couple and enjoy a party to put all other party’s to shame!

We’ll explore ways to save on all aspects of your wedding. Don’t think you have to give up anything because it can all be covered. All it takes is the cooperation of your family and friends coupled with a little positive self-talk and perseverance.

I have been married twice (don’t worry, I got it right the second time!) For both of my weddings, I had amazing ceremonies and receptions for around $2,000. They were the talk of the town both now and then. Throughout this book, I will tell you what we did to save money and still have an amazing wedding/reception. Hopefully, you can gain some insight into a dream event for not a lot of money – just like we had!

Let us show you how to throw a dream wedding on a shoestring budget!

WHERE TO START?

There’s so much to do, it can be mind-numbing. Don’t worry. I planned and held my first wedding in two months and my second wedding in three months. If you have the luxury of a year or more, feel lucky!

We’ll provide you with a wedding planner at the end of this book for you to keep with you as you plan your dream wedding. Planning is essential, so our checklist could be your best friend! You may want to invest in a cheap folder to keep all of your notes in order. Print out the checklists at the end of this book and keep them in that folder along with any receipts and/or quotes that you get!

You need to decide who will pay for the wedding. The typical wedding planner dictates that the bride’s parents pay for the wedding. In reality, these days that isn’t always the norm.

My second husband and I both have two sets of parent. We had been living together for 8 years, but were ill equipped to throw our own wedding. We could contribute, sure, but to throw the whole shin-dig would be out of our realm. We asked each parent-couple to contribute $500 and they all agreed wholeheartedly. That gave us a budget of $2,000 which was plenty!

We’re assuming you want a traditional ceremony as opposed to a “theme” wedding. That information alone could compose a whole other e-book. Assuming you want a traditional wedding, the first decisions to be made include: the date, your attendants, and where the reception will be held. Of course, the date might be your most important decision.

Traditionally, couples tie the knot on a Saturday. If you really want to save some cash, consider having your ceremony on a Thursday or Friday. How about having a Sunday service on a holiday weekend? You’ll find that there are many more open dates on these days and you’ll ultimately realize more savings by booking on these less traditional time frames. Many reception locations will offer a discount for an off day. If they don t offer it, ask for it.

Also, you may want to consider an early marriage and an early reception. An 11:00 marriage with a reception immediately following can realize great savings as most guests will have already had lunch before your ceremony and the reception will most likely be over by dinner, so all you’ll have to provide is some light finger foods to tide over those rumbling tummies!

Additional savings may be realized by having your wedding in the months of November through April. These months are less busy for most wedding related services and locations. Again, ask for a discount for being off-season.

You need to decide how many attendants you will have so you can bestow the honor on them early enough! They can save the date and help you plan! Traditionally, the bridesmaids are responsible for their own wedding attire, but the bride usually has the final say on what they wear. Be mindful of your attendants’ financial situation and don’t choose that $500 satin chiffon number. Remember, you’re trying to throw a wedding on a budget. Let them save some cash as well! We’ll have some suggestions later on in this book for attendant attire, so keep that in the back of your mind!

Where your reception will be held is another huge decision that has to be made early on in the wedding planning stage. If you want to opt for a traditional reception hall, you’ll have to book early to be sure you can get the venue of your choice.

If you or someone in your family is the member of a benevolent association (The Elks, The Moose, The American Legion), consider these as viable options. They often give discounts to members and you will probably have access to a huge area for your wedding reception as opposed to Aunt Emily’s backyard! Just remember to book early!

With my first wedding, we married on a Saturday and held our reception in the church parish hall. It was a Catholic church and they graciously allowed us the ultimate leniency with liquor, food, etc. Since we were members of the church, we only paid $50 to rent it for the afternoon.

My second husband and I chose to be married on a Saturday at our local church and held the reception at the local American Legion where both my (future) husband and my father were members. We saved a ton by booking the Legion the day after my husband and I decided to marry. Plus, we saved on the headache of trying to find a reception hall!

We’ll have much more on the dream reception later in this book, but remember to book early. Having that out of the way will free up more of your time to concentrate on the little details that can mean so much!

You can also look to find a free place to hold your reception such as a friend’s home, a church’s reception hall, or even the local fire department’s reception hall! You could look into a local park, art gallery, and even your own home.

You’ll need to start on a guest list as soon as possible and begin thinking about invitations.