A bride in her wedding dress with bouquet

For some people, their wedding is the most expensive event of their lives. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on just one day, no matter how important, here are a few budget tips to help you keep costs down.

The Wedding Dress

Start looking for the dress as soon as you have set a date. That way you won’t be under pressure and can look for the one that suits you at a price that doesn’t blow your budget. Don’t forget that shops selling wedding dresses have sales too so keep a look out for a bargain. Also look in dress agencies (shops selling good quality second hand clothes) and charity shops which sometimes get wedding dresses.

Generally, simple dresses cost less than those with lots of frills, beads, lace, and you can add these yourself if you want them.

You can save money by renting a dress or borrowing one. Perhaps your mother still has hers and, if you like it and it suits you, she would probably be touched that you want to use it. Alternatively, a sister or friend might have a dress you could borrow.

Wedding Reception

Don’t plan your wedding for the most popular months, April to September, and you might find that rates for reception venues are lower during the autumn and winter.

Instead of using a hotel or restaurant for the reception, consider hiring something like a church hall. If you do, check on the facilities.

1. Is there a kitchen?
2. Is there a stove for heating food?
3. Are seats included in the price and are there enough for all the guests?
4. Are tables also included and are there enough?
5. Are there any special conditions of use attached to the hall?

If you choose to use a hall like this, you will then have to decide whether to use caterers to supply the food or whether to do it yourself, hopefully with the help of family and friends.

If you decide on caterers, get several quotes before you decide on one and also see if you can check with past customers to see if they were happy with the food and service.

When it comes to choosing the food, whether you use caterers or do it yourself, go for the less expensive options. Don’t consider fillet steak, think of serving chicken instead. A buffet is also less expensive than a sit down meal because you won’t need to pay waiters or waitresses to serve it.

If you are preparing the food yourself, a buffet is ideal because all of it, except perhaps for hot sausages or similar items, can be prepared well ahead of time and frozen.

A Traditional Wedding Cake

The more tiers and decorations your cake has the more expensive it will be, also consider making it yourself. If you make a traditional British wedding cake, you can buy the enormous quantity of fruit required over a number of weeks so making it less of a burden. You can then get it professionally decorated if you can’t do it yourself and don’t know anybody who can.

Buy your own drink as it will work out a lot cheaper then paying the caterers or venues prices.

Finally, there is a great temptation to invite many people to your wedding that would not be at all offended if they weren’t invited. Casual friends, very distant relatives don’t always want to come. Keep your guest list to family and friends that are close to you and your parents. Every extra guest is another mouth to feed and you will overspend your budget!

Photographs

Here are some suggestions to save money on the budget for the wedding photography.

• Compare hourly fees and package deals to see which is more cost-effective for you.
• Give disposable cameras as wedding favours. Then you can get copies of the days events from family and friends.
• Have a professional photographer take the formal pictures and shoot the ceremony; have guests take all reception photos.
• Visit your local college’s photography department and check out some of the students’ portfolios. They will do your photography a lot cheaper and can be just as good as a professional.
• Ask friends and family to video the big day for you.

Flowers

Some tips for staying within your budget for the wedding flowers:

• Use flowers that are in season and/or locally grown as they are less expensive than out-of-season flowers that must be shipped to your area.
• Have a bouquet with just a few large flowers, like orchids, tulips, lilies, or sunflowers, tied with a ribbon.
• If you are marrying at Christmas or Easter, your church may already be decked out beautifully.
• Arrange to share the cost of ceremony decorations with the couple marrying directly before or after you that day.
• Use silk or dried flowers instead of fresh ones in table centerpieces.

Music

DJs are less expensive than live bands.

Ask a family member or friend’s child to sing at the reception.

Hire music for the evening reception only. People are usually to busy chatting to notice any way.

Ask at the local college/university for young musicians.

Invitations

Make your own invitation cards. They are cheaper and more personal.

Transportation

Limousines are cheap enough to hire for an hour. Find out in advance how long the ceremony will take.

Only hire a limo for the bride and groom; have attendants driven in relatives’ cars, or have them drive themselves in groups.

Ornamental grasses are a wonderful way to add both texture and color to your fall landscape. These grasses highlighted below will provide airy foliage in the summer and wonderful color in the fall.

Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)
A slow spreading perennial this will get 3-6 feet high. Color on switchgrass is red tinged and textured blades adorn. Adaptable to its location, it does prefer full sun. It will flower from August to September. The seed heads to switchgrass have a cloud effect and has airy flowers good for wildflower meadows.

Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass)
Upright and fountain-like, this grass is very showy. Good for borders or ornamental uses. It will seed from July to August. This will start off green and turn tan in the winter. Plant this in full sun for optimal bloom and show

Spartina pectinata (Prairie grass)
A good drought tolerant grass that is wonderful for dried arrangements. It will grow up to 6ft and flowers June to October. It has hairy scales that some will suffer hay fever from. Prairie grass has a nice color scheme, from bright clear yellow in the fall to buff in the winter.

Sporobolus heterolepsis (Prairie dropseed)
Slow growing grass that reaches 18-30inches tall. It has fine upright leaves, green in the summer and gold in the fall. It prefers full sun to partial shade and likes dry rocky locations. This grass produces pinkish fragrant flowers and its seeds are high in nutrients. Birds love prairie dropseed.

Schizachyrium scorparium (Bluestem)
This is a lovely clump-forming dark green drought tolerant grass that in fertile soil will reach 20-40 inches high. It prefers full sun or partial shade and has a lavender/blue tinge on the base of its stems. This has wonderful bronze fall color that is a lovely late season prize.