| Things You'll Need: | | | | Step 5: Flowers: Flowers can cost a ton of |
| Wedding Venue | | | | money. To eliminate this large chunk of your |
| Reception Venue | | | | budget, consider silk flowers. Many stores, such as |
| Florist | | | | Michael's or Hobby Lobby, sell beautiful silk flowers |
| Caterer | | | | for a nominal fee. If you are opposed to silk |
| Photographer | | | | flowers, try limiting the quantity of real flowers |
| Cake(s) | | | | you order from the florist. Have the florist use |
| Wedding Dress | | | | real flowers for your bouquet and your |
| Bridesmaid Dresses | | | | bridesmaids' bouquets, and even get a few gallons |
| Step 1: Find a wedding venue. Typically, wedding | | | | of fresh rose petals, but don't think that you |
| ceremonies last 15-30 minutes long. Find a church, | | | | have to have thousands of fresh flowers |
| gazebo, park, chapel, auditorium, etc. that will allow | | | | everywhere in order for your wedding to be |
| you to hold your wedding for a nominal fee. | | | | beautiful. |
| Although you want your wedding to be beautiful, | | | | Step 6: Music: Having music at your reception is |
| there is no sense in going bankrupt. Consider | | | | also a cost that can be avoided. Many reception |
| having an outdoor wedding if you are really | | | | venues have an audio-visual package that is |
| strapped for cash. | | | | included in the price of the venue or can be |
| Step 2: Find a reception venue. The reception will | | | | purchased at an additional charge. If this is the |
| probably be the most expensive part of the | | | | case, get the audio-visual package, and plug an |
| entire wedding extravaganza. One way to cut | | | | Ipod into it. Create a playlist in I-Tunes before the |
| corners is to find a venue that will allow you to | | | | wedding. Nominate a close friend to press "play" |
| hold your wedding and your reception in the same | | | | whenever they get to the reception, and feel |
| place. For instance, many churches have reception | | | | free to dance the night away. This eliminates the |
| halls in them. Use the chapel for the ceremony, | | | | cost of having a DJ, and it also allows you to |
| and hold the reception in their "fellowship hall" or | | | | have complete control of the music. |
| whatever they call their reception area. If that | | | | Step 7: Wedding Dress: This is the most |
| won't work for you - try to rent a room large | | | | important day of your life, but don't feel like you |
| enough that it can be split down the middle. Half | | | | have to spend thousands of dollars on a beautiful |
| of the room can be used for the ceremony, and | | | | wedding dress. There are stores that constantly |
| the other half can be used for the reception. | | | | have good sales going on, and you might be able |
| Step 3: Catering: When you are planning a | | | | to find your dream dress at a fairly low price. |
| wedding on a budget, there is no need to have a | | | | Shop around. Look up stores such as David's |
| full meal at your reception. Try a chocolate | | | | Bridal and see if they are having a sale. You might |
| fountain, fruit/veggie platters, meat/cheese | | | | just find the dress of your dreams for a few |
| platters, etc. There is nothing wrong with serving | | | | hundred dollars. |
| finger foods at your reception. You will already be | | | | Step 8: Decorations: This is probably one of the |
| supplying the cake and the punch, so there is no | | | | most stressful parts of the wedding. My |
| need to bankrupt yourself by serving a full meal. | | | | recommendation? Do it yourself! Go to Hobby |
| If you need to cut corners even more, eliminate | | | | Lobby, Michael's, or some other craft store, and |
| the caterer altogether! There is nothing wrong | | | | find beautiful decorations. Shop around, and wait |
| with having your wedding cake, some mints, and | | | | on the sales to come to you. In fact, when I got |
| some mixed nuts. After all, your guests didn't | | | | the centerpieces for my wedding, Hobby Lobby |
| come for the food, they came to watch two | | | | was having a 50% off sale on decorative |
| people dedicate their lives to one another. | | | | glassware, candles, and anything that had to do |
| Step 4: Photography: Everyone wants to have | | | | with a wedding. Don't stress out...you'll have plenty |
| beautiful pictures on their wedding day; however, | | | | of time to shop around. |
| there is a way to get the beautiful pictures | | | | Step 9: Other advice: Eliminate wedding favors. |
| without spending a ton of money. Is there a | | | | They will probably just end up in the trash. Need |
| photography school nearby? Are there any | | | | an inexpensive way to exit the building? Invest in |
| universities that have art courses? Many students | | | | wedding sparklers. You can get 150 sparklers for |
| that are in photography classes are already | | | | as little as $45, and they look great in pictures. If |
| marketing themselves and taking pictures | | | | you are buying the dresses, limit the bridal party. |
| professionally. Because they have not yet | | | | You may have a large amount of friends, but you |
| graduated from a professional school or | | | | are planning a wedding on a small amount of |
| university, they are often the cheapest, yet most | | | | money. Lastly, and I've said it before, shop |
| overlooked, option. My advice? Check them out! | | | | around! Don't think that you have to plan the |
| See what they have to offer! If you don't like | | | | entire wedding in a week. Take your time, search |
| what you see in their portfolios, don't agree to | | | | out bargains, and shop around. |
| have them photograph your wedding. | | | | |