Did you know that statistics show the average wedding costs $20,000 or more. Most young girls dream of the fairytale wedding including the long white gown, bridesmaids, a sit-down dinner, and a band that everyone will want to dance to.
In fact most brides have been dreaming about their wedding day since they were a little girl. However these dreams can often come with a a big price tag and the realization that their fairytale day may never happen. Even though weddings are very costly, rest assured that your dream day can come true.
By taking the time to plan every detail, you will be amazed at the amount of money that you can save and how it will help make your wedding a day to remember for you and all of your guests!
It's only natural to want the Cinderella fantasy wedding, complete with ice sculptures, a heavenly cake, and hundreds of guests who've flown in from all around the world to enjoy the festivities and it's only human to cry at the bill that this dream can come with.
It's no secret that the cost of the perfect dream wedding can add up fast. Especially when you factor in the cost of the dress, flowers, photographer, food, drinks, music, decorations and the venue your wedding can seem like an unattainable dream. But it doesn't have to be that way.
So, how can the average person have a beautiful wedding with all the bells and whistles without going into debt or going crazy?
Perhaps these three little words say it best!
They are "do it yourself" (DIY).
When you do it yourself you can have the elegant, beautiful wedding of your dreams without going crazy or going broke.
Don't panic, having a do it yourself wedding doesn't mean giving up style and flair. It means using your imagination, using your own hands as well as recruiting the help of family and friends.
So where should you start?
One of the first things to consider is the budget.The question of how much is available to spend and who is paying for what are two of the important questions when it comes to setting the budget.
Once the budget is set, the next step is creating a timetable. Some important factors to consider include honeymoon, work schedules, holidays and family occasions, and day of the week.
Then you will want to start looking at rings, making announcements, choosing invitations and planning the pre-wedding activities such as; engagement parties, a dinner for the families of both parties to get acquainted, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and so on.
After making the wedding known to everyone, the next step is the guest list. This list usually affects several aspects of the wedding especially the budget and the size of the party.
Here is a quick tip: Try dividing the guest list into five categories:
a) bride's list;
b) groom's; c) couple's common friends;
d) groom's parents' list and;
e) bride's parents' list.
This will help you sort it out effectively! Don't worry if the list is too big at first. It often takes several revisions before you come up with the perfect guest list.
As I mentioned earlier, when it comes to planning the perfect wedding there are many things to consider like the ceremony, reception music, flowers, wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses, and the groom’s attire, photographers and more.
Inside each issue of the Your DIY Wedding newsletter I will do my best to provide you with the best tips and tricks from the experts to help you cut costs without cutting class and sophistication. We will explore different ways that you can plan and save on all aspects of your wedding.
Make sure you look for your next issue soon. We will be talking more about how to save money when planning your perfect wedding.
Accredited Event Designer
OC Brides Event Coordination
www.weddingplanneroc.com
Cindy@ocbrides.com
(714) 970-6380
