Money Saving Ideas for Planning your Wedding

He popped the question the engagement party is over that means there is one more task at hand. Oh that's right plan a wedding! When it comes to planning a wedding the couple has to be realistic, you have to plan a wedding within your financial range because lets be honest most newlywed couples no longer have the luxury of their parents paying for their wedding. In most cases the couple is just starting out and they need to save as much money as they can on planning their wedding. This is not being frugal it's being sensible. A couple can still have an elegant wedding if they use their resources accurately.
For example, one item that can sometimes cause couples to spend a small fortune is party favors. Now of course you want to give back to the guests that came out to honor your special day, but if you don't have a lot of money then you don't want to go overboard on favors.

Have you ever heard the saying it's the thought that counts; well this is the motto you should follow if you can't afford outlandish party favors. Couples could consider giving gifts from the heart. What I mean by this is make your own favors. Not only will you save money, but close friends and relatives will truly know how much you appreciate them for coming out to on your special day.

These can include decorated picture frames, almond clusters, or anything you can come up with. A great way to personalize the favor with your names and wedding date is to order personalized ribbon to attach to each favor. There are many websites online that specialize in supplying personalized favor ribbon at low prices. Be sure to order the ribbon in advance so you will have it when you are ready to put your favors together.

Not to creative and don't really have the time to make a home made gift a great party favor to give out for a wedding is scented tea light with a holder. Instead of going to retail stores to purchase these items many websites online have a wide selection of candles with scents and beautiful designs. So, couples when it comes to party favors the two key points to keep in mind are gifts from the heart and to shop online!

Every wedding needs someone to chronicle to the moments of the special day. This is where photographers come on. Hiring someone to take photos through a reception hall can run couples into the thousands.

A great way to save money on photography is to have pictures taken at a local studio in between the church and the reception. Many local studios offer great photo packages for a reasonable price. Most times the studio will also give a photo a CD so all files can be saved and this will make it easier for the couple to send out photos via email to friends and relatives who were unable to attend. .

Of course you'll want many moments of the reception captured on film so, place a disposable wedding camera at each table and have your friends and relatives snap these shots for you. Many of the wedding theme cameras come with a card that explains that you would like them to take shots and leave the camera. Believe it or not these cards are necessary as some people have not seen this done before and will assume that the camera is a favor for them to keep.

How about food? Most reception halls and caterers will provide a wonderful meal for your guests. The problem is the service does not come cheap and when it comes to reception halls the food is charged by the guests. Each guest equals one plate, many halls charge between fifty to one hundred dollars per person. Once a definite number is given to the hall that is how much food is being prepared, of course every couple knows that some guests will cancel at the last minute, but unfortunately the couple will still be charged.

One great way to avoid this problem and save money at the same time is plan a buffet style dinner, and cook the food yourself. By cooking the food yourself the couple will not only save money but you then have total control of the menu your guests can choose from.

It is important for a couple to understand that their wedding is "their wedding ". Some couples may have a larger budget than others. It is the couple's responsibility to understand what their spending limits are in advance. Just because the some couples have less money, doesn't mean that their wedding will not be a wonderful. If couple takes the initiative and comes up with some innovative, cost saving ideas their big day will be wonderful.