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A lot goes into planning your dream wedding, and when I say a lot, I mean a lot of cash! Even a "low budget" wedding can easily cost $ 5000, and most weddings run five or six times that. Before you resign yourself to going into debt or eloping, check out these practical ideas on how to raise money for your wedding.
Everyone has stuff lying around the house that they do not use. When you get married, you will be combining your stuff with his stuff (assuming you do not already live together), so you will end up with even more excess. Instead of paying to store your duplicates or cramming your closet full of instruments you no longer play or clothing that does not fit, why not sell it? Put your better or designer items up on eBay or Craig's List or take them to a resale shop. Whatever is left over you can clear out at a yard sale. Do not forget to look through your jewelry box; with gold and silver prices sky high, you may be able to get a nice amount of cash for those earrings or necklaces you never wear. Depending on what you have to sell, you may raise a few hundred dollars or a whole lot more. Even if you only get a little bit of cash, it will be enough to cover your bridesmaid jewelry gifts or your bouquets. As a bonus, you will have a clean, uncluttered home!
Are you planning a DIY wedding and crafting like crazy? The homemade look is very hot for weddings these days, but not all brides have the talent to make their own cake toppers, paper flowers, guest books, beeswax candles, ring bearer pillows, invitations and so forth. If you are lucky enough to have the ability to create beautiful things, why not make a few extra and sell them online? There are lots of websites geared towards individuals selling their handcrafted goods, especially for weddings. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much you can get for your handicrafts.
Your wedding is not a charity, so you can not throw a fundraiser to solicit pledges. You can, however, have one of those home based parties where you sell something nice to make extra cash. It could be beauty products, makeup, baskets, kid's products, or whatever else you think will be popular where you live. Just do your research before signing up for a home party company. Some are more likely to be profitable than others, and some require fairly large investments in samples. This money raising route is not right for everyone, but if you are comfortable with sales, it could be a great way to raise a little extra cash for your wedding.
Lastly, instead of raising more money, consider bartering to spend less. This is becoming a more popular way to get the goods and services you need for your wedding without spending any cash. If you have a professional service you can exchange (say, building a website) for something you need (wedding photography sometimes), you might be able to use a local barter network to make it happen. A few tips about bartering: only hire someone for your wedding that you would if you were paying, have a contract, offer equal value in return. And if you are a professional, be aware that the value of the service or goods you receive in return is considered taxable business income. When you can go cash-free for a few of the big ticket wedding expenses, it becomes far easier to afford all of the other things, like the food, a dj, your wedding gown, the bridesmaid jewelry gifts, and so forth.
With a little creativity, you just might find that you can raise much of the cash you need for your wedding, and get the rest by bartering. Just think about how fabulous it will feel to have the wedding you want without sacrificing on style or going into debt!
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Source by Guy Antonelli
