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When my wife and I were planning our wedding, we were both looking for ways to save money because we were also saving for a house at the time and we did not want to end up in debt long after our wedding was over. We have friends who borrowed money for their wedding and are still paying for it years later, so we knew we did not want that and would probably have a nice home instead of a long term loan for something that only lasts for one day. That was when we got organized and started looking for ways to save money on our wedding plans. If you are well organized in advance of the big day, you can literally save thousands of dollars off your wedding costs.

The first thing I did was start a spreadsheet on my computer, so I could track expenses and get different quotes from each supplier. I got at least three quotes from each local supplier in my community and kept track of them in my spreadsheet. When you see things at a glance you can then start to decide where you could cut costs and find cost alternatives.

Also the first thing we did was go to our local community bridal show as a start, and we were glad we did. The bridal show had wedding planning seminars, fashion shows, prizes, and also discount vouchers and promotions from wedding suppliers offering some great savings on wedding gowns, flowers, and photography at discount prices if you booked in advance.

Below is a list of our top inexpensive wedding ideas:

• Wedding Gowns and bridesmaids dresses – If you shop around for deals at bridal fairs you may just find what you are looking for at a discount price, also by looking in your local newspaper you might find a wedding cancellation offering a huge discount on your wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses
• Flowers – If you are getting married in late summer you could grow your own flowers in your own backyard at a fraction of the cost from a florist, or you can also find lower prices at your local grocery store instead of a florist shop or go the the dollar store and buy some silk flowers and mix them in with real flowers. You can also buy single small vases at the dollar store and put a single rose in each vase on each table at your reception.
• Hair and Makeup – If you want to save on hair and makeup, consider using a hair and makeup school in your neighborhood instead of an expensive salon or even have one of your bridesmaids do your hair and makeup
• Photography and Video – Instead of hiring a professional photographer, you could have a family member take all your pictures with a good quality digital camera or video camera with a tripod for filming in the church and outside and post the pictures online on a website offering free uploads of photos to share with friends and family afterwards
• Wedding reception – You can save hundreds of dollars even thousands by having your wedding reception outdoors in your parents or family friends backyard. All you need to do is rent a tent, and all the party supplies from a rental company. You can also cater to your own food and have guests bring their own booze (BYOB) to really save money.
• Party supplies – Use paper tablecloths, plastic and paper plates, or go to the dollar store and stock up on party supplies at the fraction of the cost of real tablecloths and linen napkins.
• Wedding Car – Borrow a friends or family's car ie: mustang convertible or if someone has an antique car or unique car like a hummer for your wedding car.
• Wedding Invitations – Consider making your own invitations on your home computer with paper you buy at a local craft store. See the craft store associates for ideas on making your own invitations.
• Entertainment – Hire a DJ instead of a live band or even bring your own music CDs and your own stereo or boombox
• Party Favors – Make your own party favors
• Honeymoon – Shop around online for deals and packages offering discount hotels, deals on car rentals and cheap flights to your destination.

With all the suggestions above, your should be able to save hundreds of dollars even thousands of off your wedding planning and use the money you saved as a downpayment on a new home for you and your bride or groom. By being organized in advance of your wedding and not having to borrow money and even pay for things in advance, you can avoid having a lot of stress and extra expenses when things get closer to the big day. Good luck and have fun saving money on your wedding.

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Source by Brian Kearns