Weddings 101 Must-Know Tips to Help Brides Save Time and Money

A lot of advice out there will tell you to start planning for your wedding as early as possible to avoid last minute hustles. The downside with this action plan is the tendency to make elaborate plans which are expensive and require a lot of time to plan and execute. So instead of starting preparation a year earlier, opt to do it a few months to the wedding. This will help you streamline your plans and create an affordable, timesaving wedding. However, be careful not to go to the other extreme and start planning a month or less to the wedding. This will just add to your stress.

Nowadays, sending invitations and receiving RSVPs is done majorly by email though you can also complement this with the traditional paper invites. If you decide to use email, don’t make the mistake of giving out your personal email account for people to send their RSVPs. It will take a lot of time to sort through them considering that they will be mixed up with your personal emails and some may get sent to the spam folder. Open an email account specifically dedicated to the wedding.

One thing you will realize as you plan for the wedding is that it will be necessary to make a lot of cuts in your budget. To save time deciding where to make the cut, plan your priorities. Basically, which are the things that must take place? It can be a certain DJ, the caterer or a certain venue. Once you have your priorities, it is easy to look through the other aspects of the plan and cut their budgets accordingly.

From around April to October, there are lots of weddings taking place. This means that there is stiff competition for things like venues, wedding gowns and caterers. This tends to push up prices and can substantially add to your overall budget. To save money, opt for offseason times. This is usually between November and March.

In addition, avoid getting married on Valentine’s Day and on Saturdays when a lot of other weddings are happening. A weekday would be a nice idea but if you need to make it convenient to your guests, Friday night or Saturday night are also good.

Having everyone, including people you are meeting for the first time, is a nice idea but nit a very wise one. Most probably, you are being charged for catering and venue per person. So more guests means more money spent. Limit the guest list to close family members, friends and a few work colleagues. Ideally it should not be over a 100.

To keep track of the many details involved in planning a wedding, make technology your friend. There are tons of apps and websites where you can make planning easier, faster, cheaper and time saving. Some will help you send invitations and keep track of them while others keep track of any gifts sent. Some will even help you arrange every tiny detail of your wedding.

When you think of the ideal wedding venue automatic ideas that may come to mind include a wedding hall or a country club. But these places tend to be expensive because they are there for that purpose and the competition is also high. Go for more unique options such as your backyard or a public park (you can hire one for a few hours).

Photographers and videographers usually have a pretty high price tag especially if your wedding stretches on for long or goes into night hours. You can drastically cut your photography bill by hiring a photography student. With good research you can find one who is as good as a professional and also has lots of experience.