A Couple Budget Trimming Suggestions

Most of the time brides could trim their budget substantially if they just took the time to understand the individual disciplines of the wedding business a little better. It's a tall order, I know, but it can be done with a little reading and a little creative thought.

Let me illustrate this point with two examples:

First, I will start with wedding cakes. Did you know that you can hold down the cost of a wedding cake by choosing white icing? The reason is that icing has to be colored by hand. It's not a complicated process but it is a long and tedious process. So if you want color accents on your cake, choose fresh flowers, or ribbons rather than paying your for your pastry chef's time and labor coloring icing. Likewise, choose butter cream icing instead of fondant which will run you about thirty percent more.

Likewise, consider those disposable cameras you see so often at weddings. They can be a great benefit to your wedding memories since you can get some great shots sometimes that you wouldn't get any other way. After all, your photographer can't be everywhere at once... They also offer the added benefit of offering your guests inexpensive entertainment since there is always one in the crowd who is a shutterbug waiting to be released and there are always more than a few looking for their moment of fame. But...

... if you are looking to save money, consider recruiting a half dozen of your friends that you've been looking for a way to involve in your wedding and who have digital camera's (these days nearly everyone has one of some sort) that they can use at your reception and commission them to go around snapping pictures of your guests at your reception. Afterwards, when you get home from your honeymoon, you can have a party with these close friends when you can upload all of your "unofficial" reception photo's onto CD's that you can keep and print at your convenience.

That's just a couple of ideas within the many disciplines that come together to makeup a wedding day. If you just take a little time to learn about the various disciplines and ask where the cost in each discipline is (hint; it's rarely in the physical ingredients) then with a little creative thought and some common sense you will usually be able to find ways to cut costs and control your wedding budget.