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| The Basics | Tie the knot without busting your budget
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Photos, flowers, invitations -- the little things add up to big bills on your trip to the altar. Begin with a realistic budget and a clear idea of what’s ahead.
By Jennifer Mulrean
It's hard to know what's louder: the wedding bells of the 2.3 million U.S. weddings held each year or the cha-ching of wedding industry cash registers.
The average wedding now costs $18,874, according to Bride's Magazine (see table below). That's as much as some people pay for a year of college or a new car or . . . you get the idea.
The fact that this is the biggest day in many lives makes the about-to-marry easy prey for marketers. Every bride and groom want "their day" to be special. Not coincidentally, there are a number of online resources for finding affordable solutions to nearly every wedding "must-have." (But let's face it, the real must-haves are the betrothed, the person performing the ceremony and the witnesses, right?)
Budgeting
Before you decide on white versus ivory and roses versus lilacs, start with a budget. Online budgeting tools like the ones at The Knot and The Wedding Channel can help eliminate a lot of the guesswork.
To use the calculators, simply plug in the amount you want to spend and the number of guests for an itemized list of fees. The types of expenses listed can be as educational as their estimated costs. It's easy to forget the costs of reserving the place for the ceremony or the wedding license, for example. But all of it is outlined, along with tips for the kinds of tradeoffs you can make to save even more money. The budget planner at The Knot also allows you to enter and store the real cost of each item, once you know what it is, for a more accurate overall picture.
Invitations
Most wedding sites recommend ordering all stationery -- your invitations, reply cards and thank-you notes -- at the same time for better rates. They also recommend keeping the weight down, so that only one stamp is required for each invitation, and using offset printing, which tends to be cheapest. Or, opt for thermography, which is less expensive than engraving but still has that raised look, according to The Knot.
There are plenty of sites to choose from when ordering invitations, though many of the ones I came across were dealers of Carlson Craft, a national wholesale printing company. One such dealer, Perfection Publishing, offers 20% off most orders and says it will match any competitor's price, including sales.
If you're really trying to save, another option is to use a card-making software program to design your own invitations and print them on a high-quality printer. Some wedding planning software, which generally runs about $30 to $40, includes this feature.
Hers and his apparel
Shopping for a wedding gown can understandably leave you a little hot under the collar. On what other dress can you spend several hundred dollars and still be made to feel you've found a bargain? Your best bet for cutting this cost altogether is to borrow a dress. But if mom's head-to-toe lace number feels a little … busy, consider renting a dress or buying one from a consignment shop. Online localized listings -- including those at the Wedding Channel and MSN eShop -- can help you stake your hunting ground before you head out the door.
If you're looking for something new, The Knot advises shopping for a gown at the end of a season -- in August, when the summer orders have gone out and the stores are making room for the fall and winter dresses, for example.
Denise and Alan Fields, authors of "Cyberbride" and "Bridal Bargains," say that despite some expected hesitancy, online wedding-gown shopping has been surprisingly successful.
"There are several sites that will order your bridal and bridesmaid's dresses for about 20% to 40% off," says Alan Fields. He and Denise recommend BrideSave.com, NetBride.com, RKBridal.com and DiscountBridalService.com -- though you have to call in your order to this last site.
You can also find discounted wedding gowns online at America's Bridal Discounters and David's Bridal, among other sites. You can learn more about many individual designers from one of the Fields' sites, BridalGown.com, which reviews almost 80 different designers and lists their price ranges.
David's Bridal has been in business since 1950 and is the largest national bridal chain. Though you can surf its online catalog, you have to buy the dress from one of its more than 125 brick-and-mortar locations. When I last visited the site, it had a sale on select gowns for $99.
Other options: Consider a white bridesmaid's dress as an alternative to a traditional wedding gown, or keep an eye out for sample sales. (Brides-to-be in the area around New York City are especially lucky on this last count.)
Obviously, shopping far ahead of the big day will make these strategies more useful -- and help you feel less pressured into buying more gown than you can afford.
The groom's apparel tends to be far less expensive. Occasionally, tuxedo shops will throw in his tux for free or offer a group rate if all the groomsmen order from the same place. Again, use online localized listings to find out which stores offer these deals.
Flowers
The biggest cost-saving tip here: Use flowers that are in season and locally available. Your florist can help you determine which those are; also check Wedding World's state-by-state listings. You can also get ideas from Florist.com, which spotlights up to 150 different arrangements, including boutonnieres, and lists suggested retail prices.
If you're willing to do a little of the arrangement work yourself or you have helpful friends, consider buying flowers online directly from a grower.
"This is a great way to have more flowers at your wedding for less," says Alan Fields. "It's a great way the Internet cuts out the middleman."
The Fields recommend California-based 2G Roses, which you can access at Freshroses.com. Despite the name, your flower choices are not limited to roses. The grower will ship your flowers and greens overnight a few days before the wedding ceremony, but you'll need to arrange them. For this reason, many people decide to only tackle the table centerpieces.
The "All Roses Wedding Package" costs $390 and includes enough roses, greens, and fillers to make 11 table arrangements (18 stems each), 10 boutonnieres (1 stem each), 6 corsages (3 stems each), 5 bridesmaids' bouquets (18 stems each), 1 bride's bouquet (25 stems) and a head table arrangement (59 stems), plus shipping -- something that would normally cost $2,000 to $3,000 from a florist, according to the Fields. They do recommend ordering a sample bouquet so that you get an idea what the flowers will look like before placing your full order.
MSN eShop's wedding buyers guide also suggests having bridesmaids carry only one flower and giving your florist a budget to work with upfront, then choosing the arrangements that fit your price range.
Reception
The reception alone can account for up to 50% of your wedding costs, according to USA Bride. To save here, think Friday or Sunday, not Saturday night, and think pasta or chicken, not beef.
Also, BookLiveMusic.com is a great way to find a band or singer. You can search by the type of music, number of musicians and price range. It also includes streaming audio files, so you can assess whether or not the musicians really fit the mood you want to create. Unfortunately, it doesn't have listings for DJs, who typically cost less than live bands. You can search for those using online localized listings, either at wedding sites or with a broad Internet search.
Photography
Besides professional photography or videography, putting disposable cameras on each table at the reception has become a common, cost-effective way to get candid shots. You can order these from a wedding site for about $5 to $9 per camera, but better deals can usually be had by buying non-wedding specific models in bulk. I found some for $3.99 (27 exposure with flash) at general camera sites like Ritz Camera and B&H.
Another good stop to make online before purchasing all the party supplies is Wedding World's online coupon section. It provides discounts at local retailers on a variety of goods and services. I spotted a free tux rental and a free tossing bouquet among other deals when I searched for coupons in Washington state.
Finally, "tying the knot" really shouldn't refer to your stomach. Whatever your finances, remember that "biggest day in your life" doesn't have to mean "biggest budget buster."
| Average wedding costs from Bride's Magazine | | Wedding item | cost | | Stationery (invitations, announcement, thank-you notes) | $374 | | Bouquets and other flowers | 1,253 | | Photography, videography | 775 | | Wedding favors | 240 | | Music | 745 | | Clergy, church, chapel, synagogue fee | 248 | | Limousine rental | 427 | | Attendants' gifts | 299 | | Wedding rings | 1,060 | | Engagement ring | 2,982 | | Rehearsal dinner | 762 | | Bride's wedding dress | 790 | | Bride's headpiece/veil | 150 | | Bridal attendants' apparel (average of 5) | 720 | | Mother of the bride's apparel | 198 | | Groom's formalwear (rented) | 100 | | Formalwear rentals for ushers (average of 5), best man | 400 | | Reception (average of 186 guests) | 7,246 | | Total | 18,874 |
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