How to plan your perfect wedding without breaking the bank

It might seem like an impossible dream, having a perfect and beautiful wedding day without going into debt or rendering yourself bankrupt. That said, there is hope and it is definitely possible. Weddings weren't always as they are today, and no matter what you're told, you can choose what to include in yours and what to disregard. It's your day. Here are some tips that will help you keep the costs down.

1. Guest List
   This might seem obvious, but the first thing to do is to create and review your guest list. Remember, that the less people you have, the more time you can spend with them on that day. A bonus is that you might even be able to afford the nicer food and beverage packages. Rather than inviting who you know, think about those who you couldn't bear to be without.
   
   
2. Venue
   Your choice of venue can change depending on how many people you have. If you do have a smaller guest list, you might be able to choose a smaller, family-run venue. A benefit of this is that you might be able to have the entire venue to yourselves and potentially a package that's better value for money. Whilst we all love beautiful fancy hotels, if you do choose to go for one of those, be sure to check whether it has plans on being used as a quarantine hotel. 
    
3. Flowers
   Like everyone, we love beautiful flowers so much. Some florists reuse the styling flowers from the ceremony as decorations for the centre-pieces. We recommend choosing an experienced, highly rated florist who also doubles as a stylist and who is willing to reuse the flowers, as this can help keep costs down.
   
   
4. Invitations
   There are many more affordable, beautiful alternatives for invitations. You can choose to go down the ultramodern route and opt for digital invitations, such as at Paperless Post. Options like this are great as it not only saves paper, but you can actually track who has opened and rad your invitation. Alternatively, you can design your own invitations online and have them printed on lovely paper. That can also save a lot of money.
   
   
5. Wedding Dress
   We want everyone to have a beautiful bridal moment in their chosen wedding gown. We'd be wrong not to tell you that many bridal stores offer beautiful dresses off the rack, which in some cases may mean that you are buying a sample that has been previously tried on. The cost saving in buying an off the rack sample can be more than 50% in some cases. Also, keep an eye out for end of season sales. If you have a specific dress in mind, don't forget to look at secondhand sites.
6. Rings
   Widen the search for your engagement and wedding ring to include gemstones other than diamonds. Moissanite is a fantastic alternative to diamonds as it is not only more affordable, it also has more fire, brilliance and lustre than a diamond. At Everspark, our engagement rings and wedding ring sets are made with only the highest quality precious metals and gemstones.
   
   
7. Track your costs
   While it's great to talk about keeping costs down, it really is all just talk if it isn't measured. Whether you prefer a spreadsheet, document or some other means - track your spending and proposed spending. If you have a budget, a breakdown of the many quotes you get can help you stick to it. 
   
   
8. Get multiple quotes
   Sometimes, you might find that there's a huge difference in pricing across multiple vendors for the same service. Read the quotes diligently and ask questions about what's included in your package. It could be that one vendor is a full service vendor offering the bells and whistles, and you are only looking for a basic service. Or it could be the other way around - you won't know unless you get multiple quotes.
   
   
9. Think about which elements you really want to incorporate. Ignore all others
   It's so easy to get swept away in wedding planning and get talked into doing things that you didn't originally want. Don't do anything that you don't want. Don't succumb to any pressure - always remember that it's your day. It won't matter in twenty years whether you had the additional fancy decor or not. What matters is you and who you're marrying.

We hope you found our article on planning the perfect wedding without breaking the bank useful. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Image courtesy of Engin Akyurt.