Ever since I watched those Disney fairy-tale movies as a kid, my dream was to feel like a princess on my wedding day. And as a young girl, I thought that everything was possible. But after getting engaged and realizing the cost of having a wedding, I knew I had to forego some details and just be practical. So after thinking it through and striking a balance, I still managed to have my dream wedding while not busting my budget! For all engaged couples who want to know my secrets, here are some things I did that allowed me to cut corners and still have the perfect wedding!
Be firm with your vendor.
I was a June bride, which was definitely a busy time for many wedding vendors. This means the more bookings they have, the more likely they make a mistake. My wedding was supposed to be on a Friday evening, and I had already signed the venue with the vendor. The next day they called up me to let me know that they accidentally double-booked me. Instead of just accepting it, I was firm with them and politely told them that I would probably look for another venue. With luck, they offered me their Saturday schedule at the same price as a Friday! That saved me $50 per guest, which means I already saved more than $11,000 right on the bat!
So when your vendor makes a mistake, be polite AND firm and remember that you get the upper hand in negotiation. Show that you are dissatisfied and hope that they give you a better offer. Nothing to lose on your part and you get a small window of opportunity to get something better.
Get references from your venue.
If your venue could refer you to their preferred wedding vendors, you might be able to score a good discount. When I was looking for a great deal for hair and make up for me and my bridesmaids, I paid the preferred vendor $200 less than the market price. Of course, do your own research as well before making your choice so you know if you’re getting a good bargain or not.
If you could get it for free, don’t buy.
You might have had friends and relatives who recently got married. It wouldn’t hurt to ask around if they would be able to lend you some of the items they used at their wedding. The veil that I wore on my wedding was my best friend’s and would have cost me $50. But since it was borrowed, it was free. My mother-in-law knew an ordained minister who officiates weddings for free. He only asks to donate to any St. Jude organization to honor his deceased daughter.
Negotiate and think it through before saying yes.
My fiancé and I prefer to have live music instead of a less expensive DJ at our wedding reception. So when we negotiated with our favorite band, I didn’t agree with the steep price right away. After a few days I called back again to ask for a better price that we could afford. The band leader did agree and gave us less than half of the regular price as long as we pay in cash. Now that made me finally say yes!
Looking back at our wedding last year, it’s not only the event that made me smile but also the savings we had! A great chunk of money that we can easily put toward something less romantic but a hundred times more important—our own house.
Andrea Barnes is a contributing blogger for Presidents’ Quarters Inn, a romantic wedding venue in Savannah, GA.
via:http://www.cheapstuff.com/blog/2014/02/10/how-i-had-my-dream-wedding-in-a-budget/
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