Beautiful Weddings on a Budget

Every couple dreams of having the perfect wedding, but the day of the bride's parents footing the bill is slipping away. Four out of five couples now pay for their own wedding. The cost of the average wedding is $19,000, money that could be better spent on a down payment for a house, furnishings, or an extended honeymoon. The most lavish wedding doesn't guarantee a successful marriage. You'll have enough time for being broke later when you have children!

This is the special day for the bride and groom, and for those nearest and dearest to you to celebrate your union, not an occasion to entertain those people you only get a Christmas card from or whom you feel obligated to invite. Keeping the guest list small creates a more meaningful and intimate wedding day, and gives the bride and groom time to mingle with all the guests. Invite only those close to you, whom you can't imagine getting married without them being there.

Planning your own wedding will ensure that things are exactly the way you want them, without the expense of hiring a wedding planner for a "unique" wedding (which usually isn't). Free online wedding planners are available to guide you through the necessary steps.

To save big money over professionally arranged flowers, do the arrangements and bouquets yourself or ask a friend who is skilled in the craft. Flower arranging supplies are available at most craft stores. Silk flowers can be as beautiful and realistic as fresh flowers, and the floral arrangements can be done weeks ahead of the wedding and stored in a dust-free environment until the wedding day. After the wedding service, ask the groomsmen to move the arrangements to the reception area, and your flowers can do double duty.