How to Have a Fantastic Wedding for a Fantastic Price

Planning your wedding day is an exciting experience. However, it seems as though the deeper you get into planning, the higher the stress level rises. You've been dreaming about your upcoming day since you were a little girl. Don't let dollar signs ruin the fun in anticipating your betrothal. Any bride on a budget has to weigh their options and decide where money needs to be splurged and where it needs to be saved. Here are some suggestions that are sure to save you a few dollars here and a lot of dollars there.

1. Be honest with you. Ok, you've been to seven weddings in the last year. If you were to be completely honest with yourself, could you remember exactly what the centerpieces looked like? Do you remember the two ice sculptures that were by the cake? Do you even remember the cake? When you're planning your reception, you may feel like you need to have all of the extravagancies that you can possibly incorporate. But the $100 for each of those sculptures plus the $500 for the chocolate fountain that you didn't even get to taste plus the extra $800 you spent on floral arrangements to decorate the bar--is that $1,500 really necessary? Will it really make or break your reception? Every time you find yourself saying that you have to have something, ask yourself what would go through your mind if you saw that particular something at someone else's reception. If your thoughts stop at, "Oh, that's nice," then you probably don't need it. Then you can add $1,500 to something else that you really do care about.

2. Prioritize. There's this local band that played the night you and your fiancé got together or got engaged. It's an absolute must that they play your reception. Great! Go for it! But just remember, where you take from your budget, something must give. So, go over all of the major purchases that you have to make and figure out what is most important. If you're really concerned about having a special band, but your cake isn't as big of a deal, splurge on the band and save on the cake.