Where Can I Buy A Wedding Planning Book

Many couples today prefer to plan their own wedding rather than paying the high price of hiring a wedding planner.

If you are planning your own wedding you will need to have a few resources at your disposal, in order to be successful. At the top of your list, should be how to stay organised, what and when to prioritise and where to get a wedding planning book, that will show you how to do everything you need to pull off the perfect wedding.

Staying organised means that you need to know exactly what you have to do to plan your wedding, to start you need to make up lists such as:

1. A list of everything that you want in your wedding
2. A list of everything that needs to be done
3. Figure out who you can delegate tasks to and make up lists of those tasks and give it to those people
4. A list of wedding vendors you need to contact, such as for the reception, caterers, flowers, wedding outfits, photographer etc

You will also want to keep all of your notes, meetings and appointments, all your wedding vendors, and various supply merchants all in one book that you can refer to when needed. This falls to the wedding planning book, where you can organize everything for easy access.

This is where the Amazing Wedding Planning book is a great resource for any bride. Not only does it take you step by step through the entire wedding planning process but it also shows you how to save a ton of money off your wedding.

The author Erica, planned her own wedding and saved a whopping $10,000. She did this by researching everything she could find out about the wedding industry and found a lot of insider secrets which she then used to get huge discounts on every facet of her wedding. In her book, she reveals these secrets to you and shows you exactly how you too can use them too to save money on your wedding.

As you work through the various items on your To Do list like wedding cake, flowers, photographer, videographer and the like, you will want to keep track of all your expenses. This is where the Amazing Wedding Planning is superior to a lot of other wedding planning books as it comes with some great FREE software that you can use to automate some of the wedding planning tasks. Things like tracking all your expenses so you know exactly how your budget is going. It helps with making a seating plan for the reception, which can be modified or changed easily to suit your needs. The book also shows you how to make your own personalised wedding stationery.

This book comes with a whole lots of useful resources, just click on Amazing Wedding Planning Book to check out the full list of benefits that you will receive from this wedding planning guide…

Good luck with your wedding planning.

Regards,

The Wedding Fairy

Choosing A Theme For Your Wedding

Image by Passion for Flowers via FlickrChoosing a theme for your wedding is a great starting point for when you decide on what type of wedding you want to create. It could be as simple as picking out a colour scheme or something more elaborate, the choices are only limited by your imagination.

Some suggestions for wedding themes:

Location: somewhere you both enjoy time together, like the mountains, the beach or a favourite holiday spot.

Season: you might like a theme based on the seasons of the year. Summer and spring is the most popular seasons (remember they are also the most expensive times to hold a wedding).

Holidays: you also might like to plan your theme around a special holiday season - the most popular choice is of course Valentine's Day.

Special Era: you might like a theme based on a particular style, such as Vintage, Fairytale, Medieval, Victorian, Western, Classic etc

Ethnic Themes: popular themes in this category include, Irish Celtic theme, Scottish plaids, Asian theme, Indian themes etc

Fun themes:  other more unique themes that are becoming popular include butterfly theme, beach theme, tropical island, fancy dress theme etc

Other themes:
Flowers
A theme based on a particular flower (something in season) such as roses, gerberas, hydrangeas, carnations, orchids etc. The colours in the flower can then be taken through to the other elements in your wedding.

Colours
A theme based on a particular colour scheme - the choices are endless. You might go for one main colour on a neutral background such as black on cream, or you could choose two or three colours such as pink and green on white. Of course, you might like to be a bit more outrageous and go with a mixed colour scheme which would look great if you used your flowers to carry the theme through your wedding to avoid it looking tacky.

Whatever theme you choose, just remember to make it personal to you and your partner, don't just recreate something that's been done countless times before. Create something unique that represents who you are as a couple and you will have your guests remembering your wedding for many years to come.

There are loads of places to search to find something that will inspire you to choose the theme that will help you to create the wedding you desire. Look through house and garden magazines, travel magazines, fashion magazines, online photos of other weddings and wedding designs, wedding invitations and wedding paper designs etc to get ideas.

Once you choose a theme, it should be easy to come up with ideas on how to weave your theme throughout your wedding elements. Things like wedding invitations, flowers, table settings, place cards, centrepieces, wedding favours, programs, wedding cake, wedding outfits etc should all reflect your theme in some way.

Just imagine you are dressing a stage in a play, each element you add should be relevant to the scene you are trying to create. Keeping to a consistent colour scheme and style  will blend all your elements together to create the perfect stage for your wedding. At the end of the day, no matter what theme you choose, just remember to enjoy planning your wedding!

Below is a list of videos with some suggestions for wedding themes, that you might like to check out!

Fall Wedding Theme




Summer Wedding Theme




Spring Wedding Theme




Winter Wedding Theme



Good luck with your wedding planning.

Regards

The Wedding Fairy

Wedding Flowers - Would That Be Silk or Real?

Flowers are the perfect accessory for many aspects of the wedding.

Choosing the right flowers for your wedding can be a challenging task particularly if you don't know much about flowers, the varieties or their growing season.

Fresh wedding flowers can be very expensive depending on what type of flowers you choose and in what season.


A popular alternative is to use silk flowers instead. They may not be fresh but the biggest advantage is that you can buy the flowers at anytime as you don't have the hassle of trying to keep them from wilting. Many silk flowers today look so real that most people wouldn't notice the difference. You can also get them in the exact colour and shade you desire.

List of Wedding Flowers You May Need

• Bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids
• Bride's throw away bouquet
• Hair flowers for the bride and bridesmaids
• Boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen
• Corsages for the mother of the bride and groom's mother
• Flowers for the flowergirl
• Flowers for the ceremony
• Flowers for the reception
• Flowers for the table centerpieces
• Flowers for the cake table

Popular Wedding Flowers In Season

Flowers                                                                        Available
Arum lilies                                                              Winter/Spring
Baby's Breath                                                          All year
Calia lilies                                                               All year
Carnations                                                              All year
Daffodils                                                                Winter/Early Spring
Daisy Chrysanthemum                                           All year
Frangipani                                                              Summer
Freesias                                                                  Winter/Spring
Gardenias                                                               Spring/Some all year
Gerberas                                                                All year
Hyacinths                                                              Winter/Early Spring
Gladiolus                                                               All year
Hydrangea                                                             Summer
Iris                                                                         Autumn/Winter/Spring
Orchid - Cymbidium                                            Autumn/Winter/Early Spring
Orchids                                                                 All year
Oriental lilies                                                       All year
Peonies                                                                Mid Spring/Early Summer
Roses                                                                   All year
Tulips                                                                  Autumn/Winter/Spring

Some Budget-Conscious Tips

Buy fresh flowers in season.

Bouquets
Choose simpler or small bouquets that don't need so much work.

The more structured and formal the bouquet, the more expensive it will be. Why not go for a bunch of your favourite flowers tied with a ribbon or piece of tuille.

Instead of a bouquet why not go for a long-stemmed flower, this would add an elegant touch as well as cut down on the cost.

Do away with bouquets for the bridesmaids and instead have them carry a simple bunch of flowers or why not an umbrella or fan.

Ceremony Flowers
The ceremony only lasts a short amount of time so why not choose a couple of flower arrangements that can then be taken and used at the reception.

If you're having a church service, then find out if they will supply the flowers or use the person who does their flowers.

If you intend decorating the aisles with bows or flowers, try making them yourself.

As an alternative you could pick up some potted flowers very cheaply and arrange them in the church.
You could choose a park or garden as your ceremony venue and that way you wouldn't have to buy the flowers.

Reception Flowers
Ask the reception venue if they can provide the flowers are part of the package.

Use the bride's bouquet as the table decoration for the wedding table or the cake table.

What about thinking outside the box and go for a fruit or vegetable display instead of flowers.

Another idea would be to use candles or sculptures as centerpieces for the tables.

Wedding Stationery - DIY And Save $$$

Image via WikipediaYour wedding invitation is the official announcement that says your getting married so you want it to be something that sets the tone for your wedding and all the other pieces of stationery as well.

Wedding stationery is one area where you can spend a lot of money if you choose to have your invitations printed by a professional stationer.

On the other hand you can save loads of money if you are willing to make your own cards. You don't have to be creative or artistic to get truly professional-looking results. It also gives you the opportunity to add your own personal touch
and stand out from the crowd.


If you're short on imagination then there are loads of websites that
have some great designs and detailed instructions for making DIY wedding stationery.

If you're not up to the challenge of DIY then the internet is a great place to choose wedding stationery at a discount. There's no middleman so you can often get some great deals. You can also get samples sent to you and you can place an order online when you're ready.

When adding up how many invitations you'll need, always order a few extra just in case you may need them. At least get extra envelopes to cover for any mistakes made when writing out the addresses.

List of Wedding Stationery

• Save the Date Cards
• Wedding Invitations
• RSVP Cards
• Thank You Cards
• Order of Service Booklets
• Gift Registery Cards
• Place Cards
• Cake Bags or Boxes
• Menus
• Wine Labels

The other way to save money if you're not making the stationery yourself is to delete items that you don't really need, such as Save the Date cards, RSVP cards Gift Registery cards, Menus and Wine Labels.

When To Buy Your Stationery
You should decide on your stationery about 4-6 months before the wedding and make sure they're ready to be mailed out about 2 months before the wedding. Depending on whether you are inviting overseas guests, invitations are usually mailed out at least 2 months before the wedding. This gives people plenty of time to free up their schedule and for interstate guests to make travel and accommodation plans and get time off work if they need to.

Tips To Save Money On Your Stationery
If you know someone who is good at graphic design then ask them to help you with designing and printing the stationery.

Make sure your invitations are regulation size otherwise you may have to pay for extra postage. Buy standard designed wedding stationery from the internet.

Buy standard blank invitations from a craft store and then dress them up to your own taste. Print out the wording on the computer and then print them out on some good quality paper and cut to size to fit inside the card.

If you're having your stationery printed, double check all the details and the spelling. You don't want to have to pay for them to be done again if there are mistakes.

Go online and find a free wedding template and print out your own invitations.

Here are some more great ideas you can use to create your own invitations.....

Something For The Groom To Wear

Image via WikipediaUsually dressing the groom is a much easier task than for the bride as there are fewer options to
choose from.

The formality of the wedding and the time of day the wedding is being held, are two factors that can determine what type of outfit the groom should wear. These days the dress code for weddings is much more relaxed and so as long as the groom chooses an outfit that is acceptable and compliments the bride's outfit then the options are wide open.

If you are planning on a formal wedding and want something very formal then hiring the groom's might be the cheapest and easiest option. If you do decide on hiring a suit, it's best to start looking a few months before the wedding and as soon as the wedding colors are set.

Otherwise, if you just want something like a formal dinner suit or day to day suit that you think might be worn for other occasions then look at buying an off-the-rack suit from a men's store.

Another option is to check around for places that offer taylor-made suits at very low rates and often ready to be picked up in less that a week or so.

Tip: if you are buying new shoes to wear at the wedding, it's a good idea to wear them when getting a suit, so that the pant leg length can be measured accurately to the style of the shoes.

Tips To Save Money On A Suit
If you're hiring a suit, make sure the groomsmen and father of the bride get their suits at the same place to be sure everyone is matching. Ask the hire store if they give discounts for hiring more than one suit.

Sometimes they will include accessories like belts, or bow ties etc for free.

If you are buying a suit, wait until the sales and then get the suit, shoes, shirt etc at the same time.

If you're having the bridesmaids dresses made by a dressmaker then you could save money by getting her to also make bow ties and cummerbunds from the same material.

Here is a short video for the groom, showing how to tie a cravat...

A Picture Worth The Memories - Photography

Image via WikipediaIn this age of digital photography,  you have a lot of different options when it comes to photographing your wedding memories.

Once upon a time, you had to wait days or even weeks before your photos were developed and you could see how they turned out.

With digital photos you can have them almost instantaneously. You don't even have to wait for them to be printed you can choose to have them put on a CD and then only print out what you want when you want.

Photos are the most tangible memories we have of our wedding day. So it's important that you decide how important the wedding photos are to you. If you decide to use a professional photographer then expect that it will use up a fair amount of your wedding budget.

Tip: When choosing a photographer always shop around, ask to see examples of their work and if possible references from past customers. Sometimes you can find the information on their websites if they have one. Also make sure that the photographer is someone you can trust and get along with as you need to be able to work with them on the day.

Wedding Photo Packages
There are usually a few different packages available. The more expensive packages usually offer extra services and time spent taking photos and can include things like more photos taken, more editing options, extra albums and an assistant to the photographer.

Some Questions To Ask The Photographer

• What's included in the package and what isn't?
• Can we see examples from previous weddings and can you offer references from past customers?
• How much will extra photos, prints, CDs, albums cost?
• Do you charge for extra editing such as panorama short, sepia, black and white?
• Can we choose to have the images on a disc?
• Do we get to keep the proofs?
• Will you have an assistant on the day?
• Do you have payment options?
• Are there any extra costs we haven't discussed?
• What happens if it rains on the day or you can't get to the wedding?
• What type of shots do you need to take on the day and how intrusive do you get during
• the wedding?
• Will you give us a quote?
• Can we give you a list of photos that we would like taken?
• Do you have a list of photos that you usually take?

Money Saving Tips
A wedding package is usually cheaper than buying each single unit separately.

Hire a photographer for just the ceremony and after photos will cut down the price. You can then
have disposable cameras on the tables at the reception and get your guests to take the reception
photos.

Look at hiring a student photographer to take your photos.

Contact photography clubs in your local area, they may have members who are interested in doing
wedding photography for a small price.

Make sure you do your homework carefully and shop around to get the best photographer who also
offers the best packages at the best price.

Here is a short video with 5 great photo-taking tips to make your pictures worth a life-time of memories....

To Have And To Hold - Wedding Ceremony Basics

Image via WikipediaThe wedding ceremony is the main event of every wedding.

These days the majority of wedding ceremonies happen outside a church venue allowing couples to plan a ceremony that's more versatile and in a setting that's more personal and intimate.

For our wedding we held the ceremony in the beautiful gardens of the place where we had the reception. They even supplied all the flowers and decorations for the ceremony. We then hired a local musician I found in the yellow pages, to play our wedding music.

Planning The Ceremony
You need to book your ceremony at the same time you book the reception to make sure that both are available on the same day and at a time that will work in with the time set for the reception.
The things you will need depend on the type of ceremony you want to have and where you want to hold it. A church wedding usally includes most things you'll need in the package such as the minister, the flowers, the music etc. The same usually applies if you hold the ceremony at the same venue as the reception.

If you plan a wedding setting in another location such as a park or on the beach then you will need to supply all the elements, such as chairs, table, flowers, decorations and a marriage celebrant.

Questions You May Want To Ask About The Ceremony

• Book a time for a rehearsal
• Order of Service guide for the ceremony
• List of possible readings for the service
• Options for personalising your wedding vows
• Hiring your own musicians, flowers or decorations?
• Can guests throw confetti, rice or flower petals?
• What paperwork do you need to fill out to apply for a marriage certificate
• What certificates, licences, and other documents do you need to supply in order to meet the
• local legal requirements for entering into a marriage.

Money Saving Tips

1. Combining the ceremony with the reception will often work out cheaper because you won't have to cover costs associated with having a service in a church or separate venue.
2. Hire or make your own elements such as bows for chairs, floral arrangements, wedding arches and any other elements you want for your wedding ceremony.
3. Put together your own wedding music onto a CD and then organise someone to take charge of the music during the service.
4. Holding your service in a park or on the beach could be very cheap. Just contact your local council to see if you need to apply for special permits.
5. Hire a student musician to play live music during the service.

Here is a short video on a simple and money-saving tip for making pew decorations for the ceremony that you can then use for centerpieces for the reception later.





Here is a great site that reviews some of the best wedding planning book available for you to check out, just Click Here!

Good luck with your wedding planning,

Regards,


The Wedding Fairy

Wedding Planning On A Small Budget

Image via Wikipedia

Wedding Planning On A Small Budget


Wedding planning on a small budget (eg: $5000 wedding budget) but not sure how such a small budget can get you the wedding of your dreams?

A diy wedding planner guide is a good place to start. It will take you through all the steps for planning a wedding.

A planning guide will show you how to organize and plan for your wedding like a professional.

The amazing wedding guide is a comprehensive set of tools that also comes with free wedding planning software.

Also included is a section on how to make your own wedding invitations  and some tips and secrets of planning a wedding, where you can save thousands of dollars off your wedding budget.

Try the Amazing Wedding Planning guide for yourself and see how you too can have an incredible wedding no matter how big or small your budget.

Click on the book below to see all the incredible tools and resources that come with the book....

 

7 Time Saving Tips To Plan Your Own Wedding

Image via Wikipedia When wedding planning on a small budget, you need to keep your wedding plans organised and on schedule. One of the biggest concerns is running out of funds before the wedding day.

Of course the other concern many  people struggle with is putting enough time into planning a wedding so that everything gets done and on time.

I thought it would be helpful to list some time saving tips that should help to speed up the process and create a pleasant wedding planning experience in the process.

As a bonus, these handy tips may also help you to save some money as well.

1. Skip Wedding Announcements
Skip things like engagement announcements and wedding announcement, save-the-date cards and RSVP cards. They may add an extra charm to your wedding but take time to design and aren't really necessary in today's weddings.

There are more economical and convenient ways that you can advertise your wedding announcements, such as by phone, social bookmarking sites like facebook and twitter and email.

2. Book Your Wedding Reception Venue Early
As soon as you set a date for your wedding, start collecting information on a variety of wedding reception venues. To save time and money, consider having your ceremony and reception at the one location. Also look for hotel or convention venues that offer special wedding packages that include the reception room, all the catering and discounted rates on accommodation for you and your guests.

3. Combine Wedding Venues
Hold your wedding ceremony at the same location as the reception. Places like hotels and golf clubs that have a lovely garden for the ceremony and indoor reception facilities. Not only will this cut down on having to organise a separate venue for the ceremony but it will also cut down on travel time for you and your guests.

4. Shop Online
Consider shopping online for your wedding elements. You will find that many sites offer the same products you find in the store and often at hugely discounted prices. A couple of good places to start your search is Amazon and EBay. They sell everything you could want for your wedding. Things like wedding rings, wedding dresses and accessories, wedding jewellery, veils, headwear and shoes.

5. Setting Your Budget
Setting a budget is one of the most important aspects of planning a wedding. It can be a time consuming task so a good way to speed up the process is to find a software program that will help you.

Most computers come with a spreadsheet program that once you enter all the data, it will automatically calculate the total expenses. automate the process for you. Some wedding planning guides come with free software that automates the process for you. Once it’s set up, you can then use it to keep track of all your spending.

6. Setting Up A Checklist.
A checklist is a great tool that will keep all your wedding plans organised. It will save you a lot of time and reduce the risk of you forgetting to organise some vital element of your wedding.

If you want your wedding to be successful, you need to keep an up-to-date schedule of when things have to be done such as making bookings, setting up appointments with suppliers, sending invitations, paying bills etc.

There are a few options to setting up a checklist, the simplest way is to go online and download a free checklist sheet and write it out manually. You can also use a program on your computer, such as a diary or a tasks file and then once set up, you just insert items as they are done. You can then print the schedule out and give to others involved with the wedding planning.

You also might want to check out some wedding planning guides that include a checklist as a free bonus.

7. Printing Your Own Wedding Invitations.
Professionally printed wedding invitations can be very expensive and you may need to book weeks in advance.

To save time and money why not consider creating your own invitations using your home computer. There are loads of online sites that offer free wedding template that are easy to use and you can print out you very own stylish invitations on your home printer.

If you don’t have a great home printer, some places offer to print out your designs and mail them to you for a small price.

Good luck with your wedding planning.

Regards,

The Wedding Fairy

Visit weddingfairyplanner.com

Top 10 Tips For Saving Money

Image by rivieramaya26 via Flickr
1. Planning Is The KEY!
The more you organize the more you can save on your wedding. The more informed you are on exactly what you want for your wedding, the more you can save.

It's important that you set up a clear and concise wedding plan before you begin booking suppliers or shopping for any wedding supplies. It will save you a lot of money down the track, because you'll be more focused on what you need and not get overwhelmed by the huge amount of wedding products out there in the market.

2. Keeping The Guest List Short
Keep the guest list down to just those people you are closest to will save you a ton of money. The budget will help you set the size of your guest list. Keep in mind that the size of your budget does still give you a lot of choice. You can organize an average wedding for a large number of guests or a fabulously stunning wedding with a small number of guests.You need to set your priorities from the start about what's more important - having a lot of guests OR having a more intimate, lavish-style wedding.
   
3. Planning An Informal Wedding
The more formal your wedding the more expensive it could cost. Casual weddings tend to cost a lot less in comparison. Decide on how formal you want your wedding to be and then set out your budget accordingly.

4. Be Creative And Unique
Today, many couples are choosing not to follow the old wedding traditions. The more creative you are with planning your wedding, the more opportunity you have for saving money. Use a little imagination and create a wedding that's unique. Choose elements that have some special meaning for you and your partner. It will not only give you and your guests a truly unique occasion to remember,buy can save you a lot of money.

5. Choose A Reception Venue Wisely
The wedding reception usually is the single biggest cost of any wedding. Take you time in searching for the best options for the type of reception you would like. Keep an open mind when it comes to the type of locations that are suitable according to the size of your budget.

Make sure you carefully look at all reception packages and work out which ones offer the best value for your money. Make sure you find out up front, if there are any hidden costs that may affect your budget. Things like handling charges for the wedding cake; penalty costs if the reception goes overtime; damages charges if things are broken etc.

6. Don't Sweat The Small Details
It's very important that you keep a record of every dollar you spend on your wedding. When you're in the thick of planning, it's easy to lose track of your spending if you fail to keep track. This is where a lot of wedding budgets come unstuck, if you fail to keep in control.

7. Ask Questions
If you have a small budget, it's very important that you get the best value for your money. Don't be afraid to negotiate a discount on all areas of your wedding, whether it be the reception venue, the bridal shop, the cake, the flowers etc.

Don't be afraid to accept the help of family or friends. People love getting involved in planning a wedding and are only too glad to help out. You could save a lot of money if you know someone who is willing to give their services, for things such as take the photos or video, make the wedding cake, sew the wedding outfits, do the flowers etc.

8. Prioritise
Every wedding is unique regardless of the cost or the size of the guest list. You could be able to organise a wedding with everything you ever dreamed of and still stay in your budget. It all depends on how you set your priorities.

You need to decide on what aspects of your wedding are the most important and exclude those things that aren't. For example, you might decide that the ceremony is the most important aspect of your wedding. You could then put more time and money on creating a truly beautiful ceremony and then cut back on the reception budget by having something casual.

9. Make It Yourself
There are lots of ways to save money on your wedding elements. Check out places like discount stores and craft stores for some great ideas on things like wedding favors, decorations, invitations, bridal headpieces and veils, wedding jewellery etc. Why not plan a day and have a craft-style party where you invite your bridesmaids and other female friends and family over and spend the time creating elements for your wedding. Sometimes you can find companies who do demonstrations or hold parties in your home for things like weddings, scrapbooking, jewellery parties etc. This is a great way to get items cheaply, create something unique and have some fun at the same time.

10. Shop Online
There are literally hundreds of places online where you can save lots of money. Sites like EBay, Amazon etc have a ton of products for sale at a big discount and often include free shipping. At the end of the day, it's your wedding and you should choose the type of wedding that is most important to you and your partner.

Good luck with your wedding planning.




Regards,

The Wedding Fairy

Visit  weddingfairyplanner.com

Budget Saving Ideas - The Big Four

When planning your wedding, a major factor that can have a huge impact on your budget comes down to four different numbers:

1. The number of guests
2. The number in your bridal party
3. The number of wedding elements for your reception
4. The number of hours your wedding reception lasts
Here is a look at how these four things can affect your budget.

Traditionally, the parents of the bride paid for most of the wedding costs and the number of guests was decided by them also. The majority of the guests invited tended to be mostly family or extended family and just a few friends.

In today's weddings, with more couples paying for most of their own wedding arrangements, it's usually the bride and groom who have the most say when choosing the guest list. As a result, guest lists see more friends being invited and the number of family guests tend to depend on how close of a relationship they have with the couple getting married.

What it boils down to is that the more guests you invite to your wedding the more it will cost. Depending on the type of wedding you're planning, the number of guests will influence things such as the number of:

• Stationery - number of invitations, order of ceremony, placecards, thank you cards, postage
• Wedding Ceremony - number of seats
• Bridal Party - number of bridesmaids outfits, number of grooms outfits, jewellery, transportation, gifts for bridesmaids, bridesmaid's bouquets.
• Wedding Reception - number of tables & chairs, meals, drinks, wedding favors, wedding cake, table centerpieces, decorations, wait staff, linen, crockery, cutlery, glassware, cleaning services.
• Size of Venue - the more guests the bigger the reception venue
• Time - depending on what type of reception you're planning, but you may need to pay for hire costs of venue, or overtime costs if your reception goes overtime.

The size of your guest list is the one single factor that impacts the total cost of your wedding. Keeping your guest list down to a reasonable size for your budget can be a big challenge particularly if you have a big family or group of friends or if you want to have a big wedding.

You may need to dust off those negotiation skills to keep your guest list under control. This can become complicated if one or both sets of parents are contributing in some way to the wedding costs. Sometimes parents feel that they are entitled to have a say in who gets invited.

Here are a few suggestions on how to manage your guest list:

* Sit down with your partner first and work out how many family members and how manyfriends you want to allow from both sides. Then you can show your list to your parents and ask them who they want included. If they want to invite extra guests, then they will have to pay for them.

* Only invite family and friends who have some special connection to you or you have an ongoing relationship with.

* Only invite work colleagues you socialize with or have some special regard for.

* You could invite work colleagues and distant family and friends to the wedding ceremony but not to the reception. You could always have a casual wedding party or coming home party after you get back from your honeymoon where you invite those that weren't invited to the reception. Make sure the wedding invitation states this clearly so as to avoid confusion on the day.

* Prioritize your guest list - put those guests you most want at the top. Then once you've made a list work out how much per head each guest will cost and then deduct those guests that go over your budget.

It may sound mean but it will help you to decide who you really want and can afford according to your budget. Don't be tempted to go over budget if you think you might hurt someone's feelings. You will need to keep any extra funds in reserve, as there are bound to be some price increases as time goes by.

* Having a wedding in a special place or out of town - this may help to cut the guest list down if you have a particularly large group of people you could invite but can't afford.

If you are planning your own wedding then a good wedding planning book is a cheap and easy alternative to a professional wedding planner, check out the reviews on some of the best wedding planning books available on the market, by Clicking Here!

Good  luck with your wedding planning.

Regards,

The Wedding Fairy.

Choosing The Wedding Dress & Veil

Image via WikipediaWedding Gown
Every woman wants to look her very best on her wedding day, after all it's something that most of us have dreamed about since we played dress-ups as a little girl.

When looking at all the beautiful wedding gowns in the glossy wedding magazines, it easy to let yourself get caught up in all the fairytale fantasy about choosing that one perfect dress.

Unfortunately, for a lot of us that one perfect dress usually turns out not to be beyond our wildest dreams but more realistically, it's beyond our budgets.

If you really want to stick to the budget you set for your wedding dress, you need to decide on what type of dress you want before you start trying any on.

1. If you have your heart set on a dress that is a bit beyond your budget, one way you could afford it would be to sell it after your wedding. Of course, this plan won't work if you can't trust yourself not to get attached to your dress and not be able to part with it.

2. If you find a gown that you love but it's beyond your price range, take a note of the design details and then check out discount bridal stores or online to see if you can get it at a discount or even secondhand.

3. Find out when bridal stores are updating their stock. Often they sell their old floor stock at discounted prices.

4. White formal or prom gowns look the part but cost a lot less than the traditional wedding gown.

5. Consider choosing a creative theme for your wedding, such as a fantasy wedding or a medieval wedding and then you could hire period costumes for the bridal party. For a vintage theme you could check out vintage or antique stores or even buy online.

6. Discount bridal stores often sell the same or similar range of gowns as bridal boutiques but at a cheaper cost. The difference is in that a bridal boutique offers a full service where the discount stores don't usually include things like alterations in the price.

7. Avoid wedding gowns that have a lot of hand-sewn details such as lace and beads etc as these are more expensive. You could always buy a simpler gown and get someone to add more details for you. I had my gown made by a dressmaker and then I added all the beading and pearls myself to keep the costs low.

8. I know this will sound like a crazy option, but when I picked out fabric for my wedding gown I couldn't find anything I liked from the bridal fabrics available so I ended up finding a lace curtain fabric with a pretty seashell design on it. I then chose a satin dress fabric as the background. Once the dress was made you couldn't tell that it was curtain fabric.

9. Don't make the mistake of ordering a dress that is a size or two smaller in the hope you'll lose weight before the wedding. Just note that it's much easier and cheaper to have a dress taken in that let out.

10. Another cheap option is to have a friend or hire a dressmaker to make the wedding gown and bridesmaids outfits.

I'm no dressmaker but I can follow a pattern and so when my niece asked to make her dress and the bridesmaids' dresses I took on the challenge. She choose the design she liked from a pattern book and then I adjusted it a bit. I then used calico to make sample bodices first and then made the necessary adjustments so that they all fit perfectly, before I touched the wedding fabrics.

11. Other good options is to buy a secondhand dress either from a secondhand store or search through the newspaper classifieds. You could also check out online stores like Amazon as they have a great range of gowns and usually at big discounts. You could also see what's on offer at EBay but be sure to check out the photos and read through the product descriptions very carefully before you bid.

Veil
There are a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a veil, from a very long veil with a train to a very short veil such as a birdcage veil. Veils are usually made of lace or netting and can be left plain or edged and detailed.

A cheap option is to make your own veil and that way you will have something unique and special.

Your local fabric store should have a choice of patterns available for you to choose from.

If you don't want a veil then some other options available are headpieces and tiaras if you want some bling or perhaps you'd prefer to wear a headband or flowers. If you or someone you know is very handy at crafts then perhaps you could get them to design and make something unique. Bead and crystal jewellery crafts are very popular at the moment and would make for an elegant and individually designed headpiece.

Good luck with your wedding planning.

Regards,

The Wedding Fairy.

Visit  weddingfairyplanner.com

Questions To Ask Your Caterer

When planning the menu for your wedding, try to take into consideration your guests' tastes, when choosing the type of food.

The key to a good reception is not just the type of food you're serving but the quality. In most cases, the quality is more important than the choice of food.

If you book your wedding through a wedding reception venue, you will need to decide on what type of menu you want to have at your reception.

If you need to hire caterers for your reception, then you need to start looking for a good catering company as soon as you book the venue you are using for your reception, whether it be in a hall, backyard or park etc.

Try to make your bookings at least 4-6 months before the wedding and then finalize the details about 2-3 months before the wedding. It's also important that you set aside a time to sample the menu choices before you make a booking to ensure the food is good quality and exactly what you expect.

10 Questions to ask the wedding reception venue:
1. Do you have fixed menus or can we choose our own?
2. Can we sample the menus?
3. Do you cater for any special diatary needs?
4. Is there a handling charge for the wedding cake?
5. Do you have photos/references from other weddings you've done?
6. What alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included in the quote?
7. What tableware, flowers, decorations etc are included in the quote?
8. Is their a time restraint and do you charge extra if the reception goes over that time?
8. Is the price you quoted fixed or will their be extra charges?
10. Do you offer a payment schedule?

5 Questions to ask the hire caterer:
1. How long have you been in business and can you provide references?
2. What type of menu do you offer?
3. Do you provide all the cutlery, crockery and glassware?
4. How many wait staff do you have?
5. Do you do all the clearing up after the reception is over?

Good luck with your wedding planning.

Regards,




The Wedding Fairy

Visit  weddingfairyplanner.com

Tips To Save Money on Food & Drinks

Image via Wikipedia  Food

1. Compare prices between the different menu options and then work out to see which option will be the most economical according to the size of your wedding.

Don't just assume that a buffet-style menu or a cocktail reception will work out the cheapest.

2. If you are holding your reception at a wedding reception venue, see if they have an individual cost for each course, then you can choose the less expensive options.

3. Choose foods that are in season.

4. Avoid foods that are subject to price fluctuations like some seafoods such as lobster.

5. Choose only a couple of options for each course to keep costs down.

6. Check out if it's cheaper to have a buffet-style option for the first course and the desserts and then only have wait staff to serve the main course. Consider substituting your wedding cake for a dessert instead, such as a torte or chocolate cake served with a sauce or cupcakes.

Drinks

1. Don't have an open bar and avoid including spirits. Set an amount for the bar tab and then when runs out, guests can buy their own drinks. Ask the reception venue for advice on what the average cost per head works out as and then use that as a guide.

2. Ask the reception venue if you can supply your own wines. If you can buy in bulk during sales or at discount stores.

3. Make sure to serve jugs of water on the tables so guests don't get over intoxicated on free alcohol.

4. Provide a choice of non-alcoholic beverages. Fruit punch is a great choice.

5. If you are buying your own wines try finding some quality "cleanskin" wines and then have your own label made to put on them. Some wineries also provide this service for you.

6. Instead of serving a sparkling wine for the toasts, have your guests just toast you with what they're drinking.

Good luck with your wedding planning,

Regards

The Wedding Fairy

 Visit  weddingfairyplanner.com

Choosing The Reception Venue

Image via WikipediaThe reception can be the single biggest expense in your wedding. If you want to save a lot of money on your wedding, then this is the area where you can achieve that.

You need to take the time to focus on researching and planning the reception carefully to avoid unnecessary spending.

The three main elements that can have a huge impact on the cost of the reception is the number of guests, the reception venue and the menu.

Where To Hold The Reception
There are a lot of options available these days where you can hold your reception depending on the type of wedding you're planning, the number of guests and how much work you are willing to do yourself.

Some of the options you might like to consider include:

A function centre
Restaurants
Clubs
Someone's backyard
A local hall
A park or garden

Here is a guide to some of the pros and cons of each of these options:

A Function Centre
The biggest advantage is that they specialise in weddings and their packages usually include everything from the food, the drinks, the staff, the decorations and flowers, the linen, glassware and cutlery etc. The disadvantage is that they are the most expensive option. Most function centers set a minimum number of guests and a set timetable and may charge extra if they allow you to go overtime.

A Restaurant
They can cope with smaller weddings and usually have more options when it comes to the menu. They are ideal for more informal weddings. The downside is that the size of the room is often limited and so the layout of the tables may not be ideal or may be no room for dancing. Parking space may also be a problem as restaurants tend to be in more crowded areas where there is passing traffic.

A Club
Many clubs have different sized function rooms and offer low room hire fees. Clubs also tend to be less formal and more relaxed giving you a lot more choice as to how formal you want your reception to be. They also tend to have large carparks so parking shouldn't be a problem.

If you decide on holding your wedding at a club make sure you check out the quality of the food as sometimes the standards are lower than you'd expect at a function center or restaurant. The menu choices may be limited and while they provide all the crockery and cutlery and service staff, you may have to provide your own table linen and decorations.

Someone's Backyard
This option gives you free reign on what type of reception you want to have. It can also be the cheapest option, saving you a lot of money. The biggest downside is that you will have to do all the work yourself or hire in caterers and staff.

It takes a lot more planning but the end result can give you a reception that is more personal and romantic. The problem may be finding a backyard that is large enough and suitable to hold a reception. Some of the other challenges with a backyard wedding is providing adequate rest room facilities and parking for guests.

A Local Hall
Cost of hiring a hall can be very cheap and economical. They are usually big in size and have good restrooms and some have kitchen facilities. As with the backyard reception, you will need to do a lot of the organizing and work yourself or hire caterers.

Most halls lack the right kind of decor or ambiance for a wedding so you may need to do a lot of decorating to get it looking like a wedding reception.

There is usually adequate car parking but you may be limited to a set amount of time you can hire the hall, especially if it's in a residential area.

A Park Or Public Garden
You have a lot of flexibility with this option however you will need to obtain permission by the local council to hold a function on public property. You will save on decor as you will have the surrounding gardens to provide the backdrop. You will still need to provide all the catering yourself or hire caterers.

The downside is that you can't predict the weather, you will need to provide a backup plan if the weather turns bad. Not all parks have adequate toilet or parking facilities and you may have to put up with outside visitors to the park as it's a public property.

Some Unusual Options
If you would like a more unique wedding reception some other places that I’ve known people booked for their wedding reception is an art gallery, a local museum, hiring a boat and a winery. You are only limited by your imagination when it comes to places to hold your wedding reception. A lot of these options are not only unique but can be very inexpensive and so can save you a lot of money.

The most important thing you need to do is to look at all your options very carefully and then try and be flexible with your decision. You should pick a couple of options and then set out the costs for both choices to see which one will give you the best wedding at the best price. No matter what type of reception you are planning, the key to a good reception is choosing good food, having a pleasant and comfortable setting and providing good service.

Good luck with the wedding planning.

Regards,

The Wedding Fairy

Visit  weddingfairyplanner.com

Best Time To Hold A Wedding

Image via WikipediaOne of the factors that can have a major influence on the cost of your wedding is timing. Timing in relation to:

The Season
The most popular seasons for weddings is spring and summer in cooler climates or spring and autumn in warmer climates.

Winter is the least popular season in northern hemisphere countries because it clashes with the holiday seasons.

Costs can rise considerably during the most popular seasons and around the holiday weekends. So to save money it's best to plan your wedding outside these times.

The Time of The Week
Saturday is still the most popular day of the week for getting married. However, with people's busy schedules and tight budgets, there is a growing trend to host a wedding on less popular days and times.

If you want to save money on your wedding reception, some other popular choices would be:

A Friday wedding - usually held as an evening event so that guests have to take less time off work.

A Sunday wedding - save costs on the amount of time you need to hire the venue, as Sunday functions usually finishes earlier than a Saturday wedding because people have to go to work on the Monday. This may also mean that you could also save money on drink costs if people drink less alcohol.

The Time of Day
The most popular time of day for a wedding is in the mid-afternoon for the wedding ceremony then the early evening for the reception. Here are some cheaper alternatives that will give your wedding a bit of interest and a more personal yet elegant touch:

A Wedding Breakfast
You would be able to save money on the two most expensive aspects of the reception: the food and the alcohol. You could serve a buffet style breakfast and serve sparkling wine for the toasts.

A Morning Brunch
The menu could be a little more conventional than the breakfast menu but still be a little less formal than a dinner menu. You could also serve lighter beverages besides alcohol to keep the costs low.

An Afternoon Tea
Similar to the popular "high tea", you could serve finger food such as dainty sandwiches, hor d'oeurves and cakes with tea and coffee. The only alcohol you'll need is the sparkling wine for the toasts.

A Cocktail Reception
This is an evening affair and tends to last for only 2-3 hours. There are no formal seating arrangements and guests tend to wander around mingling in groups while the food is served on trays.

TIP: If food is just placed on tables and guests are left to help themselves, you risk some people hogging the food tables and not leaving enough food for other guests.

It's important that you make it clear on your wedding invitation, as to what type of reception they can expect.

The biggest advantage of this type of reception is that people can socialize more freely that at a formal reception. The key to a successful cocktail reception is to make sure that the food is good quality.

Good luck with your wedding planning.

 Regards,

The Wedding Fairy

Visit weddingfairyplanner.com

Tips To Stay On Budget

Image by sunshinecity via FlickrIt's one thing to set a budget when planning a wedding on a small budget, the real challenge is staying within your budget, once you get down to the actual planning. The secret to staying on budget is being well organized. The more work you put into organizing the less chance you have of falling off the rails.

Here are some useful steps to help you get organized:

Do Some Research
Before you even begin picking venues, suppliers etc make sure you check out all your options. Get at least 2-3 quotes or estimates on everything and then compare them to make sure you get the best value for your money.

Make up a folder and divide it into sections for each part of your wedding. Keep all the wedding related information in this folder and always keep it updated as you go.

Get It In Writing
Try to get all quotes and estimates in writing, a quote is usually seen as a fixed price legally binding agreement, where an estimate is just a guide. When making bookings, don't just take it for granted that everything is included. Make sure you get written confirmation as to what is included for the price and what is not. This way you can avoid unexpected surprises when you get the total bill and it's
higher than the original quote.

Make sure there are no hidden costs, for example the reception: things such as will you be charged if costs of services or supplies increase between the time you make a booking and the wedding day itself. Be sure you enquire about possible additional charges due to things like your reception going overtime, you underestimate the bar tab budget, or if tax is extra.

Some Questions To Ask Potential Suppliers
When you're doing your research on finding suppliers for all the elements of your wedding, these are some important questions that you should be asking:

1. Do you have a catalog/photos of previous weddings you've done?
2. What is and isn't included in the price?
3. Do you have special packages for weddings?
4. Can you give us an itemized quote on what's included in the price?
5. Do you have references or recommendations from past clients?
6. What is the cancellation policy?
7. Do you have payment terms and when do we have to pay?
8. How many weddings do you handle in a day?

The Best Time To Plan A Wedding On A Small Budget
Make sure you start planning your wedding early. Try to plan your wedding during the off peak seasons of the year around spring to summer. Also avoid the holiday weekends as well. These periods are in high demand and not only is it difficult to get bookings but prices are usually higher.

Things like reception venues, accommodation and airline flights are more expensive during the peak seasons. This could have a big effect on your overall wedding budget.

Easy Ways To Save Money Towards Your Wedding Budget
1. Open a special wedding account: a high interest account where your wedding money is kept separate from your normal bank accounts. Organize to have money from your income directly deposited into this account on a regular basis.

2. DIY: there are lots of things you can do yourself that can save lots of money and give your wedding a more personal touch. Things like planning your own wedding, wedding stationery, favors, decorations etc. If you don't feel confident to do these on your own, find someone you know who is creative and ask for their help.

3. Cut down: things like taking lunch to work instead of buying it or cutting back on the number of coffees you buy. Cook at home more and less eating out.

Keep a note of all the money you spend over a week or two and then sit down and work out where you cut back or change something. You'd be amazed at how much you could save if you were to cut back on spending by at least 10%.

Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding
1. Bridal expos: these are a great place to take advantage of discount offers and coupons or try samples of products. It's also a great place to see all the wedding suppliers and products all under the one roof and then compare prices and services.

2. EBay: a great place to save on almost every aspect of your wedding from the dress to wedding favors, stationery and jewelry to name a few. Just make sure to carefully check the product before you buy. Keep a record of the product description and photos if you do purchase to make sure the product is what it claims to be.

3. Discount stores: you can save a lot of money by shopping at these stores for things like wedding attire, cakes, flowers, decorations, favors etc.

Of course if you are planning a wedding on a small budget, you probably want to get the best value for your money. Finding the best bargains for your wedding can be a frustrating challenge, often the best deals aren't advertised.

If you've always dreamed of walking down the aisle in one of those designer gowns you've seen in the magazines or you have a picture of the perfect wedding reception but felt there was no way you could afford it, then I recommend you get this wedding planning guide.

If you don't want to risk missing out on your dream wedding then this guide will not only help you plan your entire wedding but will also show you how you can save thousands of dollars on your wedding and so you can afford the wedding you really deserve.



Good luck with your wedding planning.

Regards,

The Wedding Fairy.

Visit weddingfairyplanner.com

 

Setting A Budget

Image by Mike Rohde via FlickrNow that you have set a wedding date, the next step is setting up your wedding budget. The best way to do this is with a wedding planning guide that will help you set up your budget so that you don't forget any important detail.

With so many options to choose from and so many decisions to make it so easy to overlook some important element and come the wedding day can spoil the occasion because some detail was left out. I know what this is like from personal experience. It may not seem important in the grand scheme of things but for me it was a big deal.

In my case, I had forgotten to book in to get my hair done for the wedding and also I forgot my shoes. Luckily though I found a hairdresser that could fit me in on the day and I did already have a pair of satin cream shoes to match my dress, although they were very uncomfortable to wear and so couldn't wear them for too long. I was living in a small remote area and my wedding took place in a capital city about 5 hours away. I didn't have a lot of access to wedding planning books and had to rely on magazines to piece it all together. It would have been so much easier if I'd had a wedding planning guide to help me through the whole process.

Your wedding is one of the most important events in your life, however, you shouldn't have to spend the first years of your married lifes together trying to pay back a wedding debt. The secret to every great wedding success is in the planning. The key to planning your wedding is setting a realistic budget and then making sure you keep to it.

When setting your budget, there are several aspects you will want to consider, some of these include:

1. Who is paying for the wedding? How much can you afford to spend?

2. How many guests to invite?

3. What style of wedding you would like? Formal, casual, outdoor or beach etc

4. Prioritize. Decide what elements you want to include in your wedding, and choose one to be the focus and that you want to spend more of your budget on.  For example, is the reception the most important element or the dress or the location etc.

5. Are you having a church service?

6. The wedding date: if the wedding is held in a peak period (warmer months) the costs will be higher.

Once you have made these decisions the next step is to sit down and work out a list of all the items you want as part of your wedding and then allocate how much you think you want to spend on each item.
 This will give you a rough idea of how much your wedding could cost and a basis to work from.

Here is a list of some of the main components of a typical wedding budget:

WEDDING CEREMONY
Church or ceremony location
Celebrant
Decorations
Music

WEDDING RECEPTION
Venue: fully catered or self-catering
Type of Menu: food and drinks
Wedding cake
Entertainment and music

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO
Photos
Video

WEDDING OUTFITS
Brides outfit: gown, shoes, veil etc
Bridesmaids outfits: gown, shoes etc
Flower girl, page boy outfits
Groom's suit and shoes
Groomsmens' suits

WEDDING FLOWERS
Bride's bouquet
Bridesmaids bouquets
Groom and groomsmen buttonhole
mother of the bride corsage
father of the bride
Flowers for the ceremony
Flowers for the reception

WEDDING STATIONERY
Invitations
Wedding ceremony booklet
Place cards
Thank you cards

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Hairdresser
Makeup artist
Beauty treatments

WEDDING JEWELRY
Wedding rings
Bridal Jewelry and accessories
Bridesmaids jewelry and accessories

WEDDING TRANSPORT/ACCOMMODATION
Wedding cars
Picking up guests from the airport
Accommodation for bridal party
Accommodation for out of town guests
Wedding night accommodation

The next step is to take your list and your budget and go out and do some research. Get samples and quotes for each item on your list and then once you've done that you can then go back and re-evaluate your budget. You may have to change your priorities if you find that things are more expensive than you first imagined. This is where having a budget worksheet is very important in planning your budget.

A good wedding planning guide will provide you with a budget worksheet that will help you set a budget for every element of your wedding. The key factor in working out a budget is not to get too stressed if things aren't adding up at this early stage. Take it from me, if you keep an open mind and are willing to make some compromises, you'll soon see that you have a lot of options to choose from, no matter how big or small your wedding budget.

Visit weddingfairyplanner.com

Wedding Planning - First Steps

Image via WikipediaI couldn't believe it when I heard that the average wedding can cost anywhere between $20,000 and $30,000 according to different reports. I know my wedding didn't cost anywhere near that amount even though it was 17 years ago now.

Since that time a lot of my family and friends have had weddings where I've been asked to help out. I know that for most of the weddings I've been apart of, none have cost more than around $10,000 and they've all been a great success. I still hear comments about how beautiful my niece's magical wedding was and that was a few years ago now.

In many of the blogs I have been on recently, I've noticed that there's a lot of brides out there wanting to plan their wedding on a budget as low as $5000. With a lot of couples having mortgages to pay and living costs being so expensive, it can be a challenge to find the funds to pay for a wedding. Just because the average wedding is over $20,000 doesn't mean that you can't achieve the same wedding on a small budget.

The biggest question people have when it comes to planning their wedding on a small budget is:  "will I be able to have the wedding I really want?" Take it from me, the answer is definitely YES! I have seen where lots of couples with budgets as low as $5000 or less, have put a lot of careful effort into planning their wedding and have achieved the wedding of their dreams.

When the wedding budget is small, the most key element to success is in the planning process itself. Couples need to sit down and really focus on designing a wedding that is tightly focused on those elements that truly mean the most to them that they want to include in their wedding.

For many couples, planning a wedding is a first time event. There is so much information and advice to be found on the internet, often one of the biggest challenges is sorting out the good advice from the not very good advice.

I hope that this guide provides good advice on planning a wedding, saving money and tips on staying within the budget.

In order to plan a wedding, you're going to have to make a ton of decisions along the way. One of the first decisions is deciding on how much you want to spend on your wedding. For this you need to set a wedding budget.

For a typical wedding, the budget is divided into 5 main categories, such as:

Wedding Ceremony: venue, celebrant, wedding rings etc
Wedding Reception: venue, menu type, decorations, flowers, favors etc
Wedding Attire: wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, groom's suit etc
Wedding Cake
Photography

Wedding Ceremony
In many weddings today, couples are opting to hold their wedding ceremony in a different location to the traditional church service. One popular option which I chose for my wedding, was holding the ceremony at the same venue as the wedding reception. There's a few benefits to choosing this option, including saving money, not having to hire wedding cars or pay the costs associated with a church service. Also, our guests didn't have the worry of travelling between the church and the reception and then having to find parking.

Wedding Reception
In a typical wedding the biggest expense is usually the wedding reception. It usually takes up between 40-50% of the budget depending on the type of reception you have in mind.

Wedding Attire
The cost of things like the all important wedding dress, can vary greatly, depending on whether you buy a designer gown, an off the rack dress, have the dress made, hire a gown or buy a second-hand gown off Ebay. Whatever the choice, there is a huge emotional investment that goes into choosing a wedding dress because every bride wants to look their best on the day. So setting a realistic budget will be very important, when it comes to factoring in how much you can afford to spend in this area.

Wedding Cake
The cake is one of the oldest symbols of a wedding and a very important must have item, for a lot of couples. These days there are a lot of different options available besides the traditional tiered cake.

Photography
Your wedding photos are a very important part of your wedding and will provide you with many years of memories. However, wedding photography can easily blow the budget out of the water if you don't budget carefully. While professional photographers offer a whole host of services and options, they can be very expensive. It's important for couples to shop around for the best deals or find other alternatives such as get a family or friend to do the job for you to cut down on costs.

The key to planning a wedding on a small budget is focusing on only those elements that have the most meaning to you and your wedding and then set your budget accordingly. The best way to do this is to get a wedding planning guide that will make the whole process, and covers everything aspect of your wedding right from the planning stage to the wedding day itself.

Here is a wedding planning guide that I think has a lot of great tools and resources and also offers to help you save money on every area of your budget. It's reasonably priced and also comes with a great
bonus too! If you're interested, check it out here....Amazing Wedding Planning

If you would like to see some reviews on a good wedding planning book or 2, then this is a great site, just Click Here!

Good luck with your wedding planning,

Regards

The Wedding Fairy