How To Get Married For Less

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How To Get Married For Less

Getting married moves in and out of fashion with each new generation. Once it was frowned upon for anyone to live “over the brush” (as my Grandmother used to say), then it became unusual for people to get married without living together first – kind of like “try before you buy”, and it became quite old fashioned to get married. These days though, lots of people say they wish that they could marry their partner (allegedly) but they just can’t afford it. Well, newsflash . . . getting married does not have to cost the earth (unless you’re Royalty anyway). The rest of us can honestly make the whole affair as expensive or as cheap as we want to.

How To Get Married For Less

  1. Elope – okay, it might not make you very popular with the in-laws, depriving the brides mother of wearing a fancy hat and all that, but it is a cheaper option. All you need to find is a witness or two, a few bucks for a marriage license and some sort of token ring as a gesture of good faith. You might even find the whole affair quite exciting and plan it with all of the precision of a military operation . . . . don’t forget to take a few photos on your cell phone so that you can share the day with family later (if they ever speak to you again).
  2. Wedding Dress – okay, if the first idea is a little bit too controversial for you and you really do want to share your big day with family and friends, then a big saving can be made on the cost of the wedding dress. Think about it, you’re only going to wear it once and paying a huge amount for it neither guarantees that you’ll live happily ever after or that you’re going to look slimmer on the photos. Have you thought about buying a second hand dress? It’ll only have been worn once for goodness sake . . . if not there are plenty of stores these days which are offering rental wedding gowns or cheaper options for you to buy.
  3. Reception – is the major expense of any wedding, especially if you’ve got a large bunch of relatives who only ever get together at weddings and funerals . . . you can’t possibly get married without inviting Great Uncle Stanley, he’d be so upset – yes, at missing out on the free party, he’ll probably fall asleep and snore throughout the ceremony like he did when cousin Kylie got married. Anyway, wedding receptions are expensive, often running at more than $25 or $30 per head (multiply that by 5 siblings + partners,  11 Aunts and Uncles, 8 Grandparents, 12 Great Aunts and Uncles, 24 Cousins (plus 7 children – are they half price) and that’s before you’ve even started on your friends (who are the ones you really want to spend the day with) and the whole typing pool at work (well, you can’t leave anybody out can you). Anyway, you do the math.  How about a buffet? That often works out much cheaper. You could even rope in some of the guests to help out with it – what about Violet at work, the one who brings in terrific shortbread for everyone when she’s had a row with her boyfriend . . . tell her you don’t want a present, just a box of goodies to help out with the food – you could tell that to everybody (a bit like a communal picnic) and before you know it you’ve got a free buffet (and no presents but hey, how many cookie cutters can one household possibly need)?
  4. Transportation – is another area where many couples pay far too much money. You can arrive in style very cheaply, with just a little imagination, you really don’t need a limo. How about getting a friend to drive you, or take the bus . . . that would certainly start your day off quite memorably. Think “quirky” . . .
  5. Invitations – can be surprisingly expensive if you don’t watch it. What is the point of that? Instead of paying some fancy printing and stationery firm, make your own. There are lots of online designs which you can use if you’re not of the artistic persuasion. Make sure that they don’t look cheap and chatty though, they will set the whole tone of the forthcoming wedding and though you want a relatively cheap day, you don’t want to look cheap do you?

Here are a few ideas of the sort of things which you really don’t need at your wedding, even if you think you do . . .

  • Ice sculptures  – hello, today’s elegant swan is tomorrow’s puddle.
  • Expensive favors – try a couple of sugar coated almonds or a hand painted pebble (look similar but taste different, although they both have a similar affect on the teeth).
  • Fireworks – there might be enough fireworks once the wine gets flowing, and if it rains it would be a washout and a waste of cash.
  • Matching outfits for your pet dogs – it does happen!
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