1. The potluck wedding. Some Brides attempt to save money on their wedding by asking guests to bring a potluck dish for the wedding reception. Please avoid this practice! Your guests have graciously accepted your invitation to witness the most important day of your life. Many have traveled a great distance to share in your happiness. Many of your guests took time off of work, arranged for a babysitter or arranged their schedules around and have brought a gift for you and your new husband! Please don’t reward them by asking them to also provide the food for your reception. Have the wedding you can afford. If you can’t afford a sit down meal, have a buffet. If you can’t afford a buffet, then hold a cocktail and appetizer reception. Still too much? Have a cake and champagne reception. Treat your guests a guests, not caterers.

2. The cash bar. Drinks are expensive and many couples are looking for ways to save on the cost associated with serving alcohol at their wedding. Do me a favor though-don’t do it by asking your guests to pay for their own drinks. It is tacky and potentially very offensive to your honored wedding guests. Try beer, wine and champagne only. You can even have a non alcoholic wedding reception and just specialty coffee, teas and water and soda. But please, do not ask your family and friends to dig in their own pockets for drink money.

3. Again your guests have shared your special day with you and more than likely spent money on a gift from your registry that you have requested. If you didn’t order thank you cards with your initial wedding invitation package, go out and buy a package of thank you cards and hand write a nice message thanking your guests for attending your wedding and buying you a gift.

There are many web sites, articles and planning advise on the web for you to search out ways to have a budget wedding that is elegant and memorable. Just remember in the frenzy of your planning, to find ways to honor, respect the family, friends and guests by learning about appropriate etiquette. Being treated well and the happiness of the couple are what mosts guests remember about a wedding, not the type of favor they received.

By Shelli Caldwell

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

What is wedding insurance?
A wedding insurance policy protects a couple who is getting married against unforeseen circumstances and reimburses them for any expenses incurred.

Is wedding insurance expensive?
The cost for this type of event insurance can vary widely from company to company. The cost will also depend on what sort of coverage you get, and what is exactly covered under your particular policy.

Basic policies that cover loss of photos, attire, gifts, food, rings and deposits for vendors can generally range from around $150 – $550. Personal liability covering up to $1,000 for accidents or injury usually ends up being a little under $200.

What are the basics covered under wedding insurance?
As widely as costs vary for wedding insurance, coverage can as well, so be sure to do your research and choose a policy that best suits your individual needs. Some typical things covered are circumstances due to weather or with your ceremony or reception sites, as well as injury or illness and problems with vendors.

What are some scenarios where wedding insurance would be helpful?
If in the unfortunate event a member of the bridal party or a family member is injured prior to the big day, wedding insurance will allow you to postpone until everyone is able to attend and still recoup your losses.

Say, for instance, your reception site goes up in flames the week before your wedding and is completely destroyed. With wedding insurance, you’d be able to get your deposit back and book another location.

A winter wedding must be postponed due to an incredible ice storm that’s paralyzed the airports and highways, making it impossible for the wedding party, let alone the guests, to arrive safely. With the right type of policy, the losses from postponing can be recouped minus the deductible.

If the bride or groom are a member of the military and get suddenly gets called to duty, wedding insurance would cover the cost of delaying the event. This could also apply to corporate moves such as the groom’s company relocating him across country at a moment’s notice.

What are the key points to consider when deciding on wedding insurance?

- Keep in mind that prices vary and so does the coverage. Make sure you completely understand what you’re getting before you sign.

- Be sure that any vendors you use, such as the caterer or reception site, aren’t already insured to avoid paying for overlapping coverage and thus wasting money.

- The sooner you make the decision to get wedding insurance the better. Some companies, however, have limitations as to how early you can purchase a policy while others encourage obtaining insurance about a year ahead of the event.

About the Author

By Adrian Adams.
Visit our Modern wedding wedding planning website with competitive prices on all wedding products and wedding insurance available to order securely online.

Article Source: Article North directory

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

• Family and guests: Will family members be invited? If you’re not inviting anyone to your wedding, you’ll have to keep in mind that feelings can, and probably will, be hurt. If you do hope to have a gathering of friends and family to witness your nuptials, you’ll have to consider whether this trip is something they can afford. Not everyone can comfortably bear the cost of airfare, hotel, wedding gift and any meals not included in the wedding festivities.

• Cost: One of the first considerations when planning a destination wedding, of course, will be cost. Will you and your intended be able to afford the cost of flying to another area, staying in a hotel and paying wedding costs? If money is no object, you’ll want to move on to your other considerations, namely family.

• Wedding Dress: Will you be wearing a formal designer dress or a less formal beach wedding dress. How will you pack it and get it to your destination. You can send it ahead, but then you might risk it getting lost or damaged en route. You can also check it with your luggage, but you’ll have to trust the airline not to lose or misplace your bags. Your best bet is to treat your wedding dress as carry-on luggage. This means however, there has to be room enough in the overhead compartment. Discuss this detail with your travel agent who may have a suggestion. She may also be able to make arrangements with the airline for your wedding dress to be hung in the flight attendants cabin. Places famous for destination weddings such as Las Vegas include wedding dress rental in many of their wedding packages. This may be something to look into.

• Legalities: What is involved in getting married in your chosen location? Will you need a blood test? What types of identification are required? Will your marriage be legal and binding in this country? Thoroughly research this before making any arrangements. The last thing you want is being told at the last minute you can’t get married because your paperwork isn’t in order. Marriage certificates can cost you quite a bit. Don’t forget the translation costs, if you are getting married abroad.

• Photographers/Videographers. Will you be bringing someone from your city/state or you prefer to hire someone at the location. This can get tricky. When bringing a photographer with you, cost can be a factor, since you’ll have to cover all the costs (flights, meals, housing). If you are getting married outside of North America, you should know that most photographers/videographers don’t have up to date equipment available. If you are doing a wedding in Cuba, you can be certain they can’t provide the same high end equipment, since it’s usually in the in the range of $10,000-20,000 Chances are they’ll be using outdated cameras. They can be cheaper than your own photographers, but you do you really want to risk it? Getting your prints can be a hassle, since fast communication is not always possible.

About the Author

by Robert Thomson. Dmitri is a well known wedding photographer in Canada with experience doing local and destination weddings. For more information or to see his portfolio,please contact him directly to plan your perfect wedding.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

You’ve always thought about your dream wedding. A beautiful wedding gown, the perfect setting, a romantic bouquet, you wanted it all. But, when you were daydreaming, you never actually realized how costly a wedding could be. Now that you are getting married, the reality is all too clear – weddings are expensive. In fact, it seems like everything to do with a wedding costs a fortune.

So, if you want that perfect dream wedding but you don’t exactly have a fairy godmother who will magically sign a check for all of your wedding expenses, what are your options? Well, there are four main choices.

You can cut corners on your wedding by having less guests and forgoing the traditional wedding items like flowers or favors. You can get a new credit card and charge everything for your wedding on it, and then pay the bills after you get married. You can decide not to have a wedding at all and elope. Or, you can find a way to have your dream wedding for less money without cutting your guest list or using a used wedding gown. It’s up to you to decide which option makes sense for you, but most brides choose the fourth option and try to find a way to have a dream wedding for less money.

Well, you may be thinking, “that sounds great, but how do I actually do it?” Don’t worry, there are some very easy ways in which you can cut your costs and still have a terrific wedding. Read on to find out the top ways to keep your wedding costs down.

Pick A Public Spot

When you start planning your wedding, one of the first big decisions you make is where to hold the ceremony and reception. An excellent way to keep your wedding economic is to choose a public place for your ceremony and reception. Botanical gardens, golf courses, beaches, historic places, national parks and their public buildings are all wonderful and inexpensive spots for weddings. Using a public place rather than an event hall can save you thousands of dollars on your wedding budget.

Make Your Own Favors

Another way to cut down on your wedding expenses is to make your own wedding favors. Cellophane wrapped cookies, jordan almonds in bags, small plants – these are all things that you can serve as do-it-yourself wedding favors. Martha Stewart Living Weddings and other crafty wedding magazines and websites have ideas for wedding favors that you can do on your own. You just purchase the different parts of the favor at a discount online and then assemble the favors yourself.

Don’t wait until the last minute to work on your favors. You can start making your favors as soon as you’ve settled the guest list, wedding colors and theme. Preparing all of your favors in advance will help you when the big day starts sneaking up on you. Also, enlist your bridesmaids and close family members to help. You can even have a “favor party” and invite everyone over to work on the favors. Provide the guests with food and booze and they’ll probably be happy to help.

Be Your Own Wedding Planner

If you want to cut costs, you should forgo having a wedding planner. You can be your own wedding planner, all it takes is for you to be organized and inventive. As soon as you get engaged, pick up a wedding planning organizer. Start keeping track of what you’ve done and what you need to do in the coming months. File vendor contracts and bids in a 3 ring binder. Make time to update your planner weekly and follow up on any leftover “to do’s.”

Grab a few wedding publications and look for unique wedding ideas. Browse through bouquets in magazines and decide which flowers and centerpiece shapes you like. Also, there are lots of websites that offer wedding planning ideas for free. Using the internet, wedding magazines and books, you can find the same advice that you’d typically get from a wedding planner.

Work With Your Florist

Another way you can trim costs is to work with your florist to choose inexpensive flowers for your wedding. Be straight with your florist and let her know what you can afford. If she’s good at what she does, she’ll be able to offer some lower cost suggestions. Low cost doesn’t always mean less flowers, it could just mean a different type of bloom or more greenery. Going for daisies over lilies or peonies will mean a lot to your wedding’s bottom line.

If you don’t want to go into debt before you go down the aisle and you don’t want to cut corners on your wedding, it is still possible for you to have everything you want without breaking the bank. Just use some creativity and common sense and you’ll be on your way.

About the Author

A wedding expert, Elizabeth Reuth offers wedding planning tips online for brides and grooms with information from choosing an inexpensive engagement ring to deciding how to dress your bridesmaids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Reuth

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Cutting costs associated with a wedding can typically be very difficult. People can be come very emotionally tied to a wedding looking and feeling a certain way. It is thus hard for them to let go of this and find place to cut costs. However, this guide will help you look at some general budget categories and give some beginning suggestions for saving big money!

Location
The location that you will be married typically will be one of your most expensive costs. The overall price of this can value greatly depending on the location chosen. For example a small local church that the couple to be married attends regularly is going to be a lot less expensive versus a country club or other scenic location. It is best to call some of the potential candidates and go for a tour first. Get prices and find out what the costs associated with the site will be. This will help in deciding the location and in making up the budget. If you are on a tight budget and need a wedding that does not cost a lot of money then weddings done at home are typically great ways to cut costs.

Offciant / Priest
This is the person that will officiate or preside over the wedding. The costs can again vary widely among different offciants and if you are on a tight budget then it is always best to check out prices. Of course many people have someone they want to be the offciant already chosen regardless of price. For example a family minister that provided pre marital counseling.

Accessories
There are often decorations and accessories that go along with the actual ceremony and these are often smaller costs but the category as a whole can add up quickly if they have not already been budgeted for. Do you want to have a Unity Candle, or a long white runner down the aisle? All of these things will cost money and need to be budgeted for beforehand. Review this area carefully because there are often items that can be left out to save money. However, some of the items might be crucial to the theme of the wedding or even personal preferences of the couple. So review this area for things that can be cut out saving even more money.

The Reception
This is a big broad category that can be the other second largest expense typically. In would include things like the location rental fees, chairs, tables, catering, and drinks. While this is the next biggest category or the second most expensive area it is often the place to cut. The actual ceremony is often so filled with traditional elements that it can be hard to cut corners and try to save money. However, the reception often provides lot of ways to cut the budget and

Clothing
This is can be a very expensive category as well as some of the others. Women’s wedding dress can cost thousands of dollars alone. However, the good news is there are some big things that you can cut expenses with. For example you can often find wedding dress at outlet stores and save a bundle. Possible finding last years model at a store can help. The dresses for the bridesmaid and flower girl can also be found at discount prices if one looks hard enough. Do some comparison shopping for the tuxedo rental as this can create a nice savings also.

Decorations
Decorations for the event are always important but don’t have to be expensive. It is a simple matter of how much work you want to do on your own versus pay someone.

Music Deejays and Photographers
You have to account for music at the wedding and the reception and of course you will want pictures of the big day. Some ways to save cost on this are talk to the Deejays or photographers ahead of time and do some comparison shopping. It is easy to call over the phone and talk with a bunch of Deejays and get estimates from them. Then go and interview the ones you are most interested in.

The major categories above give a good general idea for a wedding budget breakdown and can act as a starting point in developing your own wedding budget outline. Saving money often means being willing to do more of the work yourself instead of paying for it. By doing your own assembling of wedding favors, and decorations one can save a good deal of money on the overall cost of the wedding. Also doing comparison shopping can really pay off.”

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Before you decide on your wedding reception decorations, you’re going to have to do some planning. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Does your wedding have a theme? Themed weddings can be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Some popular themes are black & white, Valentine’s Day, garden party, country & western, beach and medieval.

What’s your budget and how many people are you expecting? The number of guests and the amount of money you have to spend will have a big impact on how extravagant your decorations will be. Keep in mind that while table decorations and favors seem inexpensive, the totals add up quickly when you have a large number of guests.

Where are you holding your reception? Your choice of venue will have a lot to do with deciding on your decorations. A country club wedding will be decorated much differently than a beach side barbecue.

If you decide not to use a theme for your wedding, you’ll need to choose a color or two to focus on. Many brides find floral catalogs inspiring or you might want to browse through wedding magazines and take note of the color combinations that catch your eye.

Here’s an example of how one bride decorated for her informal Valentine’s Day wedding. The reception was held in a large Victorian home. The dining area was decorated with bouquets of red heart-shaped mylar balloons with alternating red and white ribbons. The balloons were held in place with a weighted base covered in metallic red tissue paper.

On the walls were dried flower arrangements purchased from a garden catalog. What’s so lovely about this idea is the bride was able to keep the decorations after the wedding and use them in her new home.

A friend of mine helped a bride put together her very low budget wedding reception in a small Mexican restaurant. They started with white and peach paper tablecloths to cover the tables. Then they added a clear glass bowl in the center of each table with 4 or 5 peach floating candles. The effect was really pretty.

Another fun addition to this reception was the disposable camera that was placed on each table. The idea was for the guests to use the camera to take candid shots and then leave the camera on the table at the end of the evening. Once they returned from their honeymoon, the bride and groom had a great time looking through all the casual photos their friends and family had taken.

Many of the items you need to decorate can be found at discount stores, craft stores and online. Once you decide on your theme and your colors, you’re ready to go. Plan it out in advance and your wedding reception decorations will be fantastic!

About the author

Melinda Barton is an Internationally recognized wedding planner and author of the book Wedding Planning Secrets. She has given several TV and radio appearances and is passionate about helping everyone succeed in their desire to have the best wedding through simple and easy to use wedding planning secrets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melinda_Barton