Tips On How To Budget For Your Wedding

Here are a few tips on how to budget for your wedding. If you have finally decided that you are going to take your year(s) of courtship to the next level, then congratulations, you’ve made the right decision. Now comes the hard part and that is the planning and cost of your wedding.

You deserve to have a wedding that will not only reflect your love but also one that will show appreciation to your friends and family for supporting you two. Unfortunately, the times that we are living in are financially hard and the reality of it all is might not have a choice but to budget for your wedding.

There was a time when the family of the couple would chip in and help with the finance of a wedding. This gesture is proving to be a thing of the past as more couples are finding themselves footing the bill. If you are one of those couples who are making your wedding happen with the savings you both have combined, it would be wise to keep within your budget and not be tempted to apply for a loan from a financial institution. The last thing you both need is to start your lives together with an outstanding debt. Make do with the money that you currently have and cut down in areas that are not necessary.

Wedding consultants will tell you that most couples refuse to compromise their guest list. If you want to keep the size of your guest list, then you can cut down on the cost for decorations, cost of venue etc. 

Here are other ways in which you can save money and keep within your budget:

1.    Plan your wedding way in advance so that you have enough time to shop around for great bargains on your wedding attire, party favors, etc. Having a huge window of time allows you to find bargains rather than taking/buying/using the first thing that comes along in desperation.

2.    The wedding reception area could be another huge wedding expense but it does not have to be. Think about places that you can either have your reception for free or for a low cost. The church in which you worship may have a reception area that you can use free or charge. Other money-saving reception locations include a social room at a hotel, a restaurant, or even at the home of a friend who has a large house.

3.    No one says that your wedding ring has to be a major expense. You can say “I love you” just as well with wedding bands. Have something special inscribed inside the bands. The diamonds can always come later, like on your first wedding anniversary as you celebrate your marriage and the fact that you didn’t go into debt when you had your wedding.

4.    Add your personal touch to some of the wedding necessities with do-it-yourself projects. If you can bake a cake, make decorations or have incredible graphic artist skills to make your invitations, by all means do that. Perhaps you have a skilled friend you could barter with. She bakes your wedding cake in exchange for you babysitting her kids while she and her husband get away for a weekend.

There are many ways to have a beautiful wedding on a budget. The trick is to get started early and be open to cost-conscious ideas.

Talk to your parents (mother preferably), friends, relations or even store personnel will have some tips on how to budget for your wedding. You are not alone in this, talk to your best friend (the groom) even he can have some ideas.

Enjoy the new More Wedding Info Blog article and check out another site for brides from Teri Champigny at Bridal Accessories Info

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Choose A Cheesecake Wedding Cake

If you are considering a cheesecake wedding cake for your special day, you are probably already a cheesecake lover! Many people do not like the traditional white wedding cake and want to break away with something more tasty and versatile. A cheesecake wedding cake is a very popular choice.

If you still want a tiered cake, it is fine to have tiered cheesecakes. Of course, they can be heavy, but so can a traditional fruit cake. Just be sure that you have the tiers and supports set up firmly so that all of the tiers of your cake will stay in place until you are ready to eat!

You can put frosting on a cheesecake wedding cake if you want to. You can also add the traditional bride and groom figures, rose petals, ribbons and anything else you want.

If you are making the cake yourself, you will need to think about storage. Unlike regular cakes, a cheesecake wedding cake will usually need to be kept in the refrigerator. Unless you have a very large refrigerator you may want to store the tiers separately and assemble them at the location of the wedding meal. This also prevents them sliding around while you are transporting them.

Another possibility is to serve individual cupcake sized cheesecakes or small slices, presented on a tiered cake stand. This makes cutting and serving the cake very easy. Be careful not to make individual cheesecakes too big. Remember that guests have usually eaten enough before they reach the cake, and many people will only want a couple of bites.

Even if you have individual cheesecakes, you can still have the bride and groom cut one. They can take one serving, cut it in half in the traditional way with both of their hands on the knife, and then feed each other with the two halves. This can be a lot of fun to watch!

While cheesecake can be a good choice for a small wedding, it is often not so convenient if you have a large number of guests. Cheesecake is flatter so you need more cakes or layers, and that can be difficult to set up in tiers and support. However, you can get around this by having one small cheesecake wedding cake on view, and more in the refrigerator to cut and serve later.

Cheesecake offers a huge variety of possible flavors and colors. This means you have a lot of choice about how your cake will look. You can color it to suit the theme of your wedding, or offer different flavors on different tiers. You can even have a cheesecake wedding cake made in a particular shape, such as a golf course for a golf themed wedding.

You can also choose between different crusts. You may want to use crackers, cookies, chocolate chips, or have a delicious nut crust. For total decadence, try a white chocolate cheesecake wedding cake over macadamia nut crust.

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30 Days To Go Checklist

After you’ve spent months or a year planning and scheduling every minute detail of your wedding, you will wake up one morning and realize that it’s the last few weeks before the ceremony and there are things you haven’t done. Don’t be surprised if your mind goes blank and you just cannot remember what needs to be done. Stress!

Here is a quick checklist to get you back on track and relieve some of your stress:

• This would be a good time to apply for your marriage license, if you haven’t already done it. Different localities have different requirements so you and your fiancé need to take a little advance care with this process. Normally, this is a task handled by the groom.

The license is usually issued by the County Clerk or the Clerk of the Court. There will be a fee. Check in advance for the fee and method of payment required. Some states require blood tests and others require tests for German Measles, venereal diseases, sickle-cell anemia, tuberculosis, etc.

• Your dress needs a final fitting now to be sure there’s time to make any changes needed. While you are at it, make sure your bridesmaids and groomsmen have their attire ready to go.

• All your vendors need to be contacted to confirm arrival/delivery dates and times. This includes your caterer, florist, musicians, photographer, hotels, reception hall, minister or other officiate, transportation and hotel reservations and the bakery creating your wedding cake.

• Take a little time to check your wedding program for accuracy before you print it. Send a future change of address form to the post office. Make a list of those invited guests who have not responded to your request for an RSVP and ask your mother or sister to contact them. As soon as you know how many out-of-town guests you will have, create your welcome baskets for them.

• As soon as you receive gifts, write thank you notes. People consider it bad manners to have to wait weeks to get thanked for sending a gift.

Two Weeks To Go:

A couple of weeks before your ceremony, flesh out your seating plan and
write your place cards. Confirm any last minute details and tell your caterer how many to expect. Complete your seating chart.

Pick up your dress and hang it where it won’t wrinkle or get caught on something. Occasionally walk around your house wearing your wedding shoes to break them in and make them comfortable for your walk down the aisle.

Arrange for a house sitter while you are on your honeymoon, if necessary. You might need someone to water your plants or take care of your pets while you are gone.

Make sure someone has a list of your honeymoon itinerary and contact information in case of an emergency.

With your fiancé, write toasts for the rehearsal dinner and reception. Attend your bachelor or bachelorette parties.

The Day Before:

Your out-of-town guests will be arriving. Relax with them and make them
comfortable. Personally give them their welcome baskets or have them already in their rooms.

Take a break and have a manicure, pedicure and maybe a massage.

Confirm your transportation schedule.

Attend the rehearsal that afternoon or evening and hold the rehearsal dinner. Give your wedding party their gifts and make sure they know their individual responsibilities, like handing out corsages and boutonnieres, escorting guests down the aisle.

The Big Day:

Give your parents their wedding gifts, if you didn’t do it at the rehearsal dinner.

Follow the schedule you have set up for the morning; hair dresser, make up, etc., and you’ll make it just fine to the wedding with everything running fairly smoothly.

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