Tougher economic times have left many people watching their spending and weddings are no exception.  It is a delicate balance between making your wedding the most amazing and beautiful day of your life, and not spending beyond what you can afford.

There are a number of ways to cut down on costs without compromising quality, and in a recent forum on www.bridespace.net.nz a number of Brides gave some useful tips.  Ideas included:

•    Purchasing publisher software such as Microsoft Publisher to create your own invitation and thankyou cards.  You can achieve a professional look for a small part of the price of having them printed. 

•    Buying a bottle of wine with your shopping every week to bring down the big spend at the end!

•    Trading professions and time with friends.  Offer to help them in return for their help on your wedding day.

•    Doing nibbles and drinks, or platters after the ceremony instead of a meal.

•    Having a small reception for very close family and friends but inviting everyone to ‘dessert and drinks’.

•    Purchasing Bridal Wear, decorations, accessories etc. from auction websites like Trade Me or www.weddingauctions.co.nz.  The items you don’t want to keep you can sell again afterwards to recover some of the cost.

•    Ask people to pay for their meal instead of bringing gifts.

•    Using the same venue for the ceremony and reception.  Venues will often give a discount or provide a ‘package’ for using them for everything.

Another idea would be to have your wedding in winter, or on a weekday.  Having your ceremony and reception outside of the peak seasons and days can save you a lot of money.  One example of this is a Nelson venue that is offering a 50% discount on venue hire over the winter months.

Although your own finances maybe feeling the squeeze, remember that wedding businesses are also feeling the same pressure and they are keen to get your custom.  With a little bit of shopping around and getting quotes from a number of places, you may be able to get some good bargains to help drive your cost down.

For a small amount of effort, and some good forward planning there are many ways to keep your wedding to a budget and still make it the most amazing day of your life.

If you have any ideas you can contribute, why not add them to the forum on www.bridespace.net.nz.