Re-capturing that fairy tale vision that many brides -to be-have is even harder these days because of the tough economic conditions. But the dreams that brides have had since childhood do not need to be a shattered. Weddings are undoubtedly expensive but here's how you can stay in budget.
Firstly, something positive. You are in a brilliant position to negotiate. Many venues will be finding it hard to book out their facilities at the moment so negotiating the price down should be easy. Work out the lowest acceptable price you are willing to pay and the highest price you can afford. When you are offered the price by the venue, don't be afraid to decline it until the price has come down to your acceptable level.
Always, have in mind an alternative venue should the price still not be agreeable. Remember, that you might be able supply your own wine or ask the hotels to throw in free balloons.
Don't forget you can negotiate too on flowers, wedding car etc. If your budget won't stretch to a venue, consider hiring a village hall where you can arrange the catering yourselves. You don't necessarily need outside contractors as dishes like like oven-roasted salmon or oven-fried chicken, roasted vegetables are ideal for a large number of guests.
The traditional tiered -wedding cake can be another area to be cut back on. Have you considered dense chocolate mouse, along with after-dinner pours of a liquor for instance? How about asking your mum to make the cake, the decoration could be left to the professionals.
As for the wedding dress itself, look round charity shops or online to see if you can find a second-hand dress. This really will make buying a dress exceptional value. To set the dress off, invest in some good quality pearl earrings. Pearl earrings can be worn with any item and can be passed down the generations. They are one of the few fashion accessories which have the ability to span the decades and fashion trends. You can save money on pearl earrings by looking to see how 'pure' the pearl is. The more blemishes, the cheaper price of the pearl will be. And on your big day, who will notice the quality of your pearl, not even your new husband.
