Your wedding is special, but your expenses can get out of control if you try to compete with those real elaborate weddings. To keep control of the wedding budget, there are a number of things you can do. Knowing the steps to staying within your budget ahead of time can keep you from getting caught up in the moment and spending extra money.

When you are planning on who will be giving the speeches at the wedding, have them rehearse the material before you so that you can make sure everything is appropriate. Remember that your guests will include people across a wide range of ages, and a joke that younger generations find amusing might be offensive to older guests.

It is important to get high quality wedding photos so that you can truly cherish them throughout your life and hand them down to your descendants. Have someone highly experienced help you with the pictures if you have the money to afford it. It will be important later in life.

Check out the credentials of the makeup artist you choose. Are you comfortable with the makeup they’ve done before? Make sure that this is the style you desire. You don’t want your makeup to be wrong on the day of the wedding when you can’t fix it.

If you do not want a traditional wedding cake, consider individual-sized cakes. There are boutiques that will bake fresh cupcakes with very few calories specifically for your event, and deliver them. These boutiques also often have healthy options available such as gluten-free, fruit based fillings instead of frosting, and healthier alternative toppings.

If you invite people to an exotic destination wedding, they will likely want to stay for part of your honeymoon time as well, since they are already there. It can even make it cheaper for everyone if you book more days at some hotels. They will have great memories from this too.

The lighting at the wedding reception venue should be able to be dimmed. Certain occasions throughout the evening will call for their own separate mood and lighting, such as a first dance or cutting of the cake. Before giving the venue the thumbs up and your money, ask them about this detail.

Consider silk flowers for your wedding instead of spending a lot of money on luxurious floral arrangements. You can buy your silk flowers well in advance of the wedding whereas fresh flowers have to be selected, arranged and delivered on the wedding day, which can be more stressful and problematic.

The table centerpieces can be expensive and should be artistically pleasing. Don’t crowd the entire table with one centerpiece; instead, find a more simple option. If the centerpiece is too big, it becomes a distraction, making it difficult for people to interact as well as enjoy their food.

If the happy couple have different backgrounds, both ought to be taken into consideration when planning for the wedding. This means having a ceremony that fits the groom and bride’s culture and at the reception, having decor, food and rituals from both backgrounds. This will give lots of contrast and make it memorable.

If you decide to give a wedding speech, be sure to plan and practice sufficiently. Without taking the time to plan and prepare, you may lose the attention of your audience, say something awkward, or deliver the speech poorly, prompting confused looks, and probably some embarrassment on your part.

Get more out of your wedding planner with research done ahead of time. Consider creating a scrap book of appealing fabric swatches and wedding images that represent the look that you are going for. Anything that is special to you, such as items from magazines, can be used to convey your ideas to the planner.

Gift registries come in handy when planning a wedding. To keep things peaceful, be sure guests don’t feel obligated to buy you something. Provide a large assortment of gifts to choose from at varying prices. By selecting different priced items, people can find items they can comfortably afford to give.

Write your wedding vows. While traditional vows are perfectly fine, writing your own vows reveals the special qualities that you and your future spouse love about each other. Those words help create a memorable bond for your special day. You can use other vows as inspirations, but you need to add your own special touch.

Why not use an alternative to wedding flowers if you are on a strict budget? Instead of a floral wreath on your flower girl, try using ribbons for a look that is elegant but still cost effective. Use silk flowers in lieu of fresh ones. They are more cost effective and can last forever. They can be moved around; they can even be used for your reception.

You can plan a wedding even if you don’t have lots of money. A wedding should not put you into serious debt. There are many things you can do to save money, including making your invitations, decoration and food.

Start planning as early as you can. You might believe one year is plenty of time for planning a wedding; however, the more you wait the more costly and unavailable the service providers and venues will be. The sooner you start planning, the more choices you will have.

You don’t have to be excessive to have a beautiful wedding. Use the advice in this article to plan the wedding you want, at a price that makes you happy.

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