Does Your Wedding Have a B#@*$&?

Every wedding has one.  Whether you want to admit it or not. She's there, questioning every decision you make, putting the guilt trip on you, keeping it real.  Yep, she's the wedding BUDGET.  Budget need not be a bad word though.  Frugal brides are the hottest new trend in wedding planning. Why?  There are probably several reasons.  Some brides and grooms may feel they want to focus on the relationship and don't want an overemphasis on material matters.  Others don't want to start a marriage by creating wedding debt.  I learned very quickly that it's not called a wedding INDUSTRY without reason.  Brides-to-be are targeted with lots of "must haves" and media glitz and glamour.  Without a budget guiding you, you will be in very deep before you know it, and sadly it can happen before you can say, "I do".  There are lots of resources that will help you once you have a budget in mind.  We used The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World. (FOB bought three, one for each daughter and one for me!) It had a budget itemization that worked well for us.  We created a spreadsheet to use and as purchases and commitments to vendors were made, we added them in.  Our daughters discovered that if they really felt one area, say the reception, was more important to them than another, such as photography, they could adjust the budget and choose their vendors accordingly.  In other words, THEY controlled the spending instead of the other way around.  How'd they do?  Well, they both thanked us afterwards for giving them the wedding of their dreams, and it costs less than we had anticipated.  Analysts predict spending on weddings in 2010 will average between $20,000 to $22,000.  Does that surprise you?
As was my dream for my daughters, I hope I can show you some ways to save money and still have the wedding you desire.  This timely coupon just arrived for readers of The Green Hanger Shop! Jenny, from The Wedding Lens wants to share a special offer with you!  As she puts it, "For the budget-strapped couple, one idea is to hire a professional photographer for only the ceremony and bridal party pictures. By using The Wedding Lens , you can collect all of the candid shots of the reception, cake cutting, and toasts from your guests without having to pay for the photographer's extra hours. Out of the dozens of friends taking pictures, you're sure to find a few good ones!" Visit their website and use coupon code: TENOFFJAN2010 to get 10% off this amazing service!  I will keep an eye out for more deals for you to consider.  Just remember who's in charge, though, and hopefully, that's you!

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