These days many Australian
brides are faced with an even greater challenge: to meet their prince
charming at the altar, without breaking the bank. With continual
news of grocery prices, petrol and interest rate changes, many brides
are left wondering how they can afford the wedding they've always
dreamed of.
Natalie Nicholson recently discovered how quickly the costs can add
up in the process of arranging her dream wedding. After she'd
been given a big sparkler and said 'yes' to the big question last
year, Natalie and her fiancé Sam did a little research into
the cost of a wedding and soon realised if they wanted their perfect
wedding, they would need a detailed plan in order to afford it!
Currently making repayments to their home loan, Natalie decided
it was vital to create a budget to make sure she didn't over spend.
True Bride's wedding
budget planner was very helpful and was one of the first things
Natalie did. She also opened up a wedding savings account to put
aside funds for their dream wedding. Each week her and her fiancé
contributed part of their wage toward the wedding fund.
Utilising True Bride's wedding
budget planner Natalie was able to break down all the major costs
and set aside an estimate for each. This meant when Natalie went shopping
she knew how much she had to spend, allowing her to stick to her
budget and still have everything she wanted to make her day special.
Shopping around has proven to be a major money saver for the couple.
"Sam and I have saved up to $6,000 just from shopping around!
It is really important not to just say 'yes' to everything. One
example is a boat cruise we wanted our guests to take whilst we
have our photos taken. We ended up saving $250 just by doing some
research," Natalie said.
The planning didn't stop there. Natalie listed all the most
important aspects of their wedding and allocated the funds accordingly.
"Sam and I thought there was no point in spending all this
money on our wedding and not having nice photos to remember it,
so we cut back in some areas and spent more on a photographer. I
had always dreamt of a garden feel to my wedding so spending more
on a florist to get the flowers right was important to me,"
Natalie said.
As Natalie has proven, cutting back in areas doesn't mean going
with out. She shopped around and found the best prices on materials,
then designed and made her own wedding invitations and room decorations.
Having now mastered the fine art of affording her dream wedding,
Natalie is all set to enjoy her big day in September without blowing
the budget!
"I just want the day to be about families coming together
and having a great time. You can still have all the trimmings to
make it a special day - you just need to be savvy about spending
your money. Prioritise what is most important to you and work from
there," Natalie said.
Busy brides don't need the added stress of the everyday cost of
living to complicate the wedding planning process. Following are
some simple steps to help you save and spend wisely to ensure you
can afford all the trimmings that make up your dream wedding.
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Top tips to secure your dream wedding!
| 1. |
Get organised early and plan - agree on a budget upfront and
expectations of the big day. This will help to manage both partners'
expectations and help to avoid any budget blow-outs during the
planning stage. Also, the more time you have to organise your
wedding, the more you will be able to 'DIY' to reduce costs
further. |
| 2. |
Manage your money - set up a high interest savings account. |
| 3. |
Prioritise - stretch your money by making a wish-list ranking
items in order of importance. Ask yourself what is really important
to you and what could be considered a frivolous expense - most
importantly, what will fit within your budget. You can then
revise your list accordingly and stick to it. |
| 4. |
Schedule your wedding 'off-season' - April to September is
considered the 'off-season', so prices tend to drop during this
period. |
| 5. |
Decorate strategically - keep decorations simple. Limit your
expenditure by placing them only where people will see them. |
| 6. |
DIY flowers - buy the flowers you want and arrange them yourself.
Prices can increase when florists hear the magic word 'wedding'. |
| 7. |
Harness the talents of family and friends - ask friends or
family to get involved by helping with decorations, photography
or invitations. |
| 8. |
Shop around - don't settle for your first choice. Look around,
compare prices and make sure you get the best deal. |
| 9. |
Be inspired - do your own research: flick through magazines,
take in the details of friends' weddings and put your own spin
on the elements you like. |
| 10. |
Go to expos - they offer great deals to help you keep within
your budget and can give you some good cost cutting tips. |
| 11. |
Establish a honeymoon or special gift registry to help pay
for your dream honeymoon or dream gift. Find
out more, click here. |
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