Description:
Yes, weddings can be expensive, but is it really worth giving up your firstborn child so you can have tulips in September? When your wedding day arrives, you want to be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event and know that the ceremony and reception are not going to put you in hock for the next 10 years. In How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less, authors Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman teach you how to budget and balance so you can have the wedding of your dreams without the headache of enormous bills. Whether you choose to have a big or small, formal or informal wedding, the reception seems to clock in at approximately half of your budget. So, going with that figure, you need to evaluate and prioritize wedding clothes, flowers, the photographer, the cake, music, invitations, and the ceremony itself. Can you wear your mother's wedding dress (with some alterations, of course)? Can you cut invitation costs by using black ink rather than a fancy foil? When you booked the band, did you read the fine print? (One bride found, the day before the wedding, that they had to provide a soundman and soundboard. Yikes!) "Weddings, like life itself," say the authors, "are rarely predictable." They suggest appointing one or two (two is better) close friends or family members (but not attendants) as coordinators. It will give the couple a trusted helper/point person during the planning process and take some stress off the day of the event. How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less encourages you to dream of your ideal day and then helps you to practically and economically make it happen. "Decide what is really important on your special day and make that a priority," say the authors. "Know what is right for the two of you. Your wedding day should reflect that." --Dana Van Nest
| 
