How To Save Money On Audio Video For Your Wedding

You definitely don't want to skimp on something as important as the photos and music that you have at your wedding; however, you also don’t to break the bank on it either. This article is meant to show you how you can save money on your audio and video etc. for your wedding. Not everyone can afford a professional to take pictures and play music for their wedding. Many would rather get married in city hall rather than pay all of that extra money. Here are some great tips to saving money on your audio/video at your wedding:

1. Place an ad in a college for students who are majoring in audio video to come and do your wedding. When you do this, you can find people who have professional equipment and training at bargain basement prices. Let them know that you are hosting bidding for the project and watch them fight for the honor.

2. Get student photographers and amateurs to take some pictures for you by using the same means as above

3. Hand out disposable cameras at your reception so that your guests can share their experience at your wedding for you.

4. Get a friend or family member to videotape the ceremony for you as well in lieu of a wedding gift

5. Hire students and hobbyists to play the music at your reception

6. Use an MP3 player to play the music so that you don’t have to hire anyone at all. Just place CDs into it that automatically plays the songs that you want in the order that you want. Use burned CDs rather than buying a bunch of them

You do not have to hire a professional but if you want to, here are some tips for getting a good deal: Choose a photography package instead of purchasing all of the services separately. If there is something you want that isn't included, ask the photographer if you can make an exchange that won’t make the price higher.

Be careful about choosing the smallest or cheapest package. You may end up spending a lot more money after the wedding for all the extra prints alter. Check out any extras you are offered. Do not be fooled by the words "deluxe, premium or Ultimate".

Cheap Wedding And Reception Tips

If you are getting married and need to do so on a tight budget, there are many tips that you can follow to make sure that your wedding and reception doesn’t break the banks. Here are some tips that will save you money when you are planning your wedding ceremony and reception.

Trim the guest list to include only friends and family that are close to you. This is difficult to do but sometimes it is necessary if the cost per guest is going to break your budget. Think about it like this; you can simply cross off the names on the list of guests who might feel obligated to come to the wedding if they are invited, but would not be upset in the least if they are not asked to attend. Invite only the people who are important to you and your parents, rather than everyone you know.

Have your wedding ceremony and/or reception held at a hotel area, and ask for discounts when your family and friends are staying at same hotel which they will likely give. Reserve a block of rooms for your guests several months beforehand just to be sure that all goes smoothly on the day. Speak with the appropriate manager when asking for discounts and reserving rooms.

Stick to the schedule that you set beforehand for your ceremony and reception. Musicians will charge you a lot more if they are asked to perform beyond the time stated in their contract.

Have your ceremony and reception in the same location which will make things a great deal simpler. Ask friends to lend their talents instead of buying a gift such as DJ’s, flowers, centerpieces etc.

Have your wedding on a non-weekend day. Choose a weekday evening for your wedding. Schedule the wedding to allow guests time to arrive at the ceremony after the work day has ended. Many guests enjoy weekday weddings more because this frees up their weekends other things. Choose a date between November and April to avoid higher seasonal rates.

Supply disposable cameras all over the place for people to take pictures at your wedding. It will save a lot on fancy photographers. You can also ask a friend who you know is good at taking pictures to help. You can also get your friends with digital cameras to email you all the photos they take.

Get someone from college to help out with making a video of the ceremony. It will save you piles of money and still giving you the professional look that you may be hoping for. Offer a buffet instead of fancy dinners. Get your family members to each cook and bring something to add to the festivities.

Serve beer and wine instead of expensive champagnes. Let people know that they can bring their own liquor if they prefer something else.

Using Themes To Cut Wedding Costs

There’s nothing like a well thought out theme to make your wedding celebration unique and memorable for a fraction of the cost. A wedding theme should tell your guests something about the two of you as a couple and as individuals because that’s what makes it unique.

If you share a love for sports, maybe a sports themed wedding would be right for you. Or maybe you met on the beach, where you would likely want to choose a beach themed wedding. Once you’ve decided on your wedding theme, you are going to want to make sure all elements of your wedding celebration reflect that singular theme, and that is including the wedding favors and gifts.

If you can’t think of a theme wedding favor idea, one good way for you to start is to think about things that are included in or that reflect the theme. For instance, if you are having an Asian theme wedding, there are great Asian wedding favors available all over the place including the internet that all have Asian designs. Some of these samples include fortune cookies, chopsticks and take-out boxes and there are a lot of beautifully designed favors with these designs at even dollar stores these days. Some of my favorites are a fortune cookie place-card holder, a silver take-out box that has the names of the couple engraved on it.

The good news is that no matter what your theme is, you can find wedding favors to match it as long as you think of things that make you think of that theme. If you are having a beach theme wedding, you may want to consider favors with items like shells, fish, sand, and water. Look out for designs with motifs like beach umbrellas, flip-flops etc.

For a really elegant and yet useful beach theme favor, nothing really beats a beautiful silver dolphin-shaped bottle-opener or a shell shaped candle accent. But if that’s beyond your budget, there are some cool and cheap wedding favors like a shell card holder, a mini beach pail filled with candies etc.

Here are some more great theme wedding favor ideas: if you’re having a particular flower as your wedding theme, be on the watch for candy-holders, place-card holders, candles, tea-lights and candy that is shaped in that particular flower. If you’re having a wedding during the winter holidays, you may want to check out favors that have bells and holly wreaths or maybe even some birds.

When it comes to themed wedding party favors, the trick to making sure that your guests love their favors is to pick ones that are elegant and in keeping with your overall theme and yet useful. Themed weddings can always be bought without spending an arm and a leg. All you really need is a big imagination and a few good ideas and you are off and running. Just have a brainstorming session and see what pops out.

Hints And Tips For The Perfect Wedding

There are many things that you can do to have a perfect wedding without spending a fortune doing it. One of the first things that you need to do is develop a wedding plan, decide who is helping you plan your special day, and stick with it! Work a budget into the mix that is written in stone and stick within your means no matter what. Consider working with a professional wedding planner or consultant who has the know how to help you find ways to save money.

There are lots of traditional wedding expense breakdowns and financial responsibility assignments, following general outlines or etiquette rules and suggested practices. Traditionally, the bride’s parents would foot most of the bill, parents of the groom might want to contribute in some meaningful financial way, shape or form or just pay for specific things, or even share costs equally.

Some couples choose to save, pay for their own weddings, others use the kindness of benefactors, and other family members who want to contribute and lessen the burden on everyone. Couples and parents find innovative ways to deal with the expenses they face. They set up a wedding account, where everyone’s contributions are deposited. All bills are paid from that account, or they split costs in three equal parts. Parents on both sides and the couple each take a third of the expenses and cover their portion of the cost.

Setting up a master ‘wedding account’ is always a great idea to control spending, manage budgets, avoid conflicts. You can ease the financial burden this major life event is placing on everyone by offering a unique service and channel for one-and-all who feel they want to contribute. It also provides the family with the unique opportunity to have others provide cash.

It is accepted practice that attendants pay for their own clothing, but in some cases, especially where the option to share expenses has been mobilized, the wardrobe will be “funded” so to speak. Rentals that will have to be returned and/or purchased, traditional, themed or even home-made outfits are always other options as well, depending on your wedding’s unique style, set-up and context. Traditionally the bride and/or her family would pay for the bride’s dress, veil and accessories; her mother’s dress and father’s formal wear as well as the bride’s trousseau, honeymoon clothes and lingerie.

Reception – the bulk of the cost for any wedding would be the food and drink, party rentals, music and entertainment of your guests on the big day. Cost cutting suggestions and innovative cost sharing, will all go a long way to assist you plan the reception.

Making it fit your budget is both a challenge and a joyful endeavor! Getting professional help from a seasoned, well-versed wedding expert will be dollars saved in the end and a smart investment strategy to help you curb costs and create the perfect ambience and backdrop for your wedding celebrations. Do not go the journey alone – consult often and frequently shop around and be creative, making your reception the one to remember without having to break the bank!

Planning A Wedding On A Budget

It sounds like an oxy-moron in so many ways doesn’t it? Well, get over it because that is the future of wedding planning. Spending your life savings on your big day is not just crazy it is insanely idiotic.

You can have elegant, beautiful weddings and receptions without having to go broke in the process. Today’s couple knows that weddings on a budget just make more sense than spending like crazy. That and the days when the bride’s parents pay for everything is just about over. Nowadays couples are often spending their own money on the wedding as many of them live together long before the wedding day.

Cheap weddings don’t have to mean that you have to give up on style or sentimentality. It means using your imagination, and using your own hands or the help of friends and family rather than paying through the roof for professionals. You can save some money without skimping on any of the good stuff. Planning a cheap wedding is planning dream weddings but with much more cash left over. Wouldn’t you rather have money to put down on a house or to pay for your honeymoon?

You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing to make your special. There are so many ideas that can make your wedding a great deal cheaper in the long run. Some of these ideas include:

• Buying your dress secondhand
• Having friends and family make your food and cake for you in lieu of a wedding gift
• Using an MP3 player instead of hiring a DJ
• Having your reception at home with only close friends and family
• Not inviting the entire universe to your wedding

There are just so many things that you can do to make your wedding days a bit cheaper that this article alone cannot cover them all. Brainstorm and use your imagination to find more ways to stay within your budget.

When you need to throw a wedding on a budget, you can always make sure that you and your fiancé opt for a wedding that does not cost as much as the average wedding. You can have your wedding outdoors, in your yard or that of a family member, have theme based wedding that can be easy to create etc.

Theme weddings always take a lot of the cost out of throwing a big and expensive wedding and they are always a lot of fun for everyone that is involved.