Wedding is one of the important events in life that a couple should be cherished. How you set-up your wedding will definitely reflects the personality of the couple. It doesn’t matter how much they had spent or saved.

According to a survey conducted for the Conde Nast Bridal Group, the average weddings with the budget of more than $27,000 is the tougher part when they think about coordinating a wedding.

Do you think it has to be this way? Definitely not! Kathleen Kennedy, a chef, stylist, with over 18 years of experience in the hospital industry, stated that there is no need to spend bucks of money on a wedding when the most significant point is to make the celebration personal.

Kennedy’s book titled “Priceless Weddings for under $5, 000,” caters budget - savvy tips and strategies in order to have a special memorable day during your wedding.

Consider these Kennedy’s top 10 strategies for hosting a wedding that will surely be memorable without compromising your bills:

Prioritize
1. Prior to your planning of wedding and reception, take a time with your partner to make a list of your top five priorities.

“This will help to determine where to go all out, and where it’s fair game to cut corners,” Kennedy explained. “For example, if you think that the wedding and reception be held at the restaurant where you had your first date or you know someone who can design the gown or you have a favorite DJ - then you can include that into your budget and decide to cut the cost in other areas.”

2. Limit the Guest List
Make sure to have a concise list of guess as possible. This will definitely reduce reception cost. The difference between 100 guests and 150 will be significant since most of the caterers, banquet halls and restaurants charge per- person.

{mosimage} The lines from Rev. Roger Coleman of Clergy Services Inc. in Kansan City, Mo. Who specializes in small family wedding can be considered as he has a pleasant rule in deciding how many guests to invite. “Don’t invite more guests than you can spend one minute time with. If you invite 300 guests, spending one minute with each would take over five hours.” Considering that it doesn’t include yet the actual ceremony, eating, or dancing!

3. Cuisine Costs
As food is the most important thing to be considered during the wedding, you must have a proper decision on how the food will be served. A buffet instead of a it-down meal, or host a high tea, a dessert reception, brunch or luncheon instead of a multi-course meal. “Drop-off catering” can be one of the best way to cut down the cost. If you think you can please the visitor’s taste in foods, then why not cater all part of the reception yourself.

4. Venue
If you will just considered the many option for low-cost or no-cost locations, local and national parks, forest preserves, backyard of your house or relative’s, these will really help a lot in cutting down the cost. There were also promos in which the wedding, reception and even the honeymoon could be offered in an all-inclusive package.

Take note that a wedding on any day but Saturday will cut the expenses. Planning the wedding during off-season is the great way to plan your wedding.

5. Wedding Attire
The bride has many options as she desires in order to be captivating in her wedding gown without compromising the cost. There were lots of ready to wear wedding gowns such as department stores, gown outlet, or through a discount gown retailer. You can even rent a gown or check out an online auction through the net. Or if you prefer, you can have your gown rented or putting your mom’s or mother-in-law’s bridal gown on the fashion trend for you to have a sentimental bridal gown.

6. Set the mood with Flowers and decorations.
Being wed in a place that is already decorated by nature id a big savings! A Garden wedding could even set nature lover mood. It could also be in a museum or a beautifully furnished home. You could do the decoration yourself to establish your preferred mood.

As Kennedy says “One bride I interviewed for the book planted 200 bulbs months before the wedding, and then married in the middle of the full-blooming cheerful yellow tulips. Another bride bought a 13 dozen roses at a great price from a warehouse store.”

7. Getting the word out
The couples talent and skill at the same time will be enhanced if they were the ones who will make their wedding invitation. The best part of it, they will cut the cost.

Kennedy and her husband even created an invitation with the help of their computer. They also created a newsletter which they have distributed a few months before their wedding. “This helped to alert out-of-towners to make reservations in advance and plan a mini-vacation if they wanted to.” Kennedy utters.

8. The magic of music
Music is said to be the outlet of our soul and heart, things like these must not be missed during this special celebration. With the help of a band or even a disk jockey is enough to entertain the visitors. If you prefer live music, look for bands that can perform during daytime and “jam” for fun. Don’t dare to hire a child violin performer for the ceremony - this could be boring to the audience.

9. Picture perfect
Since this is one of the precious moments in your life, never pass a moment without a photographer’s capture of camera.

{mosimage}According to Kennedy, this doesn’t have to be expensive when they were married, they considered that photography and videography very important to them considering that they don’t have to spend bucks for such services. Instead, they hired their friend who was an art school graduate to do such things. She handed over to them a package deal of full day of shooting, a wedding book, and the proofs and negatives for a very low price. Another friend of theirs do the video coverage as a wedding present.

10. Bar service adds up quickly
Limiting or eliminating a traditional full bar to one or two hours will definitely cut cost. The couple may prefer serving beer and win only to the visitors, instead of serving alcohol at all or only pouring a champagne toast. Some reception hall allowed the host to bring their own liquors and have someone to pour it. This will greatly save the cost.

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