Sack your planner:

Fantastic as wedding planners are, they can be very costly. Rather than booking an events organiser, invest in a wedding planning book which is split into sections e.g. outfits, budget, guest list etc. This will put you in control of your wedding with the aid of your planning book.

Delegating jobs to key members of the bridal party is also a good way of keeping costs [and stress levels!] down. Using a social networking site is also a great way of keeping your guests and the bridal party on track with recent developments.

Keep an eye on the budget with an accounts package:

By using accounting software on your computer you can set up a spreadsheet or something similar. This will allow you to keep on top of your wedding budget and force you to be realistic with what you can afford.

Send invites out with your Christmas Cards:

Rather than paying for postage twice, why not send your wedding invitations out to your guests along with their Christmas cards? What a lovely surprise it will be for them when they open their cards.

College students for photography:

There are so many students out there who are studying to be wedding photographers so why not cash in on that? Contact your local college and ask the lecturers who their best students are. It would be great experience for them and you will most likely get their services free of charge, in exchange for them showcasing your wedding photos in their portfolio.

Get married on a Friday or Bank Holiday Sunday:

Opting for a non-Saturday event could save you thousands! Contact the venue where you wish to have your reception and enquire about their weekday and Bank Holiday Sunday rates. Bank Holiday Sundays are perfect for a wedding as most guests will be off work on the Monday so able to stay and celebrate with you well into the evening.

Get your cake from a supermarket:

Did you know a wedding cake can set you back up to Ј1000? Save your cash to spend elsewhere and invest in a wedding cake from any leading supermarket. Many supermarkets also sell cake pillars and 3 different sizes of cake so you can tier the cake yourself. Top the cake with a few fresh flowers or some glitter butterflies for a perfect finish!

Make your own jam:

If you’re a dab hand in the kitchen why not make your own wedding jam to give guests as favours? Fill glass jars with homemade jam and label them with your name & wedding date. It’s traditional for the bride to make her own favours anyway, so these will be well received by your guests.

Make your own place settings:

Rather than investing in place card holders, why not paint guests’ names on pebbles or leaves? These will give your tables an earthy and organic feel. All this will cost you is a little time.

Set up an alternative wedding list – not for the faint hearted!

Get guests to choose from an unusual wedding gift list which you could set up online or get one of your bridal party to arrange. The gifts could be all the extra things that make your day special but are usually costly, such as:- Button Holes for the bridal party The bridal bouquet Glass of champagne on arrival Favours Dessert at reception Travel to church Bridesmaid dresses Flowers for the church

You could include a ‘List of Thanks’ on the reverse of your Order of Service to those who contributed to your day. This is a great way of involving guests in your day and of getting the wedding day you really want rather than the usual 5 toasters that you don’t want!

Have Hen & Stag parties on New Years Eve:

Cash in on the parties already going on at this time of year and combine your hen or stag party with a New Year party. This will save you having to organise and pay for your own event – just combine the two!

And lastly, don’t forget to chat with other brides on forums. This is a great way of sharing money saving tips together, so everyone gets the best wedding they can afford!

It is okay to daydream and be off in the happy la-la land of cloud nine for a while, but once you actually get out a calendar and choose a date for the big event, it will quickly become very evident to you that you are going to need wedding planning help if you are going to survive the wedding and actually get on to the business of the marriage.

Wedding planning help comes in all sorts of sizes and degrees, from a small amount of assistance to make sure that proper etiquette is followed properly, to a vast amount of assistance whereby your wedding planner does just about everything but try on the dress and kiss the groom for you. The amount of wedding planning help that you require can fall anywhere between those two extremes.

Of course, hiring a wedding planner can be expensive, and if it is just not in your budget, you can always turn to non-professionals or even get your assistance by reading some great books or checking out some wedding sites online, and then simply picking and choosing what suits you and your personality the best.

Regardless of whether or not you decide to hire a professional, the most important thing is that you do not try to do absolutely everything yourself. Your groom-to-be is most likely very capable of choosing the tuxes, your sister can absolutely address the invitations, and so on. Turn to the people who love you to help you out when you will share with the world your new love.

Now imagine inviting all the friends and family of the bride and groom to a setting of marriage that they will remember forever all because of some careful planning.  The key to a dream  wedding is not hiring a professional wedding planner or copying what is seen on television.  The main ingredient is to use a wedding planning checklist.  Not just any checklist, but one that is created by a professional wedding planner.

A professionally designed checklist is created by someone who has planned several successful weddings and wants to share the knowledge with everyone because the happiness of a great marriage is too much to hold in.  The rest of your life does not rely on this day, but the wedding day can be remembered forever!

With the right checklist anyone can follow complete instructions and easily checkoff each detail as it is completed.  It is like having step by step instructions to coloring a flower in a coloring book.  A set of easy to follow guidelines that will show exactly what needs to be done and when.

Just think that a wedding planner that has already paved the road, so all the previous mistakes were made and solutions have been found.  No one has to plan a dream wedding in the dark because of a few good people willing to share the wealth of knowledge for almost nothing.  Years of experience await someone to take the time to plan the perfect wedding and live happily ever after.

Perfect Wedding Shower has designed a professional wedding planning checklist that anyone can use and follow for a dream wedding made reality. Start planning today and your dream can come true.

- Self DesignOne way by which you can get affordable wedding planning is through the design of your own dress and favors. Consider the amount of money you will save if you can personally design your own wedding dress. There is no doubt that thousands of dollars will definitely be saved. Moreover, you can use your favorite colors of votive candles and their holders to design the exquisite wedding favors that will grace your wedding reception.

- Shop in bulkA lot of items that would be needed in your wedding can be purchased in bulk so that you will get the benefit of discount. Consider buying the foods, drinks and decorations from bulk warehouses instead of retail stores.

- Choose a natural location for the wedding receptionYou may not have the money to rent a five-star event hall or a hotel venue for your wedding. However, you can organize the wedding reception in a location with the feel of nature. Using an open field near a beach will be pleasing and alluring to guests. Also, you may consider an old barn for this grand reception. Remember, in as much as you don’t have enough money for an ultra-modern wedding reception hall, with the use of these natural setting, you will definitely save thousands of dollars.

- Use the services of friends and relativesEngage your friends and loved ones to assist you in running errands on your wedding. They will be happy to help you in this joyful moment. Their cars, ideas and advice will be offered to you free of charge. This will save you the amount you would have paid a professional wedding planner. Moreover, friends can help you to take photographs and video coverage on the whole reception.

There are many things you can do to really make your wedding planning affordable. If you observe the tips above, you will definitely save lots of costs in planning your wedding.

A good rule of thumb when asking for help with your wedding is to play to people’s strengths. You will find this to be a good idea for several reasons. For one thing, if you are asking a friend to do something that she enjoys, you are much more likely to get an enthusiastic “yes!” to your request. Furthermore, you will definitely get better results when your assistants are working from their strengths rather than their weaknesses.

For example, if your maid of honor is a fantastic organizer, she could be the perfect person to keep a tally of the guest list. She can make a spreadsheet that tracks who was invited, who has responded, and who needs to be contacted for an answer. If she is willing, your maid of honor could even be the one to make the calls to the guests who have not sent in their R.s.v.p. cards by the deadline, but some people do not feel comfortable with that job, so don’t assume that you can hand that off to a friend.

On the other hand, let’s say that your maid of honor is flighty, but very artistic. Well, you certainly would not ask her to keep track of your head count, but she could be ideal for doing preliminary band auditions. Not only will this save you some time and legwork, but she might even love doing it. Remember that helping you with your wedding preparations should not cost your friends money, so if you are sending your maid of honor to see bands at an event that has a cover charge or serves drinks, be sure to pay her way.

Many brides will have an excellent cook in the family. Asking your mother or aunt to make all of the food for your wedding goes way beyond simple delegating, but one of these people might love to make your cake or help you with the menu tastings. Even if you still have to be involved in certain parts of the planning, having a helpful friend or family member with you can make it much easier to decide between options.

When you are wondering who else you might be able to delegate a job to, don’t forget about the groom! After all, it is his wedding too. Even if the bride is doing the majority of the planning and decision-making, you can still ask the groom to do all sorts of little things to ease your burden. Even if he is just running to the stationer to pick up the invitations and the chocolate shop for the favors, you will be grateful to save a little of your time.

Finally, don’t forget to show your gratitude for all of those who spent their own precious time to help you with your wedding. For the women, a nice gift would be a simple piece of jewelry that they can wear to your wedding. An engraved silver bracelet, for instance, is the perfect type of wedding jewelry to give as a thank you. Your friends will deserve it for all of the stress that they have helped to lift off of the bride!

Cost is one aspect to consider during your planning. Luckily, many resorts and hotels cater to couples who want an all-inclusive package. These packages may include everything from catering and wedding album planning to arranging local transportation for guests. Make sure you shop around for the best deals that suit your needs. Some brides and grooms have found that destination nuptials cry out for the help of a wedding planner. These professionals may even work with a local on-site planner to help carry out your wishes efficiently.

Be prepared to make at least one visit (but probably more) to your chosen locale throughout the planning process. For example, you may need to sample food, talk to the photographer about the wedding albums and research activities for the weekend. While you’re there, make sure you look into the laws governing the area where you plan to tie the knot. Foreign countries may have restrictions on what day you can marry or require you to obtain a license far in advance. Keep in mind that if you marry in a far-off location, not everyone will be able to join you on your big day. Some couples tell guests not to buy gifts if they are attending a destination wedding to help defray costs. Meanwhile, others plan small from the get-go in order to keep their own costs under control. Finally, make sure to relax and try not to let the planning of your destination wedding take over your life. Just take a deep breath and focus on how beautiful your chosen locale will look as a backdrop in your wedding photo albums.

A is for Alcohol – If your budget allows then treat your guests to champagne for the toasts & wine for the wedding breakfast. Don’t forget those guests who don’t drink alcohol & make sure you have a nice alternative for them.

B is for Breakfast – Never skip breakfast on your wedding day. You will go a long time before you eat again so make sure you have something nutritious to keep you going & to calm your nerves.

C is for Cosmetics – Choose the best cosmetics for your outfit & which make you feel comfortable. Don’t wear more make up then you would do usually & don’t be pushed into buying expensive products by the consultants on the beauty counters in your local store.

D is for Dress – Your wedding dress is the bit you will be most excited about & the bit that your guests will be eager to see. Stick to a style that is flattering to you & do not be tempted to go over the top to impress.

E is for Entertainment – The majority of wedding receptions are followed by an evening party, so keep your guests entertained with a great DJ, live band or some other act.

F is for Family – If you have family members joining you for your big day that you haven’t seen in a while, make sure you make time to talk to them during the wedding day.

G is for Gifts – Put together a gift registry with a wide choice of items & a wide price range to fit every guest’s budget.

H is for Honeymoon – Make sure you look out for special deals with travel agents & book it early to avoid any disappointment, particularly in the high season.

I for Invites – Get these sent out at least six weeks before the wedding day so your guests have time to respond. Don’t forget to put on them the basic information about your wedding including location, date & time!

J is for Jewelry -Choose simple pieces that will compliment & not compete with your wedding dress.

K is for Kind Advice – Take on board any advice family members may try to give you, but keep in mind that is your wedding & you should have what you want.

L is for Laughter – Stay relaxed, remember to smile & laugh. If you are happy then your guests are happy too!

M is for Money – Your wedding budget is vital to the success of your wedding planning, so decide on what you can realistically afford to spend & stick to it. You do not want to start married life in debt.

N is for Nails – You will showing off your new wedding ring a lot over the course of the day & no doubt will have to pose for photographs. So make sure your nails & hands are looking in the best shape possible.

O is for Organization – Proper planning & clever organization is the key to a successful wedding.

P is for Photographer – Ask to see previous work when looking at photographers & make sure you get a written quote before you book.

Q is for Qualms – Many people will have a few qualms about the wedding before the day itself. It is quite normal & if you are really worried then talk with a close friend or relative about your fears.

R is for Reception – this is the part of the day that most people will look forward to. Take some time to choose the right venue & wedding breakfast. Ask for a written statement of everything the venue will provide you along with the total cost before you book.

S is for Speech – Is traditional for the male members of the wedding party to make the speeches, but many brides are getting in on the act as well these days. If your feel comfortable making a speech then by all means do so & use notes if you need to.

T is for Transport – Everyone will need to get to the church & then on to the reception, so you will need to make arrangements for this. Again when you approach hire companies get a written quote first.

U is for Underwear – Your wedding lingerie is vital to your comfort & the look & fit of your wedding dress.

V is for Vows – A tradition that hasn’t gone out of fashion is wedding vows. Some will choose traditional ones whilst others will write their own.

W is for Wedding Rings – You can choose from a variety of materials for your wedding rings including the traditional band of gold. If you want something more unique & personal, look for a jeweler who will design & make some for you.

X is for Kisses – Include some lip balm in your bridal handbag as you will be dishing out & receiving a lot of kisses throughout the day!

Y is for why? – Try to find some time alone together after the ceremony so you can have a few moments of contemplation together.

Z is for Zzzz – Recent reports suggest that nearly a third of all newly weds fall straight to sleep on their wedding nights. Ah well, you’ve got the rest of your lives.

Hire an organizer

Although it may appear strange, a good way to save money is hiring a good wedding organizer. One expert has many contacts already in places ranging from wedding place, cakes, party ceremony, flowers, and also provides help on calendar, guest list, photographer and everything you need for your wedding. It is also very likely to get a better price than that will be given out to the general public. Another advantage is that it will save you time and gasoline to go from one place to another and to find rooms and gardens for your event. You can also forget about having to be dealing with suppliers, which will lead to hassle at the end. She will take care of all that for you. There is nothing better than having one person responsible for everything to perfection so that you do not have to worry about anything

A fixed budget

It is important to set a budget in advance for the wedding and try not to leave any missing portion. Remember that the wedding involves many costs; do not spend all the money in one place as a lump sum, as there are many other expenses to cover.

Another tip you can give is to do things as early as possible. It is much easier to get a good price if you set aside a room in advance. The least time you would want to plan would normally be spending in May.

When you go to visit a banquets then ask all your questions related to price. Sometimes the price they tell you does not include the price of the linen and tableware. You should always ask by the whole package that includes full service without any missing items.

Choose a flower of the season

There are many flowers that are seasonal and therefore more expensive if you choose one that is difficult to achieve in that time of the year. Ask the florist which one suits you both time and price, remember that all flowers are beautiful and there is no need to spend on a fortune.

Reduce the number of guests

This can be a difficult task and can cause some trouble but if they agree, you can reduce the number of guests based on some rules as to invite only close friends or exclude children for example.

Always read contracts

When you go to sign a contract with a supplier, always read it with calmly look and any fine prints that are usually in small letters. Also be assured that the service includes everything that you have been provided and you will come away with no surprises.

When it comes to planning the biggest party of your lives, it can seem like a mountain to climb. You will need to be able to book & organize suppliers, get your dreams across to dress designers & florists, then there is choosing your wedding colors, theme or style, wedding favors & on top of all this there may well be a multitude of family issues that have to be sorted out before the big day.

There are many thousands of brides who will walk down the aisle each year, some confident, some not so. The secret to being a confident bride? Clever wedding planning. I am not talking about bridezilla, over obsessive organization, but simply a system that will always let you know where you are up to.

Successful wedding planning is all about lists. You will write a great many to do lists for just about every aspect of your wedding. In fact list writing is something that can become quite addictive, so if it is not something you do now, you certainly will be the end of your wedding day!

Writing to-do lists is a great way of keeping yourself organized & ensuring that nothing is overlooked. Write them in a notebook which you can keep in your handbag & in which you can write down anything that you may need to remember, such as telephone numbers, dates or prices.

Pictures of just about everything you want to do with your wedding are another good idea. Put together a scrapbook of images of everything from bouquets to shoes. You can then show these pictures to vendors, such as your florist so they can get a good idea of what you want. If you struggle to get pictures of the things you want, then take a camera out & about with you, that way if you see something you like you can snap it (just ask permission though first, especially if you are in a store!).

Use your computer to store all your wedding related documents & digital images. Set up spreadsheets for your budget, guest list, RSVP’s & gift registry. Just be sure to create a ‘wedding folder’ to store everything in on your computer & create a shortcut to it on your desktop. Include as much important information in it as you can, including accommodation details, dietary requirements, diary dates & addresses. It will help you to collate information quickly & easily.

As well as a file on your computer, create a file for all your paperwork, such as contracts, quotes & statements. Be sure to get everything in writing before hiring a vendor or supplier & paying a deposit.

As a final thought, wedding planning is tough going & no-one person can do it all on their own. So don’t be afraid to ask others to help out. Use the services of friends & family (they are bound to offer – several times!). This includes your husband to be, your chief bridesmaid & your parents (including the in laws). Make up a list of everything you would like someone else to do & delegate.

Announce The Engagement.

Announcing your engagement is pretty basic, once you get engaged it is time to tell everyone you know! This can be a pretty fun part of your engagement, announcing your future commitment and showing off your ring to all your friends and family. There are many ways you can announce your engagement. You can send out engagement announcements, have an engagement party or even use more modern forms of communication like telling the world of your upcoming nuptials on social networking sites.

Set The Date.

Being engaged is great, but there are differences between saying you are getting married, you are getting married next spring or you are getting married on May 18, 2011. Having a date makes it feel less abstract and more real. Setting the date of your wedding is one of the most important decisions to make in the beginning of the engagement. So how do you choose your date? There are many ways. Sometimes people already know when they want to get married, they have the date picked out based on a holiday wedding, a tradition, or a date that means something special to the couple.

However, if you do not know that date you are getting married and there are no special dates or holidays that you want to get married on it is time to decide when you do want to get married. Narrow down your choices. Decide on the time of the year, the season or the month and go from there. Once you narrowed it down to a year and season or month look at that timeframe and eliminate any dates you want to avoid. These would include holidays you don’t want to be married on, birthdays and anniversaries of potential guests as well as any days that bring negative feelings to you, your fiancй or your families.

Determine Your Budget.

Once you announced your engagement and set the date you need to determine how much money you have for the rest of the wedding. This may be one of the least pleasant things you need to do while planning your wedding but it is pertinent to understand how much money you have to spend so you can plan the perfect wedding with the least amount of snags as possible.

Choose Your Ceremony Site and Your Reception Site

The ceremony site is important. This is where you walk down the aisle and get married to your fiancй in front of all your family and friends. There are many choices of places to say I do. You can get married in a church, an outdoor garden or another outside location, a restaurant, a hotel or a private home. What you choose will affect the feel of your wedding. Each possible ceremony site would affect your wedding. When choosing where you will have your ceremony think about what kind of wedding you want if you want something classic, romantic, modern or something else entirely. Think about how you want the place to be decorated and if what you have in mind could be easily accomplished in each possible place.

Your reception is pretty much the same. You want the reception location to add to the feeling and theme of your wedding. Some ceremony locations can double as reception locations such as hotels and restaurants, where as others such as churches and other places of worship are usually only for the ceremony.

Planning your wedding may seem daunting at first, but once you become organized and start thinking about what you have to do it really isn’t that hard. Just remember the basics. Keep the planning simple, focus on what needs to be done but try not to overstress and get organized. Make lists, check them off. Read and research online and off about weddings, wedding planning and talk to whoever you can about their own weddings and experiences.