Plan Your Wedding Without Going Into Debt

Weddings are expensive, but don't lose hope

Everyone knows that weddings are expensive. The average wedding in the U.S. is estimated to cost $20,000, and a wedding in a large city can cost nearly double that amount. In addition, couples are often foregoing traditional means of paying for their weddings (like asking parents for support) in order to prove that they can do it on their own.

With this in mind, many businesses are popping up around the world that cater to financing weddings. There are special loans that can be taken out for weddings as well as the old stalwart, the credit card. All of these alternative finance options, however, have several disadvantages. To begin with, they charge interest the moment you borrow the cash. Loans are generally lower interest than credit cards, but in either case, a couple must ask themselves if they really want to start out their married lives in debt. Believe me, money will come up enough in your marriage as a stress factor; you don't want to start out with this as the groundwork!

In order to avoid getting into debt for your wedding, here are some key tips that will help.

* Shop Around - Make sure that what you purchase fits into your budget. Remember that shopping for your wedding services is the same as any other shopping trip; if you look hard enough, you are bound to get some good deals. It can be very tempting to go out and take the first deal you are offered on the different services you will need for your wedding, but don't.

* Plan Ahead - Nothing is worse than waiting, but in the case of a wedding, time between the engagement and the wedding day is all time you can use to save money. A year is pretty good, but you should try for anywhere from a year to eighteen months. Anything longer will probably prove unbearable.

* Budget! - Make a budget right away, and stick to it. First, take a look at your monthly financial situation. Remember to include all of your normal expenses as well as money for emergencies. Multiply whatever is left over by the number of months until your wedding. This is what you can reasonably expect to save. If it doesn't seem like enough, take another look at your expenditures and see if there are any areas where you can make some cuts. Common areas here are on gas and on luxury items like movies, cigarettes, and going out to eat.

One way a couple can save significant amounts of money is by scheduling their wedding outside of the busy season. The early months of summer means that weddings compete not only with other ceremonies but also with college, university, and high school graduations. Most wedding vendors also cater to graduations, so prices will be at a premium. Try and schedule your wedding during the off season; many vendors are looking to make some unforeseen money during a time of the year when they are traditionally slow, so the chances are that you will receive much better rates.

The expensive prospect of a wedding does not mean that you need to go into debt. It is much better if you do not start your new life out in a financial hole. Planning ahead is key to making sure that your wedding can fit into your financial picture.

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