Getting married soon? Do you know someone who is and are they having trouble with expenditures? This is actually a much more common problem than you might think. The average cost of a wedding has ballooned to more than twenty thousand dollars. That’s a pretty substantial cost (you probably knew that already) and while many people justify it as that “once in a lifetime event”, we think a meaningful and memorable wedding doesn’t have to cost the same as a midsized automobile. Here are a few ways you can save money on your blessed event:

Have the reception in the same location as the ceremony

Believe it or not, most of your guests will actually appreciate this. Not having to move from one location to another saves on headache, expense and you probably will get fewer people who decide they can’t go out again after going home and changing. Trust us, one of the most blessed words a person can read on their wedding invitation is “reception to follow immediately.”

Consider a late morning wedding

Follow the ceremony with a lunch reception. First, lunch is much cheaper than dinner; most caterers will readily agree. Second, if you find a scenic place to have your ceremony, a lunch immediately following is not only less expensive, but has that ‘picnic’ feel to it that families will enjoy. Third, you are likely to have more respondents to your invitation if you have the entire event in one place with an afternoon meal. You may think this applies only to guests who already live nearby, but you might be surprised at how grateful people will be to have their evening free to rest or turn in early if they’ve traveled a long way.

Look for an uncommon host

Unless you are absolutely committed to having a ceremony in your church, a lot of scenic venues can be rented for relatively low cost simply due to the fact that not many people actually get married there. Here’s an interesting example: the local church usually charges five hundred to a thousand dollars for the cost of using the facility, but your local state or county park will likely charge only a fraction of the cost because their venues don’t host weddings often. Do you have a local park that features historic homes and structures? Consider having an Early American themed wedding and make your own clothes, or rent period costumes (dresses and tuxes) for less than the price of buying a dress and renting regular tuxes.

Get a sponsor

Believe it or not, local business may be willing to give you a break in cost if you let them sponsor your wedding. We’re not talking about a giant billboard at the front of the church, but rather a tasteful statement on your invitation or announcement cards, such as: “Joe’s Catering will be providing refreshments at the reception”. In some cases, you might be able to drop the price of your wedding to almost nothing. Sometimes, even with the most budget-conscious planning, you may still find you have unexpected wedding expenses. If so, come see us at CASH 1 for Registration Loans in Arizona or Nevada. We have locations in Reno, Vegas and the greater Phoenix area.