Fab Tips on Reining in Your Wed Budget

I'm thrilled to feature guest blogger Kara Taylor for these fabulous budget tips:

Weddings are pricey -- there is no denying that.  Many couples spend upwards of $30,000 on their wedding, sometimes more.  Even a small wedding with nothing fancy can run several thousand dollars.  As a result, many couples start off their lives together in debt.
Unfortunately, in today's economy, many couples simply aren't able or willing to spend that much money on a wedding.  Luckily for you, you don't really have to.  Here are a few ways to cut costs on your wedding and stay within budget.

1. Do the planning yourself. Yes, it is a lot of work to do all the planning yourself, but it'll save you a lot of money to do so.  Plus, you might be able to share the responsibilities of planning with your spouse-to-be, and delegate a few tasks here and there to your bridesmaids.
2. Think outside the box. Some of the things we have come to expect in the wedding industry are part of why weddings cost so much.  For example, why pay big bucks for a wedding venue (one of the biggest single expenses of your wedding) if you have a beautiful backyard where you could have the wedding instead?  Also, weddings are trending toward large affairs, but take a careful look at the guest list -- do you really need to invite all of those people, or are you inviting some of them simply because you think you should?
3. Take a DIY approach. DIY isn't just for home repairs.  There are a lot of ways you can cut costs at your wedding by doing things yourself.  For example, if you are creative or good at crafts, you can make your own favors.  Enlist a bridesmaid's help and experiment with hairstyles so that you don't have to pay to get your hair done.  Invitations can be hand-lettered or printed out on nice paper using any standard printer; you can buy the proper lined wedding envelopes separately online.
4. Wear something borrowed. The folk wisdom of wearing something borrowed is for more than just luck.  Borrowing something not only represents frugality in your future life with your spouse, it also means that you have one less thing to buy for your wedding!  Where this can be seen the most is in the tradition of brides wearing their mother's wedding dress.  Since the wedding dress is often one of your biggest expenses, after venue and catering, wearing a borrowed dress can save you a lot of money -- not to mention it can be a very sentimental decision.
5. Buy discount and wholesale. When it comes to decorating for your reception, you can save a lot of money by buying items discount or wholesale.  For instance, your venue or caterer may or may not provide tablecloths and napkins. If this is the case, you can purchase these fairly cheaply when you get them wholesale -- often for nearly the same price as it costs to rent them.  Other items, such as vases and centerpieces, can also be purchased inexpensively when purchased in bulk or from a discount retailer.

Sure, weddings can be expensive, but this doesn't mean they have to be.  With a little creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, a do-it-yourself attitude and some skill at shopping around for the best prices, you can actually shave quite a bit of money off of the overall expense of getting married.

**Kara Taylor is a freelance writer who is passionate about wedding resources. Lately, she has focused her writing on planning, invitations and wedding centerpieces.

Wedding Registries 101

Before stepping up to the altar and saying "I do," here's one other vow to consider: Promise to avoid the financial traps when signing up at bridal gift registries. Read the fine print, avoid unnecessary credit card offers, and ask about extra fees, charges and return policies before registering online or at the store.

This is a busy time of the year for wedding planning, and with so many details to consider, it's no wonder that setting up the gift registry and researching choices is frequently done haphazardly.

Here are some tips that could help the bride and groom avoid financial headaches before tying the knot.

Register online as well as at traditional stores. Register with two or three merchants, so your friends and family members will have more options on gifts and prices. Keep in mind that Aunt Mary's not Web-savvy and would prefer shopping at the store.

Some multipurpose online sites offer reasonably priced wedding reception decorations and gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. TheKnot.com, links to two companion sites; The Nest and The Bump.

Be wary of plastic pitches. Nothing looks as good on wedding registries as big discounts on china, cooking utensils and other gifts that you purchase or that you get as gifts. But take a closer look. Sometimes those discounts, or rewards point, are available only if you use the merchant's credit card.

Macy's online bridal registry, for example, offers rewards points and a $100 wedding gift - but the fine print explains that you must have a Macy's credit card to take advantage of its Registry Star Rewards program.

Ask yourself: Do you really need the credit card?

Check on fees and extra charges. Know what you're signing up for. What are the charges for wrapping and shipping? This may help protect the person who's buying the gift from getting slapped with a hefty service charge.

Does the retailer offer "completion" deals? Some merchants will toss you a generous discount on unpurchased registry items, according to Bankrate.com, a personal finance website.

Ask for gift certificates. This way you can buy what you want when the items go on sale.

Get it in writing. Is the bride offered a discount on the price of the china? Were you quoted a price for ordering a minimum number of place settings?

"Don't be stuck with empty, very verbal promises," wrote Jeff Ostroff, who operates the consumer website bridaltips.com.

What's the return policy? Is there a generous time frame for returning duplicate gifts or the wine goblet that has a chip in the base?

On the other hand, consider keeping some extras, they might come in handy after you accidentally drop the butter knife down the disposal.