Wedding Money Saving Tips – How to Plan Your Own Wedding Part 1

Be Your Own Wedding Planner and Save Money 
 
Create-Your-Own-Wedding-Planning-Ideas
Nowadays, many happy couples employ a professional wedding planner take charge of the details of the event. Whist a dedicated planner can bring many benefits and take some of the stress away for you, they often come with a price, and sometimes they don't actually achieve much!
 
I’m not saying this is the case for every planner – I know some excellent, dedicated, wonderful wedding planners – so if you do decide that you want one – feel free to ask for my feedback.
However, many couples decide to do it all themselves (either through personal choice or budget constraints).
 
So, if you aren’t looking for a wedding planner then read on….
 
Do I need a Wedding Planner?Not so long ago, there wasn’t any such thing as a wedding planner, and the bride and her mother (with a little help from her main man) made it all happen. While a wedding planner can be a great help, you don’t actually need one. In fact, there are many benefits to acting as your own wedding planner, one of the biggest being the amount of money you can potentially save. There are two main reasons why couples looking to save money should plan their wedding on their own.

Planning Your Own Wedding Helps to…

A) Minimize Outside Influences: Outside influence can quickly drive the price of a wedding up. A planner who insists on (or strongly suggests) adding certain elements to the wedding can begin to cost the couple more money than they planned on spending. It can be difficult when the planner seems to have your best interest at heart. He or she may really be sincere and want the day to be a beautiful for you but at the expense of busting their budget. When you opt to go it alone and plan your own wedding, you won’t be constantly presented with new ways to bust your budget unless you find them all on your own!
 
B) Lower Costs: Not having to hire a planner will save you money, of course. Wedding planner fees vary greatly depending on their experience and what level of involvement they have in your wedding. Location can also have an effect on the cost of your wedding planner. Nonetheless, in terms of payout, you won’t have this expense if you do it yourself.
 
Sometimes, planners tell you they can save you money by referring you to “great deals” and “preferred vendors.” Sometimes that’s the case, but overall, you can still keep costs down by DIYing it.
 
How to Save Money – Have Fun – Reduce the Stress!
 
Enlist Friends –Your friends are just as excited as you about your wedding and most of them would be more than happy to help you hunt down reception locations, look for flower deals, shop for the perfect dress and more. That’s what friends are for. Even if you don’t want to hand out assignments, make sure to ask recently-wedded friends about their own experiences, getting their tips and suggestions – and warnings.
 
Make the Most Out of Your Bridesmaids / Maid of Honour – Your Bridesmaids and Maid of Honour will love to help out and be part of your special day.  Don’t worry about feeling awkward in asking them to do things for you – if you take one piece of advice from this blog, then please just try this:
 
Ask them to help with something – just try it – and watch how special it makes them feel – you have entrusted them with a part of one of the most special days in your life – they’ll love to help out!
 
Make Deals – One thing some wedding planners will tell you makes them indispensable is their relationships and ability to get ‘exclusive’ deals with vendors. Don’t let them fool you. Find your own deals. Make a resolve right now to never accept full price. Wheel and deal yourself into a better-priced wedding. Particularly in tougher economic times, vendors are looking for any business and are more willing to negotiate.
 
Give the Right People the Right Jobs – You’ve got a wedding party, right? Give them jobs. However, take a little time with this to consider the personalities of your crew. Make sure you assign the right jobs to the right people. There’s no point assigning the booking and planning of your hotels for the wedding guests to ‘Party Animal Debs’ when it’s better left to ‘Responsible Wendy’ – leave Debs to plan the Hen Do!
 
Look For Skilled Guests – If you have a guest who does fabulous cakes as a hobby or maybe a cousin who’s a wonderful singer, think about asking them to help you out. Be careful here, though, as no one wants to feel that they were invited only because they could do the calligraphy on your wedding invitations. This also applies to the entertainment – maybe you are friends with a singer, a band, a magician, or have a relative that could tell a funny story or provide 15min of stand up comedy.
 
Many people feel they NEED to hire a wedding planner because they don’t have the first clue how to do it themselves. Thousands of brides and grooms plan beautiful weddings without the help of a planner and they do it without mortgaging their house – or the one they’re yet to own. You can too!
—–
 
John Parkin is a professional entertainer and will create a package of magical entertainment to compliment your unique day, ensuring that all of your guests have an unforgettable experience.  He’ll work in harmony with your event, and make sure that your guests are entertained in those moments where there can be a lull – such as between the Wedding Breakfast and before the Evening Reception.
 

An amazing Ice-breaker – John will ensure that your guests talk about your event for years to come!

 
John is a professional entertainer and a fully insured member of Equity – so you know your event is in safe hands.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *