There’s no doubt about it, weddings can be expensive. The average cost of a wedding today is $20,000 – $25,000, and weddings are estimated to be a $25.3 billion industry. But don’t worry if your budget cannot stretch for the most expensive custom-made gown, elegant invitation cards, or the top photographer, it doesn’t mean that your wedding will be any less unique or special than anyone else’s.

You just need a bit of guidance and a few tips to help you achieve the dream of your big day. Here are a few suggestions with tips on how to save on some of the more expensive aspects of a wedding.

Wedding Gowns

Do you really need a hand-made wedding dress with beads and diamantes? This is where the big cost is and there are several options in cutting the cost. Why not opt for a second-hand wedding dress? It’s probably only been worn once anyway and you can get a once expensive dress for half the price. Consider buying an evening gown/cocktail dress from a department store or look into renting your wedding dress for the day.

The Reception

This is where the cost of a wedding can get out of hand. The wedding reception is normally the biggest expense, but one of the easiest to cut down on costs. Statistics show that an average of 189 guests attend a wedding, this is a lot. Try and keep your guest list to a minimum, do you really need to invite family members who you have never seen for years? Instead of a three-course meal why not opt for a hot and cold buffet (even cater for yourself)? Instead of holding the reception in an expensive hotel suite or wedding reception, why not consider having it at someone’s home or a club, or even book a restaurant. Keep an open bar to a minimal and only serve beer, wine and soft drinks.

Photography

The obvious choice is to shop around for the best rates, but consider hiring a photographer for the ceremony only and ask a family member or friend to take snap photos of the reception. Or you could go one step further and ask them to take the photographs for the whole day and not bother with the expense of a photographer at all.

Invitations / Stationery

If you’re on a budget and looking for cheaper wedding stationery items, then you might like to consider print-at-home stationery. There are many online stationer’s that will offer this service free of charge. You pay for the paper and envelopes, then use their software to print directly from your own PC. With sophisticated customization tools you’ll be able to enter your own text and preview it before you print so as not to make any costly mistakes. Alternatively, you can buy software and do-it-yourself from your PC.

Miscellaneous

Flowers can be another great expense, but also an unnecessary one. Why not buy wholesale flowers, or pick flowers from your garden (or a friends or relatives). Buy plain gold or white gold wedding bands as these are the cheapest. Get a friend to make your wedding cake for you and opt for a smaller tier cake and it doesn’t have to be a fruit cake – try a sponge, chocolate or carrot cake! Make your favors and center-peices yourself. Accessories for these can be found at little outlet stores or online. Lastly, instead of a limousine why not rent a car or borrow a luxury car from a friend or relative?

Summary

Weddings are expensive if you want them to be. But if you want to keep money aside for a deposit on a house or a honeymoon to remember, then there are many cost cutting ideas. All you need is a little imagination, and some help from friends and family and you too can have a luxury wedding with all the trimmings.

About The Author Claire Bowes is a freelance writer and owner of the Wedding Planning Online website.

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Destination weddings by their very nature lend an adventurous element to your wedding that just can’t be captured by affairs arranged in your hometown. Being in an exotic locale allows wedding guests to let go of everyday worries and become immersed in the wedding setting.

Because of their element of fun and air of carefree romance, destination weddings create special memories that will last a lifetime for the bride and groom and wedding guests too. Not only are wedding guests sharing the cherished moments of the wedding with the happy couple, they are also sharing the experience of a fabulous vacation.

Statistics show that destination weddings are quickly growing in popularity. Today, one out of every ten couples chooses to tie the knot in a destination wedding. With destination weddings becoming more and more mainstream, the choices for wedding locations are also growing.

But with so many choices, where are the best places to have a destination wedding? Each different location has its own benefits, but some locations are definitely more favored by brides and grooms than others are. Read on and you’ll learn this year’s most popular destination wedding spots so you can decide on the best place for your destination wedding.

The hottest spots for destination weddings in 2007 are:

The Mayan Riviera, Mexico

Encompassing Cancun, the island of Cozumel and other areas on the eastern coast of Mexico, the Riviera Maya is an inexpensive and exotic location for destination weddings. Couples who choose Mexico for their nuptials will not only be surrounded by amazing natural beauty, but they will also be immersed in the rich culture of the region.

Another reason why the Mayan Riviera is a superb choice for destination weddings is because it is less expensive overall than other locations. You can get more for your money there than you can elsewhere. The extra bang for your buck mixed with the stunning beauty and welcoming culture of Mexico makes the Mayan Riviera a very hot spot for destination weddings.

The Bahamas

Not far from the coast of Florida, the islands of the Bahamas are full of sandy beaches and lush vegetation. The Bahamas are perfect for couples who seek a tropical paradise for their destination wedding. Consisting of over 700 islands, the Bahamas offers a wide variety of wedding sites. You can get married on a white sand beach or in a garden surrounded by hundreds of tropical flowers.

Jamaica

Home to gorgeous beaches and natural gems like Dunn’s River Falls, Jamaica is a tempting place to plan a destination wedding. With over 7 resorts in Jamaica, Sandals and Couples Resorts dominate the destination wedding market on the island. And with the aid of wedding planning services provided by Sandals and Couples, brides and grooms can enjoy the beauty of Jamaica and plan their destination wedding effortlessly. Offering all-inclusive wedding packages to brides and grooms, both Sandals and Couples make it simple and affordable to plan destination weddings.

Hawaii

For couples who live in the Western United States, Hawaii is a perfect location for a destination wedding and can be reached via short flights from California and other West Coast states. From the sizzling nightlife of Waikiki on Oahu to the stunning waterfalls of Kauai, each Hawaiian island holds its own special treasures. Hawaii brings dramatic natural beauty and the exotic Polynesian culture to destination weddings.

As soon as you decide to have a destination wedding, you’ll find that you are faced with a multitude of location choices. Now that you know the most popular spots for destination weddings, you can narrow down your choices and make it easier to pick the perfect spot for your wedding.

A wedding expert, Elizabeth Reuth offers wedding reception ideas online for brides and grooms and is the author of the popular wedding vow book Perfect Wedding Vows in Minutes.

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Weddings are definitely one of the happiest moments in a person’s life. But, this momentous occasion does not always come as blissful as the event itself. Days and even months before the big day, couples usually cram up with the littlest details.

The process of listing down and cutting down everything into specific details—the wedding date, the venue, the reception, the caterer, the designer of the gown and suit, all the way down to the wedding coverage—are the areas where stress usually ushers in.

Due to hectic schedules, most couples usually do not pay much attention to one of the crucial things in any wedding—the wedding coverage. Despite the overwhelming tension and excitement, couples do not have to be nonchalant when choosing their wedding photographers if they want their fun times and precious memories recorded very well.

Wedding Photography Prefernces

To avoid making this slight neglect that usually leads disastrous results, couples have to decide first what kind of wedding photography they would want to have.

Most wedding photographers today categorize the types of wedding photography into two: the traditional or classic style and the wedding photojournalistic style.

The most common style used by wedding photographers today, the traditional or classic wedding photography is considered as a “timeless” and the “safest” style because you normally see in countless wedding albums. Characterized by classic poses of subjects aware of the camera, this style involves so much control from the photographer because he is in-charge in arranging individual and group shots before, during, and even after the wedding.

Having excellent portraiture skills, expect the photographer to focus more on the quality of the photograph by making the subject look great from the littlest details. Expect typical wedding photos like pre-ceremony pictures, formal shots of the bride and groom posing with brides maids and ushers, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, and the like when you choose a classic wedding photography. This style is ideal if the couple would want to keep portraits of family members for their wedding album.

If the couple is adventurous and unconventional, then you might want to consider the wedding photojournalistic style of photography on your big day. An increasingly popular style today, wedding photojournalism offers fresh and new style of taking photos in the occasion. Characterized by candid shots of the subjects unaware of the moving camera, the photojournalism style lets the attendees act freely to capture their pure and true emotion.

Sourcing style from his experience in journalism, the “photojournalist” pays more attention to minute details and candid shots rather than arranged ones. He’s more into eyeing interesting moments and capturing those in his lens to produce a narrative collection of images that tell a story.

Although some traditional poses will be present, expect photos that show actual emotions of the bride and groom and of other participants throughout the duration of the wedding when you choose the photojournalism style.

In order to avoid ruining the documentation of your wedding, here are some tips in making your wedding a picture perfect one:

1. Weddings are one of the most exciting chapters of one’s life. Make sure that you choose a wedding photographer that can meet all your standards. Meet with the photographer before hand the so you could discuss the details you want.

2. Inform the important participants about the schedule of photo sessions and make sure everyone attends the rehearsal to cut down the stress.

3. Have a reception area so guests can be informed about the itinerary. This will set the occasion in order.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. For more info on photography, please visit http://photography.articlekeep.com

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