You’ve had this dream since you were a little girl. You’re walking down the aisle in that gorgeous gown you designed yourself, as your family, seventeen bridesmaids and 800 guests look on. A few steps ahead, your flowergirl, dressed in a scaled down replica of your wedding dress, tosses fresh rose petals on the cathedral floor. A 12-piece orchestra fills the air with music, wafting through the church windows into the French countryside beyond. Then there's the other dream -- you, moonlighting in a polyester vest and red bow tie, scooping up jumbo buckets of popcorn to pay for the dress which, as it turns out, was slightly beyond the sewing skills of your maiden aunt. That dream usually ends in horror as you spot the senior partner at your law firm towards the back of the line.
Let’s face it. Couples are marrying later in life than they once did and most brides and grooms expect to shoulder part, if not all, of the wedding expense. And even with the help of generous family members, few bank accounts can measure up to the dreams in the mind of a wishful bride-to-be. So what’s a bride to do if that one special touch of wedding magic falls beyond the budget? Before you contemplate cutting your fiancé’s favorite cousin from the guest list to pay for imported floral centerpieces, why not consider some less drastic methods of adding to the wedding till. While you probably won’t save enough for that heirloom wedding ring set you spotted at Sotheby’s, you might just find the money for a calligrapher to address your invitations, or a baker to recreate your favorite celeb’s wedding cake.
Skip the gourmet coffee.
That grande java from your local beanery may taste better than the stuff in the office coffee pot, but at over two dollars a cup, it’s easily a $10 a week habit. Learn to live with your office brew, and you’ll have saved $520 in twelve months. After the honeymoon, you can return to your favorite double non-fat latte with plenty of extra wedding prints from your photographer to go with your warm memories.
Pack a lunch.
Daily Cobb salads from the corner deli can add up to $30 or more during the work week. Brown-bagging it has long been the popular choice among those on a tight budget and you can make it work for your wedding too. Many offices provide refrigerators and microwaves for their employees, so you’ll be free to nosh on leftovers and homemade salads, along with the tried and true sandwich. And by the time you walk down the aisle, you could have saved as much as $1,500 -- enough for a significantly upscaled version of the dress you thought you could afford.
Give up your seat.
Do you or your fiancé travel on business? If you do, and have a little time to spare, consider giving up your seat to save for your honeymoon. Airlines frequently offer cash or credit towards future air travel to passengers who are willing to give up their seats on overbooked flights. If your honeymoon dreams say Tuscany but your bank account says Tucson, a few sacrificed flights will go a long way towards the purchase of those sought-after tickets.
Cancel Your Cable.
If you and your fiancé maintain separate residences, consider canceling your cable services. Even if you only have basic cable, you could save $25 a month. If you have premium channels, you could cut your monthly expenses by $50 or more a month. You can still snuggle up with your fiancé at his place to watch those A&E specials you love, and you could be saving anywhere from $300 to $600 towards that perfect reception hall by the lake. After all, you’ll be sharing a television set for the rest of your lives, so what’s the harm in starting a little early?
Cook.
Don’t worry. No one’s suggesting that you organize a bake sale to raise the funds for your florist bill. However, you might want to consider trading your standing Friday night dinner out with your fiancé for a quiet evening together at home. Even one restaurant meal per week can easily cost $50 or more between the two of you. In lieu of reservations, why not rehearse for those fabulous dinner parties you’re planning to host as newlyweds? You can try out new recipes on each other, instead of your in-laws, and save $2,600 or more in the process. You might just save enough for those gorgeous one-of-a-kind centerpieces designed especially for you by Francois, the floral ’stylist’.
Whatever your wedding budget, fitting dollars to dreams can involve some frustrating cutting and compromising. Before you forego your beauty sleep and return to bartending to cover the catering bill from Tavern on the Green, look around for creative ways to stretch your funds and squeeze more wedding cash from every paycheck. But don’t go too far. You don’t want to achieve the perfect wedding at the expense of your credit rating or your friends. Digging coins out from under the sofa cushions is one thing. Digging them out from under your future sister-in-law’s sofa cushions is probably taking things a little too far.