What the What!!?? How Much is That?

I read yesterday that the typical wedding costs like 15,000 to 20,000 dollars, not gum wrappers, aluminum cans, or soup labels, dollars. Personally, I could never, ever, in a million years, spend that much on anything except a down payment on a house! I don't have the spending power of say Khloe Kardashian, and even if I did...no! As important as your wedding is, it's just one day! On the flip side, I know no bride really wants to have her reception at the local Elk Lodge, or High School gymnasium, so how do you have a fabuluos wedding that won't break the bank? I came up with some ideas with help of the knot, and Simple living Weddings

1. Cut the guest list: Do you really care if your Dad's, former boss's sister is in attendance? I didn't think so.

2. Get a two layer wedding cake: Apparently all you need is one layer to cut into, and one to save for your anniversary. Have a sheet cake in the kitchen for everyone to actually eat!

3. Pick one or two things to splurge on, then save the rest: If you want a one of a kind dress then center your budget around that and go simpler on everything else!

4. That being said, have a budget and keep to it: Nothing is worse than fighting about money, and the last thing you want to be doing after your wedding is surprise your new husband with an unexpected $5,000 bill!

5. Be upfront with your vendors about your budget: they might be the nicest people in the world, but every vendor is trying to run a business. They will probably try to sell you the most expensive thing they can.  If they're really good they'll probably try to persuade you to spend more than you said you wanted to, so be direct with how much you want to spend and stick to it.

6. It's O.K. to  negotiate prices with vendors: some people think this is tacky, but especially during "off seasons" vendors may be a little desperate for your business. Besides that, it never hurts to ask!

7. Consider having your wedding in the off season: I.E. not spring! Also you can save a few bucks typically by not holding your wedding on a Saturday night!

8. This one's tried and true. Reuse the flowers from your ceremony at the reception site. Do you have a friend that can hall them over? Great!

The point is, you don't need to go crazy to have a spectacular wedding! Don't go overboard with little details, and do stick to the budget, at least as much as humanly possible ;)!