What is the one thing that diminishes the excitement of the engagement period more than anything else? Money, of course. Paying for a wedding is tough, especially these days when it’s no longer clear who pays for the wedding reception, the rehearsal dinner, the bridal gown, and everything else brides and grooms need to make their wedding day perfect. The wedding statistics tell an interesting story, which is that more and more, brides and grooms are shouldering at least part of the bill, usually with help from their parents or other relatives.
Let’s say you’re a bride or a groom who falls into the minority of couples who are paying for their own weddings in the entirety AND you’re like most couples in that you don’t exactly have $20,000 just sitting around in a savings account. What can you do? While you’ll ultimately have to answer that question on your own, here are some suggestions that may help you have the wedding you really want when you’re footing the bill.
Long Engagements
Saving for a wedding may suck (and take a long time depending) but imagine how cool it will feel to pay for a wedding yourself without using credit or scrimping on what matters to you. Long engagements let couples accrue the cash is takes to pay for all those high-end wedding favors.
Bartering Brides
The cool new way to pay for a wedding involves the oldest of financial transactions, bartering. If you or your spouse-to-be have a skill to share, why not see if you can exchange it for vendor services? Maybe a wedding cake baker needs a website made or the catering hall needs flyers designed. Even housecleaning and repairs can be exchanges for wedding vendor services, so brainstorm what you have to barter!
Charge It
Yes, you can pay for a wedding using a credit card, but DO NOT DO IT. I repeat, do not pay for a wedding using a credit card. The interest will be astronomical. You’ll be paying it off forever if your wedding even if your wedding costs less than the average wedding. And taking on massive amounts of consumer debt is no way to start a marriage.
Wedding Loans
Wedding loans are just what you think they are, and while they can be useful, they’re basically no different from any other bank loan. We recommend shying away from this option, though if you’re going to borrow money to pay for a wedding, better that you do it via a proper bank. That said, see my above comment about debt.
Elope
It’s not the perfect solution, but it is the easiest one. Go to the courthouse, spend $45, and *bam* you’re hitched. Most parents and loved ones hate this option, but you can always throw a party later on to celebrate your new marriage. And, hey, what’s a little stink eye from relatives compared with starting married life debt free?
Remember, too, that there’s nothing wrong with having a smaller wedding, getting married on Friday or Sunday, cutting the guest list, or sticking to a tight budget. But if you want the wedding you want on your dime, the above tips can help!
Photo by bp6316 is off to Denver
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