The bulk of this book (Part Three) contains specific information that will help you devote fewer dollars to your wedding. You will be able to get more for less. You will learn how to network for the best prices. You will find hundreds of creative ideas that can help you stretch your dollars, and you’ll also find valuable tips and websites you can visit to help you create the most beautiful wedding on your budget.
Before you walk into a bridal shop, go online, or say “I do” to the first salesperson who asks you to purchase a wedding dress, you’ll want to do your homework. You’ll find that planning a debt-free wedding may be easier than you realized, if you give yourself time and permission to save money on your purchases!
One of the most successful brides I encountered was an older lady named Tina, who was getting married for the third time. Her first husband had died, she had been divorced from her second husband for about three years, and she had met a wonderful older man over an online dating service. They hit it off and wanted to get married— but debt-free. I invited her to come and talk to our group—and she truly had an impact.
“It is so easy to get caught up in the wedding frenzy,” she told our group of younger couples. “There are so many beautiful dresses, gorgeous flowers, special reception sites—it’s just overwhelming. But I think you will discover that you don’t need lots of frills and folderol to have a beautiful wedding. Make a budget, stick to it, and keep your plans simple. That’s the key to success.”
tina shared with the group how she and her (then) fiancé had taken long drives through the countryside, looking for an older country church in which to be married. This setting was reminiscent of their early years in the country, and the thought of getting married in an old country church was appealing to both of them. They planned to invite just a handful of close friends to the wedding, and they would have the reception when they returned from their honeymoon cruise. They weren’t looking to spend money (though they had enough of it), but to save money. And they weren’t looking to impress either—just to be true to themselves.
In the end they managed to locate an abandoned country church that was owned by an older couple who had plans to renovate it into an antique mall. The couple allowed Tina to be married there, and it was a spectacular day all around. Though the site wasn’t awesome, it was unique, and after a bit of cleaning, it served its purpose well.
“The most important thing I learned,” Tina said, “is that a wedding should be a celebration of life, not a funeral for the future. Be sure your wedding is going to affirm your relationship rather than destroy it. If you are honest with yourself, set a workable budget, and follow some of the money-saving techniques, you are going to have a debt-free wedding.”
keeping your wedding within a budget by adopting the beautiful debt-free wedding philosophy is going to save you money—but it’s also going to give you a better marriage and a solid future. Take charge of your wedding. Don’t consider it drudgery. And most importantly—have fun!
Before you walk into a bridal shop, go online, or say “I do” to the first salesperson who asks you to purchase a wedding dress, you’ll want to do your homework. You’ll find that planning a debt-free wedding may be easier than you realized, if you give yourself time and permission to save money on your purchases!
One of the most successful brides I encountered was an older lady named Tina, who was getting married for the third time. Her first husband had died, she had been divorced from her second husband for about three years, and she had met a wonderful older man over an online dating service. They hit it off and wanted to get married— but debt-free. I invited her to come and talk to our group—and she truly had an impact.
“It is so easy to get caught up in the wedding frenzy,” she told our group of younger couples. “There are so many beautiful dresses, gorgeous flowers, special reception sites—it’s just overwhelming. But I think you will discover that you don’t need lots of frills and folderol to have a beautiful wedding. Make a budget, stick to it, and keep your plans simple. That’s the key to success.”
tina shared with the group how she and her (then) fiancé had taken long drives through the countryside, looking for an older country church in which to be married. This setting was reminiscent of their early years in the country, and the thought of getting married in an old country church was appealing to both of them. They planned to invite just a handful of close friends to the wedding, and they would have the reception when they returned from their honeymoon cruise. They weren’t looking to spend money (though they had enough of it), but to save money. And they weren’t looking to impress either—just to be true to themselves.
In the end they managed to locate an abandoned country church that was owned by an older couple who had plans to renovate it into an antique mall. The couple allowed Tina to be married there, and it was a spectacular day all around. Though the site wasn’t awesome, it was unique, and after a bit of cleaning, it served its purpose well.
“The most important thing I learned,” Tina said, “is that a wedding should be a celebration of life, not a funeral for the future. Be sure your wedding is going to affirm your relationship rather than destroy it. If you are honest with yourself, set a workable budget, and follow some of the money-saving techniques, you are going to have a debt-free wedding.”
keeping your wedding within a budget by adopting the beautiful debt-free wedding philosophy is going to save you money—but it’s also going to give you a better marriage and a solid future. Take charge of your wedding. Don’t consider it drudgery. And most importantly—have fun!
