Raise Money
for a Wedding
It's easy to dream about the perfect storybook wedding, complete with all the elegant trimmings. It's not so easy to figure out how you're going to pull it off on a limited budget. While some couples rely on financial help from their parents, others are financing the wedding on their own. Planning a beautiful yet affordable wedding starts with knowing how you are going to pay for the big day.
Instructions
Wedding Planning Considerations
1. Be realistic. Before you make any plans for the wedding, consider your existing budget and figure out exactly what you can afford versus what you want. A gorgeous, exorbitant wedding day can lead to financial and relationship struggles down the road.
2. Consider all the elements of the occasion, including venues, invitations, reception food, attire and all the small touches you might want. Find affordable options for the extravagant details and create your wedding budget.
3. Give yourselves time to raise the money for your wedding. The longer you have to work on meeting your budget, the less stress and anxiety you will have and the more poor financial decisions you may avoid. Depending upon the scale of the wedding plan, consider setting the date at least one year in the future.
Raising Money for the Wedding
4. Set up a wedding savings fund. Direct all money saved for the wedding into an interest-bearing money market savings account. Research interest rates at sites like Bankrate.com to find the best account for your needs.
5. Take a part-time job, if you have extra time. Whether it be delivering pizza on the weekend or doing freelance writing online, the extra cash can be funneled directly into your wedding savings fund.
6. Sell your stuff. There's no better way to start a new life together than by getting rid of the clutter. Hold garage sales, sell things on eBay or Craigslist, or take your things to a local consignment shop.
7. Ask for cash in lieu of gifts from guests. While etiquette frowns on direct requests for any kind of gift, you can enlist the help of family and friends to spread the word about your desires. Consider setting up a wedding webpage, on a site such as eWedding.com, where guests can view details about your wedding and things that you want and need for your new life together.
8. Consider a wedding loan or credit cards as a last resort. If you stick to a reasonable budget but still don't have all the cash necessary to make ends meet, wedding loans and credit cards are viable options. Be sure to determine how much debt you want to get into before committing to these financial tools.
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