How to Pay for Your Own Wedding

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Create a budget.

   Do this before you do anything else, including setting a date.
   
   You will need to know exactly how much money you can set aside, monthly, in order to know how much money you can afford to spend on your wedding.
2. 2

   Step 2: Throw your wedding during off-peak season.

   You might be surprised at how much cheaper it is to throw a wedding in December than in the peak wedding season of the summer or early fall.
   
   Talk to venues and caterers in your area to see if they would give you a discount for having your wedding during off-peak season or even on a Friday instead of a Saturday. , Making a budget beforehand will help you figure out how many people you can potentially afford to feed at the wedding reception. , As soon as you and your fiancé get engaged, go to the bank and see about opening a separate savings account primarily for wedding funds.
   
   Set up your paycheck so a portion of it is directly deposited into your wedding account.
   
   Look for a savings account with a high interest rate.
   
   If you're saving for a long time, you might as well get your money's worth. , Maybe you know someone who has taken wedding photographs before and would be willing to work for free or for a percentage of their normal fee.
   
   You might be friends with a graphic designer who can design your wedding invitations for you.
   
   You might be surprised to see how willing your friends and family will be to donate their time and skills to giving you the wedding of your dreams. , A wedding planner will cost you extra money but may know about discounts and deals that you don't.
   
   You can depend on a wedding planner to cut costs for you, so you know that everyone is working hard to save as much of your money as possible. , Open a credit card to use for only wedding purchases.
   
   This will spread the payments out a bit so you don't have to pay for everything all at once. , Talk to your venue, your photographer and your caterer about what payment plans they offer.
   
   You'd be surprised at how willing they are to work with a payment schedule if it means they will get your business.
3. 3

   Step 3: Figure out how many guests you're inviting.

4. 4

   Step 4: Open a separate account.

5. 5

   Step 5: Talk to your friends and family.

6. 6

   Step 6: Hire a wedding planner.

7. 7

   Step 7: Consider using a credit card.

8. 8

   Step 8: Create payment plans.

Detailed Guide

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