Incorporate a Frugal Wedding into your Debt Management Plan

You're engaged. What an exciting time for you! You're about to merge two lives into one family. If you're like most newlyweds-to-be, you'll want to celebrate this merger with friends, family, and co-workers. But, you've already got college loan debt, perhaps even mortgage debt, to contend with. Maybe you've enrolled in credit counseling or have formulated a money management plan, so you're very wary of the hidden costs inevitable to event planning. You don't want to declare bankruptcy, or derail your debt management plan for just one -- albeit big – day, but you still want to have fun.

What can you do?

First, know the numbers. USA Today reported wedding costs averaging over $21,000 per couple – and that was in 2003. It might be hard to conceive of spending that amount of money if you've never planned a wedding before, but the bills for food and drink, the reception hall, bride and groom attire, invitations, DJs, photographers, and favors can really add up. Women especially are deluged with images of wedding “must haves,” thanks to specialized bridal magazines and even standard women's magazine articles. But you don't need to spend all of that money. A wedding lasts but one day. A marriage lasts a lifetime – and so can credit card debts, bankruptcy scares, and the damage done to credit scores by unpaid bills.

First, recognize the purpose of a wedding. The purpose is not to show off to friends and rivals, to accrue debt, or to please your parents (unless, of course, they're footing the bill). The purpose of a wedding is to celebrate the first day of what is hopefully a lifetime of a successful two-person partnership. Don't worry about what your guests will think, either – fun is made by and shared with other people, not by money or material goods.

Let's start with invitations. According to Bride's Magazine, a couple will spend an average of $374 on invitations and other stationery alone. Here is a great place to begin cutting costs. You can make your own invitations and thank-you notes, or hire a graphic designer friend to do them for you. Or, how about e-vites? People use the Internet for everything from business to shopping these days – cyberspace is a great format for wedding invitations and thank-you notes, too. As a bonus for your guests, RSVPing is painless.

The reception hall is another money-taker. Don't go into debt renting out a banquet hall or hotel ballroom for just one night. You can have just as much fun with you wedding if you book it at the VFW firehall; in the basement or reception hall of your house of worship, or at a friend's house. Scaling down your reception hall expenses might force you to pare down your guest list. It can be difficult, but remember: the smaller the wedding, the lower your total costs will be. Scale is a key to debt management. If you must have a big invite list, consider booking your wedding on a day other than a Saturday. Time of year matters, too – winter weddings are much cheaper, for example, than are traditional May or June dates.

How about food? As discussed in other Advantage CCS online financial education articles, food is one great area of your budget in which to cut back. And, that goes double for wedding food. Many people opine that the food served at weddings is awful! Slate magazine's June 2007 wedding series devoted an entire article to this very concept, iterating the point, in the process, that food quality does not climb in accordance with money spent. The great thing about a reception at home or a firehall wedding is that these atmospheres are conducive to sandwiches and beer. Or, if your tastes are more chic, consider a coffee, dessert, and liquor reception – cash bar, only, please!

Apparel is another way to save big bucks during wedding planning. While it might be customary for groomsmen or bridesmaids to all have matching attire, it is not the rule. And, where bridesmaids are concerned, many will be more excited about the process and ceremony if they can choose their own formal wear instead of cringing through the ceremony in puffy-sleeved, turquoise taffeta creations. The same budgeting concept applies to attire for the bride and groom. Tuxedo rental is much cheaper than tuxedo purchase – and depending on how casual your wedding is, the groom might not even need to wear a tuxedo. For bridal gowns, think outside of the norm. You can wear a family hand-me-down, or get hitched in a gorgeous evening gown bought on deep discount.

Finally, avoid unnecessary expenses. Instead of shelling out thousands of dollars for a professional photographer to take forced photo stills, hire a local high school kid who snaps shots for the school paper. Or, let each guest take his or her own photos, and round them up for a zany, fun collection. If the DJ or band is expensive, forgo the DJ or band. Write out a playlist, and bring on a neighborhood kid or relative to spin tunes. There's no rule stating that decorations, string quartets, expensive floral arrangements, or table favors that no one will remember, anyway, are necessary. When it comes to your wedding, expenses cut equals money saved – which adds up to sums of debt you'll never have to worry about, or even bankruptcy handily avoided.

The greatness of your wedding cannot be measured in dollar amounts. It's about the people and the party, not the purchases. Congratulations and good luck!