Wedding Planner Tips for planning a Wedding on a Budget

Most couples no longer see the wedding as a valid reason to spend their life savings, with many opting instead to follow a budget to have their ideal wedding - without the scary price tag attached. This is usually where a wedding planner will come into it with many couples giving their wedding planners a strict cost pricing scale to follow in all areas from flowers to decorations to catering.

Wedding planners are well versed in the various areas of the wedding industry, often having connections with many different professionals within the industry, connections that often prove highly beneficial for any couple who hire their services. Yet some couples cannot afford a wedding planner or simply want to organize their own wedding. For these people Wedding.com.au has brought together some of the most common money saving tips wedding planners use to benefit your wedding.

Wedding Planner Tip 1: Look for professionals outside the wedding industry

Skip the exorbitant wedding photographer fee and get hire the services of the local papers regular photographer or anyone you may know. The fee they will charge will be usually be significantly less then someone advertised as a 'wedding photographer', although you should be aware that they may not take the same range of typical 'wedding' shots if that is what you are after

Wedding Planner Tip 2: Make your own decorations (table centerpieces, room decorations, cake stand etc).

If you have a good eye for colours and details then it is highly recommended that you consider making your own wedding table centerpieces or decorations. This can be anything from making table runners with your own fabric supply, using your own fairy lights or creating your own centre pieces using glass vases, flowers or candles.

Wedding Planner Tip 3: Change the Date

Break tradition and marry on another day of the week other than Saturday.Apparently in 2009 around 75 percent of weddings took place on a Saturday with most wedding service providers charging significantly more to supply or work on that day of the week. Marry on a Friday or Sunday instead and cut costs across most areas of the wedding budget. This can also extend to the month of the wedding with some months costing more than others due to popularity

Wedding Planner Tip 4: Keep it Simple

Go for class and sophistication with an intimate feel by keeping the guest list below 70 people. Most couples agree that having a small, but high quality wedding is far better than having a guest list of 300 people with a sub-standard quality reception so try to keep a guest list to a minimum if there is a budget to adhere too.

Wedding Planner Tip 5: Negotiate like a Pro

Perhaps one of the best skills to master when planning for a wedding is the skill of negotiation, as this will be one of the best ways to get the most for the least amount of money from any vendors. Wedding planners are probably the very best at this; it is practically the biggest part of their job! As a result, they are able to secure deals that most couples would not have the courage to ask for, yet that does not mean that a couple cannot channel their inner planner and negotiate with any vendors until they get a price that suits them and their budget.

Wedding Planner Tip 6: Look for Package Deals

Often people will choose their venue for the ceremony and the reception before most things, in these occasions it is highly suggested that they enquire about the package deals that any of these venues may offer to couples. This could be the music, decorations and flowers. Alternatively they may have certain sister businesses they may recommend for such services. That being said, many wedding planners will warn that some places may use this as a way to charge higher costs for services that you may be able to get at a cheaper rate from a competitor so it is important to do your homework and compare prices.

Wedding Planner Tip 7: Think outside the box for locations

A wedding planner will often be familiar with all the popular ceremony locations in a local area, yet a handy tip that many recommend to couples that are not certain on a location is too look into local museums, parks and similar facilities. Often these places will be free of charge, or of a smaller fee then most popular wedding locations.

If you are getting married and are facing very tight budgeting restraints, yet are unsure of what to do when planning a wedding, it is often advised to shell out the cost of a wedding planner as they will be able to save the most money for you in the long run due to their experienced and know-how of the wedding industry.

Many couples have little to no idea of the standard practice when it comes to organizing a wedding and a wedding planner is able to give excellent advice on where they can save maximum dollars.

For Australian wedding services or more advice from wedding planners, please visit our wedding planner directory