The joy of a wedding is comparable with anything else in life. Some people say that it easily surpasses just about any joyful occurrence with perhaps the exception of the birth of a child.

When two people decide to get married, they take the most sacred vow. They agree to have each other and to hold each other, in sickness and in health for the entirety of their lives. No other vow is as long-lasting or serious.

To commemorate this vow, weddings were created. The idea is to assemble the friends and family of the bride and groom in a public location, where they can in front of this group, speak these vows out loud. The gravity of the ceremony has never diminished.

Weddings today are generally lavish affairs where everyone in attendance does all they can to add to the beauty and elegance of the day. It is not unusual to find that couples and their families spend much more money than they can actually afford on a wedding. The emotion of the event often takes over and cost takes a backseat to feelings.

In a wedding, it is the big ticket items that typically ruin a budget. If you are planning a wedding, here is how to manage those big ticket items so that they don’t put you and your family in the poor house over your wedding.

The Wedding Dress

The wedding dress can be the single most expensive item in a wedding. The bride, who is extremely emotional, wants to look the best she’s ever looked in her entire life. This is certainly her right because it is the biggest day of her life.

She takes these emotions with her when she goes shopping for wedding gowns and often attaches price to quality. In reality however, price and quality in a wedding dress are not always connected. In fact, brides can purchase cheap wedding dresses that are great quality. These wedding gowns can be purchased online and rush ordered if needed. By purchasing a less expensive wedding dress, additional money can be freed up for other important things in the wedding.

The Reception

The reception is the opportunity for family and friends to welcome the new couple. It is a ceremony that is steeped in tradition and that all who attend look forward to participating in. For this reason, the reception is a grand affair and usually takes place in a rented hall where an expensive catered dinner is served. The hall will be finely decorated with flowers, balloons and other beautiful decorations that pay homage to the newly married couple. Also typically a live band and a DJ will be playing as well. The goal in such a grand reception is to create a memorable event.

Although it is certainly appropriate for the married couple to have such a grand reception, every element in the reception should be negotiated firmly. Many halls that host wedding receptions are not in high demand and can be negotiated for better price. This is the same case with catering companies and even musical acts. Couples should put aside their emotions and look at any vendors they hire for the wedding reception through the eyes of making a tough business deal. If couples can do this, they can often save up to 25% off the cost of their reception.

Use these tactics and ideas to save money on the most important event of your life.