You Don’t Need to Spend as Much as Kate and Will

Kate and Will's royal wedding is fast approaching, and it is sure to be an extravagant affair. But most of us are on a budget when we're planning a wedding. You can still afford all kinds of frills, including live wedding music, for your dream wedding.

Timing is everything! Choose a date, time or season that is less popular for tying the knot. Here are a few ways to time your wedding to save money:

• Choose any day except Saturday, the most popular day to tie the knot. You might even qualify for a midweek discount!

• Be a “morning person”--If you are getting married in a public location (such as a park), you'll get more privacy. Plus, you'll save money on the bar tab, because people won't drink as much in the morning hours.  

• Avoid holidays--Most wedding service providers charge extra to work on holidays, or they may not be available at all.

• Gravitate to the off-season--Check which months are the most popular at your chosen wedding site and then select a different month to get married. You might qualify for discounts, plus your favorite wedding services are more apt to be available for you.

• Decide early, then relax--Book your wedding services as early as you can. You'll get everything you want, plus you may avoid yearly cost-of-living increases that they may pass on to you closer to your wedding date.

• Stick to your wedding day agenda--Don't allow your wedding day events to run late, because overtime costs from each wedding service provider can add up to an astronomical sum.

And

• Shave off some time--Trimming your guest list, reducing the size of your bridal party, reducing the number of courses served at your reception, serving a buffet or fixed menu at your reception, and holding the ceremony and reception in the same location can reduce the length of your wedding festivities and reduce your overall costs.

You'll find many more useful tips in my book, "The Bride's Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable", published by Hal Leonard books and available at my website with free shipping for a limited time only. It is also available in a kindle edition on amazon.com.