So you’ve decided to get married – great news, congratulations! One of the initial hurdles to conquer after the excitement dies down is planning the wedding, and how much it will cost. Reality sets in quickly when you see the prices for dresses, reception halls, caterers, and photographers. You know that you can only spend so much, so some items you will have to try to get cheap or cut out entirely. That said, there are some services and items that are honestly worth the money that goes into them.

To start, let’s talk about the wedding photography. In the modern age, everyone has camera phones and image manipulation programs and can seemingly make amazing photos. Some amateurs can take one or two good shots and maybe fix them up a bit, it’s true. But this is your wedding day, not just a vacation or a dinner date. You want a large quantity of professional quality photos which goes beyond what an amateur with substandard equipment can do. You’ll be showing these photos to your children and grandchildren, they need to withstand the test of time. To put it simply, spending the money on a professional photographer is worth it because you will never be able to go back to that moment and take those pictures again. You need it done right the first time, and multiple times throughout the day.

The next part of the planning is the venue. When deciding where to have the wedding, you must consider if the venue can support the amount of guests you’ll have, if it has ample parking, and if it is heated/air-conditioned. If you’re having a garden theme wedding, or any other type of outdoor wedding, you need to have a contingency plan in case of bad weather. The venue should have an indoor or otherwise covered portion as well. While the venue is important, you can still have the location you like and save money at the same time by hosting your wedding on a Friday or Sunday or in the off-season.

After the venue, it’s time to think about food: the appetizers, main dishes, desserts, and drinks. You need a caterer. You can also decide whether you want a cash bar or an open bar, because this is a large difference in price. The caterer should be someone who has a good reputation and food you and your guests will enjoy. No matter which way you look at it, a wedding is a party. When people have good food, good drink, and good company, they’ll have a great time. You want people to have an enjoyable time and a good caterer speaks volumes about the experience.

You’re going to want to look and feel good on your wedding day. This brings us to the next stage of planning: hair and make-up. Fussing over a hair style or worrying about your make-up is sure to detract from your big day. Consider hiring a professional. A professional make-up artist knows what will look amazing both in person and in photos. Do a trial run first. Invite your friends or bridesmaids and make a day out of it. It will be fun and worth the investment of time and money once the wedding day comes around.

The last part of planning is not for the wedding itself, but rather what happens after the wedding, the honeymoon. You want a dream vacation where you and your new partner can really connect as a married couple. To save money but still be able to go to the place you want, consider taking your big trip at some point later in time. Perhaps you can catch an off-season flight & hotel package, or you can use the extra time to save up money. Either way, there is no rule stating you have to take the trip immediately after the wedding.

The ideas here are not rules, they’re more like guidelines. You want to have the wedding you’ve dreamt of, so spend the money how you like and how it makes you happy. There are ways to save, but some ways in which you save, you may end up regretting later so choose wisely.

If you’re getting married, all you have to do is press the contact me bottom and I will get back to you with your photography plan!

Samantha