By Sonia Duggan

Tips, tricks to simplify the big day planning and the hidden costs to watch for

Planning a wedding is complicated. Once couples choose a date and location for their ceremony, they can then can get down to the nuts and bolts of planning for the big day. In the past, the responsibility of paying for a wedding fell to the bride’s parents. But that tradition has fallen by the wayside in recent years, with more and more couples using their own savings to finance their weddings. Few couples enter the process of planning their weddings unaware of just how expensive weddings can get, but costs can easily begin to escalate if they are not careful.

When planning a wedding, most often couples are governed by a budget, whether it is set by their parents or by them. Kim Oden, floral designer and owner of Creative Greenery in Lucas said “Have a budget and a plan and stick to it. That will be your biggest money saver.”

Brides- and grooms-to-be who spend more than they had initially hoped; often find themselves looking for ways to trim expenses. “They are ways to have a beautiful wedding with just simplifying a few things,” said Oden.

While the cost of booking a reception hall will eat up a large portion of the budget, Oden encourages “Be realistic and do your research, look at what things costs so you don’t go looking without a clear idea.”

One of the best ways for couples to stay within their budget or even come in under budget is to take steps to simplify a few aspects of the wedding that can save money without forcing couples to make sacrifices that affect the look or feel of occasion.

* Turn floral arrangements into multi-purpose accessories.

Bridesmaids typically carry beautiful floral bouquets during the wedding ceremony, but such bouquets are quickly put down and forgotten once a couple has officially tied the knot. Couples can save a few dollars by repurposing floral bouquets and other floral arrangements used during the ceremony. Once the ceremony has ended, repurpose floral bouquets as centerpieces for the reception tables and turn flowers used as aisle markers during the ceremony into small centerpieces on the gift table or place them alongside the guestbook. This saves you the trouble of choosing various floral arrangements to display throughout the reception venue and also saves you money.

Additionally Oden encourages brides to research flower types and styles, as there are many less expensive options. She added that an alternative to peonies, which can be $4-$8 per stem, is the garden rose at only $1.75 per stem. “Even Kale and hydrangea’s look great in a floral bouquet and can be painted any color,” she said.

For full story see The Wylie News at http://www.etypeservices.com/Wylie%20NewsID245/default.aspx