Picture This

A few months ago, I attended a rehearsal dinner and noted that the bride and groom had placed picture frames on the tables. These small picture frames contained a photograph of the couple, but were obviously intended as a wedding favor to the wedding party.

Picture frames are not only a great gift (something everyone can use) but buying frames in bulk is not that expensive. Visit Target, for example, and you will find dozens of picture frame selections that can be purchased in bulk.

Get with the picture and save money on your wedding party gifts.

Newspaper Savings

Many couples announce their engagement and marriage by taking out an ad in the newspaper. Some of the announcements are free, but others cost money.

In lieu of paying money to announce the big day, there are ways to save. Consider, for example, sending out an email to friends and family instead. Or, post cards may be less costly than that ad if you are talking about a smaller wedding party.

And don't overlook the possibility of actually using a blog to make the big announcement.

Speaking of Marriage

Recently I've been doing interviews and presentations on the subject of marriage. In particular, how can couples have a successful marriage?

One of the themes I find myself revisiting is this: In any sporting event, business plan, or any walk of life . . . it is vitally important to get off to a good start. Few teams win when they continually have to "come from behind" or overcome great obstacles. Few businesses succeed that get deep into the hole in the first year. And the same is true of most anything else in life.

It is equally true--in fact, almost universally true--that few marriages survive if they have to struggle out of financial ruin. Getting off to a good financial start in marriage is critical, and one of the ways to make this happen is to have a debt-free wedding. Couples who get into the hole, who go into debt in order to finance a wedding, rarely have successful marriages.

Don't jeopardize your future by having a wedding on credit. Create what you can afford. Create a budget and stick to it. Love each other, not the idea of a blow-out wedding. Believe me, a couple with have many other days that are far more special, far more significant, than the wedding day. My wife and I have our 25th wedding anniversary this year, and what we will do on this anniversary far outweighs the day we organized 25 years ago. A wedding is important, but a marriage is what you are living for!

Our House is a Very Very Very Nice House

Increasingly, couples are discovering that they would rather focus on the future of their marriage rather than focusing on the one day of their wedding. Instead of worrying about what goes on at the reception, they are thinking about what will be going on inside their house after the wedding is over. Instead of worrying about stuff that will be tossed in the trash 24-hours after the final toast, they are looking at the stuff that will last 24 years into the future.

One of the most cost-effective attitudes a couple can adopt is a change of focus. Rather than thinking about the wedding, start thinking about the marriage. Consider the relationship...the love...the future...the goals...the long-range plans.

Instead of focusing on the little picket fence, many couples are now thinking about the "inside" of the house. What's going on inside the walls? What are the joys and common goals that will make our marriage last?

Couples who discover this before the wedding, who really know each other, will not only have a debt-free wedding, they will have a debt-free life overflowing with plenty, with love, and with joy. They will have a very very very nice house. And they will save money, too!

Movie Madness

Here's a unique concept that some brides and grooms are using to make their receptions more "kid friendly", especially if you think you will have children who are fidgety, boisterous, or need a bit of attention. Instead of having the kids stay in the reception, invite them to another room in the banquet hall for a movie (DVD). Show a Disney classic (or have several on hand) and have an adult sitter to help out.

It's a low-cost way of providing the type of entertainment children might enjoy, and it keeps the kids from being a distraction at the reception, if that is a concern. A win-win.

Got Flowers?

The wedding and reception floral arrangements can often be expensive. In fact, many brides spend large sums on flowers, and place flowers at the center of their color arrangements.

But there are ways to save.

For example, how about using flowers grown in a garden? Most everyone knows someone who has a green thumb, a real flower expert. What's the difference between a rose grown in Brazil, shipped in by boat, and sold in your local florist's shop as opposed to a rose grown in your grandma's back yard next to the hedges? Chances are, grandma's flowers are going to be fresher, more color vibrant, and far less expensive.

Or how about checking with the local florists to see if you can use "in season" flowers as opposed to "out of season" varieties? The difference in price can be astounding.

Don't go broke on flowers when planning your wedding. Go creative.

Reception Entertainment

Need an idea that will help your guests pass the time at the reception as they are waiting on the wedding party to arrive? Don't overlook some fun little games or brain teasers. You can find tons of these online, easily downloaded, then photocopied on small slips of paper for your guests.

They will enjoy having something to do, and you will have produced an alternative entertainment for your guests.

And, of course, there's little expense, but large dividends.

Consider the Cruise

Recently my wife and I began looking at cruises for our 25th wedding anniversary. We were astounded at the low prices.

Couples looking for an affordable honeymoon should consider taking a cruise. Lodging, food, entertainment, privacy--it's all there for the one price, and if you can get to port without airfare, all the better to save.

There are some great deals out there right now, so if your honeymoon is looming, don't overlook the high seas as an option for having a debt-free honeymoon!