The Wedding Ceremony

The number one tip for saving on the cost of your ceremony, especially if you would like a church ceremony: If you are a member of the congregation there will most often be no charge for getting married in the church, or for the marriage celebrant.  So, if you start attending the church that you want to get married in and make yourself known to the leadership / minister / priest / registered celebrant of that church before asking to be married there, you may score yourself a freebie.

There are other benefits to attending the church before getting married and this can include doing a marriage preparation course (also often free if you are already attending the church).  This will not only help you prepare for marriage (and yes, there is something in the course for everyone, whether you think you are ready or not) but it will also create some special “couple time” in an otherwise stressful and busy time of your life.

Not all marriage celebrants are equal and charges can vary considerably.  Check to see what hidden extras may crop up before choosing your celebrant.  Things to ask your celebrant about include extra charges for pre-wedding meetings out of standard business hours, travel charges (if your wedding isn't within a certain km range of their base), and some even have administration charges (for filling out your paperwork).  Also see what your celebrant might be able to throw in for free - for example, do they have their own microphone? (you don't need to hire one then). Do they have any partnerships with local wedding providers where you can get a discount?  Do they provide information packs and what are in the information packs? (These celebrant information packs can often have extremely valuable information that can save you time and money).

Ensure your marriage celebrant is able to marry you in your chosen location.  Making this mistake can lead to the loss of deposits on venues and last minute changes to your plans, which again, are costly.  In particular, a lot of public places (such as parks) have restrictions on when wedding ceremonies can take place there, what areas you can use, and some councils are so strict that they don't allow weddings in public parks at all.

If the venue has data projector facilities (most churches do these days) how about getting creative and doing a powerpoint presentation (FREE!) rather than printing out costly orders of service that will most likely get thrown out at the end of the day.

More:

The Wedding Dress    

The Bridesmaid Dresses
The Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire   
The Shoes  
Hair, Makeup & Jewellery    
The Ceremony    
The Reception Venue    
The Catering    
The Drinks    
The Cake    
The Bonbonniere    
The Music    
The Flowers    
The Photos    
The Transport    
The Bridal Shower, Hen’s Night & Buck’s Night    
Invitations    
The Gifts    
The Honeymoon 

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Disclaimer
This publication is the opinion of the authors, and the author’s do not guarantee any savings as a result of following the tips offered in the publication. The authors do not take any responsibility for the use or application of the information provided.

This publication is provided on the understanding that:
The author expressly disclaim all forms of liability to any person (purchaser of this publication or not) in respect of the publication and any consequences arising from its use.