Yes, weddings can be expensive, but is it really worth giving up your firstborn child so you can have tulips in September? When your wedding day arrives, you want to be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event and know that the ceremony and reception are not going to put you in hock for the next 10 years. In How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less, authors Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman teach you how to budget and balance so you can have the wedding of your dreams without the headache of enormous bills.
Whether you choose to have a big or small, formal or informal wedding, the reception seems to clock in at approximately half of your budget. So, going with that figure, you need to evaluate and prioritize wedding clothes, flowers, the photographer, the cake, music, invitations, and the ceremony itself. Can you wear your mother's wedding dress (with some alterations, of course)? Can you cut invitation costs by using black ink rather than a fancy foil? When you booked the band, did you read the fine print? (One bride found, the day before the wedding, that they had to provide a soundman and soundboard. Yikes!) "Weddings, like life itself," say the authors, "are rarely predictable." They suggest appointing one or two (two is better) close friends or family members (but not attendants) as coordinators. It will give the couple a trusted helper/point person during the planning process and take some stress off the day of the event.
How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less encourages you to dream of your ideal day and then helps you to practically and economically make it happen. "Decide what is really important on your special day and make that a priority," say the authors. "Know what is right for the two of you. Your wedding day should reflect that." --Dana Van Nest
Review
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
Bob Masullo, The Sacramento Bee
You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible.
Review
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
Book Description
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
Relax. You don't have to mortgage your future to have the wedding of your dreams. According to mother-daughter wedding consultants Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, the secret is in the planning. Here they tell you everything you need to know to plan a wedding that is both beautiful and affordable. Inside you'll find a wealth of creative ideas and invaluable advice from couples who have saved a fortune on their weddings. Jan and Beth guide you through every step of the process—right up to the day of the ceremony—and show you how to:
·Organize and prioritize using a month-by-month checklist
·Select gowns and tuxedos that look wonderful but don't cost a mint
·Find unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations
·Decorate with style—without breaking the bank
·And much, much more!
"It is possible to have a beautiful wedding without going broke, and Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman show you how in this extremely comprehensive and practical book."
From the Inside Flap
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
Relax. You don't have to mortgage your future to have the wedding of your dreams. According to mother-daughter wedding consultants Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, the secret is in the planning. Here they tell you everything you need to know to plan a wedding that is both beautiful and affordable. Inside you'll find a wealth of creative ideas and invaluable advice from couples who have saved a fortune on their weddings. Jan and Beth guide you through every step of the process—right up to the day of the ceremony—and show you how to:
·Organize and prioritize using a month-by-month checklist
·Select gowns and tuxedos that look wonderful but don't cost a mint
·Find unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations
·Decorate with style—without breaking the bank
·And much, much more!
"It is possible to have a beautiful wedding without going broke, and Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman show you how in this extremely comprehensive and practical book."
—Diane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine
"You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible."
—Bob Masullo, consumer writer, The Sacramento Bee
From the Back Cover
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
About the Author
Mother-daughter team Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman have spent nearly a decade assisting brides-to-be. Their wedding consulting business, Storybook Weddings, began after the successful planning of Beth's wedding and has continued to profit from the same experience, innovation, and creativity that the authors bring to this book.
How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 (or Less), Achieving Beautiful Simplicity Without Mortgaging Your Future FROM OUR EDITORS
A mother-and-daughter bridal consultant team gives strategic advice for coming in at a quarter of the average cost of a wedding. Not only will you learn how to stay within this budget; their creative hints will tell you how to keep the elegance you want for this special day.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Relax. You don't have to mortgage your future to have the wedding of your dreams. According to mother-daughter wedding consultants Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, the secret is in the planning. Here they tell you everything you need to know to plan a wedding that is both beautiful and affordable. Inside you'll find a wealth of creative ideas and invaluable advice from couples who have saved a fortune on their weddings. Jan and Beth guide you through every step of the process—right up to the day of the ceremony—and show you how to:
Organize and prioritize using a month-by-month checklist
Select gowns and tuxedos that look wonderful but don't cost a mint
Find unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations
Decorate with style—without breaking the bank
And much, much more!
"It is possible to have a beautiful wedding without going broke, and Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman show you how in this extremely comprehensive and practical book."
—Diane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine
"You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible."
—Bob Masullo, consumer writer, The Sacramento Bee
SYNOPSIS
The average cost of a wedding today has grown to nearly $20,000--the reception alone can run as high as $7,000. Many are now questioning the wisdom of shelling out the equivalent of a down payment for a nice home to pay for a moment that passes in the blink of an eye. In How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 (or Less), Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, a mother-daughter team of professional wedding coordinators, show readers how to have that inexpensive wedding without sacrificing one bit of beauty, elegance, or magic. They lead brides-to-be through each step of the planning process and offer savvy, money-saving tips on selecting unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations, saving hundreds of dollars on the perfect wedding gown, and planning and sticking to a realistic budget.
Art & Photography
Book Info
