If you have never gone through the process of planning and organizing a major event like a wedding, there are a few common mistakes that brides often make that may actually end up costing money to fix. Most weddings are designed to fit within a relatively strict budget. Even if you have some extra wiggle room in your budget, there is no reason to waste money making mistakes on things like the dress, wedding favors, or the cake. Planning a wedding within a budget is all about time management and avoiding procrastination at all costs.
One common costly wedding planning mistake is trying to loose a lot of weight right before the wedding. This can cause extra fittings and expensive alterations. While every bride wants to be at her best on her big day, waiting until the last couple months to slim down can end up costing you big time if you end up having to pay a rush fee on the dress. Instead of crash dieting at the last minute, try eating healthier and exercising as soon as you get engaged. This way, by the time you are trying on dresses you will be close to your target weight.
Another way to quickly eat up your wedding budget unnecessarily is to wait until the last minute to order your wedding favors. Picking out your wedding favors is easy to do online in under an hour, but most brides leave this important task until the last week or two before the wedding. The problem with waiting until the last minute to order your wedding favors is that shipping can be really expensive if you have to have things sent two-day or overnight. When ordering your wedding favors, make sure to take into consideration 1-2 days for processing time (5 days for personalized items) and up to 5 business days for shipping depending on where you live. The sooner you place your order, the less chance you will have to pay outrageous shipping fees to get your favors on time.
One more costly wedding planning mistake is waiting until the last minute to order a wedding cake. Giving yourself enough time to shop around for a good price on your dream wedding cake will possibly save you hundreds of dollars. It will also give you an opportunity to see more options which offers you a chance to find the perfect wedding cake at a price that you want to pay. Also, don't be afraid to ask your favorite cake shop if they will price match another place that you might have found. The worst that they can say is “no” and if you don't ask, then you will surely pay more for your cake.
The best thing that you can do for your wedding budget is shop early and not procrastinate. This will give you the opportunity to compare prices, avoid rush fees, and keep shipping costs low.