Would you believe that the average wedding spends about eight hundred dollars on flowers? It shouldn’t be all that surprising, as flowers add to the beauty and sentiment of your wedding. However, they are one area that you can trim your budget on, if you want to try something creative. You can find these creative suggestions online or in any bridal magazine. Just keep in mind, doing it yourself requires time and patience, two things that can be in short supply while planning your wedding.

Photography also takes a significant portion of your budget, and depending on what you choose to do you can find yourself spending anywhere from nine hundred to twenty five hundred dollars. When all is said and done, your photographs will be all that you have when your wedding is over, and you want them to be the best that they can be. Don’t cut corners on the photography expense, as you may live to regret it.

Your average set of invitations, announcements and thank you notes can set you back around five hundred dollars. If you are looking to trim your budget this is an ideal place to save money. If you have a friend who has neat handwriting, consider asking him/her to address your invitations for you. It will also cost less if you choose a simple invitation compared to a more formal one.

Music is essential to every wedding as it sets the mood and provides the entertainment. You can expect to spend about $1500 on the music for your wedding. The officiant and the ceremony site will cost around $400, and transportation to the site, $450. You will want to buy your attendants gifts for their support and help, and the average cost for these gifts is about $400. A set of wedding bands averages out to $500, the rehearsal dinner around $1000. The reception can run anywhere from $5000 to $8000. The wedding dress purchase and the tuxedo rental will come to around $1500. No one ever said getting married was inexpensive!!! The average total cost of a wedding comes to around $25,000. Do keep in mind that this is just an average, you can still have a fantastic wedding for a fraction of that cost if you are savvy and do some things yourself.

There are numerous factors that will affect your choice of wedding invitation. The first question you should ask yourself is whether you are planning to have a formal, semi-formal or casual wedding ceremony because the type of ceremony you plan will impact your choice of invitations.

Regardless of whether you choose formal, semi-formal or casual invitation, generally, wedding invitations include the invitation itself as well as a reception card, response card, separate envelope for the response card, detailed information on accommodations for guests and riving directions and important telephone numbers.

Be aware that while there are literally thousands of styles and designs of invitations available for the choosing, there are only six basic types of invitations. These include:

Engraved
Thermo graphed
Printed
Calligraphy
Handed colored
Box set

Engraved invitations are the most classic and traditional choice of invitations available. They are also the most expensive type of invitations on the market; however, if you are planning a very formal wedding, engraved invitations are an absolute must. Keep in mind that you should order your engraved invitations no less than 8 weeks from the date of your wedding, preferably farther in advance.

Thermo graphed invitations provide an affordable alternative to engraved invitations. The end result is a very elegant look and while thermo graphed invitations might not be appropriate for a very formal wedding, they would work well for a semi-formal wedding. Plan on ordering these invitations at least six weeks in advance.

Printed invitations are one of the most popular choices on the market and are very cost efficient. You can find a wide variety of printed invitations available through most stationary and printer vendors as well as on-line wedding invitations vendors. While the turn around time for printed invitations is typically better than engraved or thermographed options, you should still plan on ordering your printed invitations at least 4-6 weeks in advance. Printed invitations are appropriate for semi-formal and casual weddings.

One option in printed invitations that is definitely gaining favor is the alternative of purchasing ‘blank’ invitations from printed stationary retailers and then printing your own information. This gives you the option of choosing the design you want and saving a few dollars by handling the printing on your own.

Calligraphed invitations are very elegant and work well for weddings with an old fashioned theme. They can be very expensive; however, due to the amount of time and effort involved in producing them. When deciding on whether to choose calligraphy invitations remember that you need to allow extra time for preparation, plan on additional cost and keep in mind that this type of invitation may smudge if it comes in contact with even a slight amount of moisture. Calligraphy invitations are appropriate for all types of weddings except very formal events.

Hand made invitations are gaining in popularity not only because they are cost efficient but because they add a nice personal touch to a very special occasion. There are numerous options for creating hand made invitations and basically the sky is the limit with choices. Just remember to plan on making additional invitations in case of mistakes and allow plenty of time, especially during this hectic time of your life. Handmade invitations are appropriate for most weddings except very formal events. Handmade invitations can also be easily generated with desktop publishing programs and attractive stationary.

Box set invitations are available at most stationary retailers and can provide an quick and easy alternative to other types of invitations. This type of invitation can also be easily dressed up for a unique and personal touch.

Regardless of which type of invitation you ultimately choose, do be sure to allow plenty of time for printing and an additional two weeks for mailing. Also, consider interesting and unique ways you add a personal touch to your wedding invitations, such as unique wording and verses.