If you and your fiancé are covering some or all of the cost of your wedding, you may very well be putting thousands of dollars into the big day. Things can start to add up quickly, so you will want to have a plan in place for how you will financially prepare.

Cut Your Monthly Expenses

Even if the big day is a long way out, this is the time to begin saving. Start early, even if you are not yet engaged. If you need to, plan a longer engagement. You can set up a separate savings account that you contribute to automatically so you are regularly putting aside money. You can also set up a budget to help you set aside funds for the big day. Sit down with your family and future spouse to determine the amount you can afford for both the honeymoon and wedding. Do a bit of research to figure out how much venues, food, and other expenses will be. One way to reduce your monthly expense is by refinancing your student loans. Having student loan refinancing available allows you to obtain a new loan to pay off the old one, and you might end up with better repayment terms. Then you can have even more money put into your savings account.

Get Some Help

Try to be aware of preventable marriage disasters and start your union off on the right foot. Fighting over a wedding is not a great way to set up a successful, lifelong, marriage. Take some time to shop around for sales on things like décor or dresses. If you have a long enough engagement, you may be able to find a marked-down wedding dress at the end of the summer, when the wedding season ends. You can look to online shops, where dresses tend to be cheaper. While you may not be able to try on the dress ahead of time, if you already know what you want, it can be a great option. Friends can be a great resource as well. It is becoming more common for couples to register for wedding-related items, such as photography, the wedding ring or engagement ring for the woman, and selecting the proper men’s wedding ring from a company like mensweddingrings.us, finding the perfect honeymoon location, or even the cake. Many registry sites allow the couple to request funds for these things. Your friends may be willing to help set up or clean up, further reducing your expenses.

Consider Different Times and Locations

If you live in the city, a venue may be top dollar, especially if you are getting married at a prime time, such as a Saturday night. Look into other options a little further out. You may find it is cheaper to host the ceremony in one spot and rent a venue for only the reception. Additionally, you may consider getting married during an off time, such as in the fall or on a Friday afternoon. Call different venues that fit the theme of your wedding to determine how much they charge for specific times. Other wedding vendors, such as photographers, may also charge less during off seasons. Other items involved for weddings include the mens wedding bands and engagement rings, wedding dress, invitations and more. The pricing for these items remain fairly consistent throughout the year unlike a wedding photographer. While a destination wedding may seem even more costly, you might be able to save money, depending on where you go. Destination weddings tend to have smaller guest lists, and different services might cost less in another country. It pays to do your research.