Nobody warned us that wanting the right to get married is a double-edged sword. Yes, we have the option of showing and proving our love to the world and being legally each other’s, but we now, among all the TV shows that we have to watch in order to stay cool and all the new pop music that we should judge and mock on social media, have to plan out those weddings! But OK, this is indeed a magnificent occasion. So, are you planning to get married soon? You are probably here because you thought about throwing a very fabulous wedding, yet do not know how to do it on a budget (straight couples always go over the top, don’t they?), so, once again, we come to the rescue:
Find the right venue
The most important thing for a wedding (besides the two of you and the songs by Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and Britney Spears that you will dance to) is the venue, so that you and your partner can actually dance to the mentioned divas. There are plenty of different venues not only in LA but all around the continent as well, so you finding a pretty one will not be a difficult task. However, you will have to pay attention to the price of the venue. The best way to save money on this is to either book the venue in advance (check if you will get a discount if you book in due time) or find a venue that is not in the city center as your guests will probably be coming by car.
The food and the drinks
One big expense will be the food and the drinks that you will be serving at your wedding party. Now, the booze is actually the thing that you will most definitely need if you want to throw the best wedding party ever, so it would not be the wisest idea to save money on it. However, as far as the food is concerned, you can slightly change the game. Serving finger food is, for example, an amazing idea, not only because it will save you money on huge meals, but also because it is quite interesting and completely unusual for a wedding party. If you really want to make your wedding stand out (as you should as, after all, not many people go to plenty of LGBT weddings), you can use the popularity of mixology in NYC and either use the services of such a company or try and make something similar by yourself. These are all things that you might think are more expensive than they are, but in the long run, it will save you money on food and drinks and people will have a blast.
The little things
Once you have the venue, the buffet and the bar ready, think about the small things you have to do for a wedding. These include the vows, finding the right celebrant, the DJ (or simply a family member or friend who will be willing to play music) and even finding a good photographer (and this is where you will have to be very cautious but we will not question your sense of aesthetics). Try to save as much money as you can on these, but do not, ever, choose price over quality. If you find something cheap that is not high quality, do not go for it. Rather try to find the best ratio of quality and price and go with it (this is especially important for the photographer as there are ways in which you can make a photograph look good by using different apps).
Dressing time
Finally, let’s talk about the clothes that you will be wearing on your wedding day. This is also one of the biggest expenses for a wedding, and truth be told – you should never save money on this. But, you can always try and be down-to-earth and stay away from big brands that are only expensive status symbols. If you want to look good, you can do that on a budget as well, but you will have to find the right person to make your suit, and you will be able to do that if you start looking for them in due time. Find recommendations, compare prices, and see the quality of the materials. After all, it is how you wear a certain piece. There are plenty of people who will wear only branded names and still look like a couple of bucks, while other guys will wear something completely modest and create a look from the Oscars red carpet. In order to be the latter, you need to find a suit that will be tailored just for you, and this does not have to be very pricy if you find a good tailor that is not very posh and pretentious.
Expenses here, expenses there, and you will have a wedding that will, at the end of the day, cost a lot. But, put everything on paper and try to book everything in advance. This is how you will save money. May you have an amazing wedding, as this is, after all, the most important thing!