If you are planning on organizing an inexpensive wedding, you may be wondering how much time you need to leave yourself to plan for the big day. The answer? 154 days. Exactly 154 days. Good luck and thanks for reading!

In all seriousness, the answer, of course, is that it depends! Some can throw together a wedding comfortably in four months. Some suggest leaving yourself a six month window so as not to feel rushed. Still others will say that if you give yourself a year you’ll have more time to bargain hunt the best deals for your budget wedding. It’s all a matter of how organized you are and how much help you are getting. Try to plan a wedding completely by yourself and you may find that all the time in the world isn’t enough!

To figure out the time needed to plan a cheap wedding, it is wise to first agree with your spouse on a list of wants/needs for your wedding and agree on a realistic budget to achieve it. Don’t focus too much yet on how to minimize costs. Just throw down everything you want for your wedding on paper and try to come up with some realistic estimates of how much everything will cost.

Next, decide on the number of people you plan to invite to your wedding. This is a key bit of information you want to determine in the early stages of the wedding planning process before your proceed with booking a venue. Once you have your list of needs and estimated guests, start planning your inexpensive wedding by looking around to see how you can get what you want for even cheaper. You can solicit ideas from a crafty aunt who might know some ways to cut corners on costs. Maintain a to-do list throughout the wedding planning process to stay ahead of the curve on what needs to be done before the big day.

In some ways, planning an inexpensive wedding actually takes more time than planning one with all the frills. Anyone willing to max out their credit cards without a care in the world can throw together a great wedding rather quickly; there will always be someone nearby willing to take a nice chunk of your money to give you what you want in a hurry. But to plan a truly inexpensive wedding, time is your best asset. By not hurrying yourself, you get to enjoy the luxury of shopping around for accommodations that fit your budget.

The best tip to carry with you as you plan your inexpensive wedding is to stay flexible. By keeping an open mind about venue, date, and nearly everything else, you can heighten your chances of slipping into a great deal for your big day. Keep all options on the table. With enough time and consideration, you can plan a fantastic and affordable wedding that you and your guests will never forget.

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There’s no doubt that winter is one of the best seasons to get married in. Not only can you take advantage of picture perfect snowfalls and rich holiday colors, you’re also likely to get a substantial discount on your costs, as winter is considered to be the “off season” by many wedding retailers.

However, just because your costs will be cheaper than planning your big day during the summer months, you’ll still want to keep an eye on price tags. Planning a wedding isn’t a cheap affair, and many brides find themselves shocked at all the extra expenses that add up. Here’s how to plan a cheap, but elegant winter wedding that satisfies your vision for your wedding while giving your bank account a break.

Tip #1 – Think Pure White Simplicity

Nothing says pure elegance like clean, crisp white linens. But here’s the fun part – renting all white tablecloths, napkins and other table dressings is often cheaper than borrowing their colored companions. Check with your event facility or rental coordinator to be sure this is true for your particular situation, but nine times out of ten, you’ll find renting white linens to be a cheaper option for your tables.

Of course, you might be able to save even more by purchasing white linen fabric in bulk from a fabric store near you and making your own table decorations. You don’t need to be a sewing expert to do this – remember that a key component of an elegant look is simplicity. All you need to do is learn how to put a seam on a square of fabric and you’ve got your own cost-effective, yet still elegant table linens.

Tip #2 – Incorporate Seasonal Decor

Another great part of planning your wedding for the winter months is that you’re able to incorporate seasonal decor at a fraction of the price of traditional wedding bouquets and decorations.

For example, one expense on many couples’ planning checklists is floral displays for the altar, buffet table and gift table. Creating these items out of fresh flowers can be incredibly expensive, but when you host a winter wedding, these costly blooms can be swapped out for holiday greens, wreaths and boughs – all of which come at a significantly lower price point.

For more “cheap but elegant”: decor ideas, consider dramatic centerpieces made of twigs in vases, bouquets and boutonnieres that incorporate bright red holiday berries and striking floral displays of potted poinsettias (which are widely available and incredibly affordable during the winter months).

Tip #3 – Capture That Winter Magic

When you picture an idyllic holiday scene, you likely conjure up images of warm fireplaces, hot apple cider and glittering snow dripped across the trees. Well, guess what? All of these elements can be incorporated into your elegant winter wedding for a fraction of the cost of traditional options.

To replicate the warmth of a fireplace, create centerpieces around votive candles, which can be purchased inexpensively online or at your local craft store. Serve hot apple cider at your reception and put up strings of twinkling Christmas lights to bring the magic of winter into your cheap but elegant winter wedding.

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