Printable Wedding Checklist: Fill & Download for Free

Do I have the marriage license?Check.Do I have an officiant?Check.Do I have at least two witnesses to sign the marriage license?Check.Do I have the rings?Check.Do I have cake, alcohol, food to feed the people who will attend (in my case 6 people total)?Check.Do I have roses to match the dress?Check.We had a very simple wedding. All the bases were covered and we were very happy to have the necessities required to marry us.EDIT: to argue with those answers which are contrary, yes, it is that simple. We were engaged and then married within 3 months. It’s all about what you feel you really need to have. We only needed to have each other and the legal requirements along with some good food and booze.

Decide what is most important to you and focus first on getting that. Then be creative in the other areas. Here are some ideas:Do it yourself as much as possible: veil, favors, centerpieces, decorations, etc. Pinterest is a good place to get ideas.Recruit friends and family to help.Instead of renting a reception venue, find an unusual setting--a ranch, field, old building, basement, etc.Limit the number of guests to your closest family and friends.Have a casual, rather than formal, wedding. This allows you to "think outside the box" more, plus the wedding dress will be cheaper.As previously mentioned, do a buffet.Buy your wedding gown on eBay or a discount Website.Use a budget sheet so you know how much you can / did spend. I have an interactive, printable wedding planning checklist and budget here: http://www.myonlineweddinghelp.com/planning-budget-checklist.htm

My husband and I spent just under $5,000 on our wedding in 2006--the bulk of it for plane tickets and a week-long honeymoon suite in Las Vegas. We had no guests--my family watched online as we were married at Chapel of the Flowers (that's us in the photo).As others have said, there is no "typical" wedding. What's wonderful is whatever wedding you want is perfect. In general, TheWeddingReport.com's current figures are an average wedding cost $26,000+. Like most averages, this is a little misleading: 38% of all weddings in the US are below $10,000, which means a relatively few hugely elaborate weddings skew the average upward.Here are some tips for setting your budget and planning within it:Start with a wedding plan that includes who is paying for what, a detailed timeline / checklist, and a way to plan & track spending by category. I have a printable, interactive wedding checklist and budget calculator & tracker here (no charge): http://www.myonlineweddinghelp.com/planning-budget-checklist.htmGuest count is a big cost driver. The lower the number you invite, the more economical the wedding.The venue can be another large expense. Unique venues--such as farms, unused warehouses, and basements--can be significant money savers.If your budget is limited, decide what type of vendors to hire and find those that fit your needs. Know your own strengths when planning a big event and understand the value & quality each experienced professional adds to your dream wedding.Know how to efficiently research wedding products online (for variety and price) in a way that saves you time and money. There's more about that on my website's home page ( MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com ).