Sample #2

Money Saving Principles for Your Wedding

To minimize your expenses efficiently, start by listing all of them in details.

Then for each, find at least one way to reduce the price. You can use all the tips provided later in this book, but also don't forget any other possibilities which are specific to your wedding.

To give a general overview, there are five main ways to cut wedding costs :

1- Networking

By having a friend of friend who sings in a band, is a photographer or bakes cakes, you may be able to save a lot of money.

Here are basic networking principles, which not enough people use in practice :

Call your friends.
Think of the topics they like and may help you on. Keep in touch regularly with a maximum of people, so you won't be calling requesting something after 2 years of silence.

Call your friends' friends.
Any people they know are part of your indirect network. They're very quick to reach by just asking your friends, and already make a vast network (10 of your friends having each 10 more friends... Makes 100 people you can ask easily). As I bet you have more than 10 friends... See the point?

Make a 2nd contact.
Every time you meet someone, think and discuss to find what he can bring to you, and what you can bring to him. Then when you get his coordinates, contact him the same day with a brief message. This will remember them of you and simplify any further contact.

Make a list of all your networking contacts.
For each, note their profession and topics of interest. This may seem simple and useless, but when you start meeting people, keeping track is crucial. You'll realize your brain doesn't spontaneously remember everyone you meet. However Excel's doing a good job on this.

2- DIY

Hopefully, you won't need to buy all the items you listed. You should be able to create a few yourself.

Consider your invitations, table decorations, even baking your cake or stylishing your gown. There are a lot of things you can do yourself.

That's one of the simplest possibilities to personalize you wedding while saving a lot of money.

3- Negociation

This skill alone can save you a lot of money.
To begin, let's focus on a few basic principles:

Vendors are not your friends. You're not here to please them.
Although they can be of precious help and you want to have good relationships with them eventually. This comes AFTER the contract is signed. Which means before that, you need to appear strong. Be clear on what you expect, and ask every discount possible.

Have a large horizon.
Start planning early so you can meet with 3-4 vendors on each aspect. This may take time, but it will hugely increase your margin of choice, and your negociation margins. Also, this will give you points of comparison and a realistic idea of what's inside each offer.

(Continued in the book...)