How to Pay Off Wedding Debt Quickly

Image courtesy of Dan Rappa Photography

Don't Let Wedding Debt Bring You Down!

The quickest way to pay off your wedding debt is to not have any. This means doing what we did:

Keep it simple. You can have a very nice party without rendering yourself broke, simply by sticking to the wedding day essentials and letting the rest fall by the wayside. All those things that spoiled brides fret over... the perfect dress, the wedding day pedicure, the wedding favors... they all add up to dollars spent and no money left to start your life with.

Do the math up front. Plan your NJ wedding so that the cost of each plate will be less than the average amount you expect to receive from each guest. This sounds sleazy, but only if you plan to do something sketchy with the money. What is more important to you: having money saved to put toward your first home, first child, retirement, etc.... or having the poshest wedding on the block? What do you think those sweet, old folks would want to see you do with their generous wedding gift... put it toward pricey floral arrangements and Manolo Blaniks? Or give it to future family generations? Don't feel pressured to match the quality of the wedding with the amount in the envelopes. That's not what marriage, and life, is about.

Stick to your budget. We kept a list of cost projections... how much we expected to pay for each aspect of our wedding. Then we reviewed the list to see where we could trim off savings here and there. For example, several of our wedding guests had creative talents, including a decorative painter, a hairdresser, and a couple of musicians. We utilized the talents of these folks in lieu of a money gift from them. Definitely helped the overall total cost, and added a really nice, personal touch from good friends who got to contribute to our happy day in a very special way.

Pay in cash. It's hard to pay in cash if you don't have any cash, right? Well, unfortunately if you pay for your wedding by credit card you also must fork up an extra fee. Not to mention, if you fail to pay off the card immediately, you WILL accrue interest fees which is a total budget bummer. So DO pay in cash if it's at all possible. Got parents with bucks in the bank? Hit them up for a quick cash loan that you can turn around as soon as you open up your envelopes. It's just so much better to be SMART about your marriage money!

Cut corners where you can. Family and friends can show up early to help decorate – may be worth it if you were going to fork out an extra $500 to the wedding hall. If the venue tells you something costs extra, like the colored tablecloths, then skip it. Instead of a band, go for the local mom-and-pop deejay shop. Save a few more hundred on dress or tux alterations... lots of moms, aunts and grandmas have some great talent at being seamstresses. Ask for help, and you shall receive!

Resell your used wedding day items. Of course, this is difficult... most brides place great sentimental value on their wedding dresses, as do I. But if you're really hurting for money, it makes sense to get a little return on your investment. You can sell the wedding dress, shoes, veil, purse; the groom's suit or tux if he purchased one... I am saying in extreme cases. But for many, a wedding is a ginormous expenditure that they are not ready for and could really be much better off without. So... get on Craigslist and sell your wedding stuff! Hey, lots of people do it, why the heck not.

We have plenty more money-saving tips for your NJ Wedding plan. Poke around this blog and see what you find!