The sign of the times....budget weddings. The current client for me is stretching every dollar to make their dream wedding fabulous. It is challenging and frustrating for most of them. Thankfully, they were smart enough to hire a wedding planner!:-) Whether it is Premier W.E.D. or not, a wedding planner can save you a lot of time, money and headaches. They are your knight and shining armor when it comes to making things happen. The right planner allows your dreams to be expressed and then executes them with your budget in mind. However, you have to be realistic about your budget and the most common mistake I see is venue choices that are out of the budget from the get go. That puts you under extreme stress the rest of your planning period! Be flexible, smart and thorough in choosing your venue. That's my number one piece of advice. After all, sometimes getting everything you want means minimizing your needs.

I have also had to encourage clients to go "old school" and use their own car or a family friends car for the get away. That can save anywhere from $400-$700. I am not a fan of plastic for a wedding, but clear glass is just fine. It can be as low as $.30 a plate and $.25 per flatware piece!

Flowers- using the some of the same flowers you had at rehearsal dinner at your receptions is also a smart use of money. I also use extra vases at the reception that await the bridesmaids bouquets when they are finished with photos. These vases can adorn the guest dinner tables, the cake table, or a guest registry table. Mother's bouquets can also be used in the same fashion.

Invitations- Southall Eden Paperie has produced a line of stationary that is budget friendly and can be colored adapted with a small fee. This local wedding invitation designer has hit a market that was in desperate need of stylish but money savvy choices. Shannon O'Kelly competes with other online invitation companies in price and she offers you the local connection.

Combo Discounts- You might want to consider companies that offer more than one service and can discount you for using them for both. This is common with DJ/Lighting services, Photography/Videography companies and Catering/Cake companies.

I never want my client to feel like we are taking over. That is not our job until the day arrives. Through out the entire planning process it is a necessity for me that the client is involved and happy. However, allowing someone who does this day in and day out to help you can be intimidating and worrisome. I know some Brides think, "I don't want someone else to plan my wedding!" It's not about that. It's about allowing a professional to help you get what you want and finding ways that you aren't aware of to keep you on budget. A Wedding Director will bring you peace of mind (which is priceless) the day of your wedding. A Planner gets you there.