HOWTO SAVE MONEY

Wedding costs can add up quickly so devise a plan

PLANNING a wedding can be a stressful and expensive experience, so to keep the stress down you should always remember the costs.

Break down your budget early to reduce the stress later on.

According to Moneysmart, the average Australian wedding costs $36,200.

Food, alcohol and the venue take up most of that cost, averaging $18,683.

Clothing comes next at $4271, photography averages about $3982, and entertainment, decorations and transport/accommodation all average about $2000 each.

Australians use a mixture of methods to pay for weddings, including using savings, loans, contributions from parents and credit cards.

Moneysmart offered tips to reduce the cost of a wedding: :: Talk about money early with your partner and both sets of parents (if they are involved) :: Prioritise your dreams and start saving early :: Make a wedding budget based on what you can afford and stick to it :: Shop around, get lots of quotes and haggle :: Don’t tell suppliers it is for a wedding :: Have an out-of-season wedding (in winter or on a Friday, for example) :: Cut your guest list (ask yourself, is this person an active part your life?) :: Save on decorating costs by doing them yourself or enlisting a friend :: Have a backyard wedding or use a friend’s place :: Spread out your wedding bills across a few months so you don t get all the bills at once