Everybody knows that weddings are not cheap in any aspect. They are difficult to save for, but definitely worth the end result. Having proper negotiation skills can definitely help anybody keep the costs of their wedding down, especially if you know exactly what you are doing. Having prior information about competitive pricing is a great way to keep the costs of your own wedding down.

Negotiating is not about robbing the person who is providing services for your wedding, but coming to a more appropriate common ground when it comes to price. If you are not willing to pay a certain price for the band, the venue, or the caterer then they will lose your business completely. Many wedding planning businesses and those who contribute their services toward making your wedding a festive event would rather complete the task for you at a better price than lose your business altogether, so it is all about the way you look at things and talk to people.

As far as the venue goes, be sure that you never sacrifice what you want in the name of your pride or a few dollars. There is nothing quite like having your wedding where you want to have it, and unless the deal is good enough there is never a reason to sacrifice what you want for something else. The way to get the venue you want for the price you want and on the day of your wedding, it is important to book the area far enough in advance that you don’t have to come out of six months’ worth of salary to be able to get married. As sad as it is, venue hosts sometimes take advantage of last minute wedding plans and that can mean extremely high venue costs for you in the end. If you want to save money, plan in advance and that is the best way to negotiate a good venue price. The same goes for negotiating wedding reception venue costs—the earlier the better. Negotiating wedding reception costs are the only way to keep costs down for your wedding.

As far as food goes, the caterer is definitely going to be one of the more expensive aspects of your wedding planning. Negotiating costs for wedding reception food is a good way to keep the costs of your wedding under control, rather than compulsorily accepting the offer that the caterer makes to you. Remember that they need your business, and are mostly willing to negotiate price with you. If you are concerned about refreshments, try to keep the appetizers and favors to a minimum—usually these are the things that are left over anyway.

Also, the band or DJ is another aspect of planning a wedding that can get a little expensive. A live DJ is usually cheaper than a live band, but many live bands (especially local ones) can be booked for a great price if you do it well enough in advance.

One key thing to remember is that if you have more than one choice for each thing then you can truly give the impression to the supplier that you are not desperate for their services. You should set a realistic target price in your mind for the service and if the offers you get back are not reasonable be prepare to “come back to them”.

Often it is helpful to have “someone to consult with” who is not present at the meeting. This could be for real or pretend. If you can’t make a decision without refering to someone else this can help remove any pressure if it being applied to force a decision.

Good luck and remember it is your wedding. Take your time and make sensible decisions and have a budget.

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