How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5000 (or Less) : Achieving Beautiful Simplicity Without Mortgaging Your Future [Paperback]

Jan Wilson (Author), Beth Wilson Hickman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 1999

The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
Relax. You don't have to mortgage your future to have the wedding of your dreams. According to mother-daughter wedding consultants Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, the secret is in the planning. Here they tell you everything you need to know to plan a wedding that is both beautiful and affordable. Inside you'll find a wealth of creative ideas and invaluable advice from couples who have saved a fortune on their weddings. Jan and Beth guide you through every step of the process—right up to the day of the ceremony—and show you how to:
·Organize and prioritize using a month-by-month checklist
·Select gowns and tuxedos that look wonderful but don't cost a mint
·Find unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations
·Decorate with style—without breaking the bank
·And much, much more!
"It is possible to have a beautiful wedding without going broke, and Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman show you how in this extremely comprehensive and practical book."
—Diane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine
"You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible."
—Bob Masullo, consumer writer, The Sacramento Bee

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Yes, weddings can be expensive, but is it really worth giving up your firstborn child so you can have tulips in September? When your wedding day arrives, you want to be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event and know that the ceremony and reception are not going to put you in hock for the next 10 years. In How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less, authors Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman teach you how to budget and balance so you can have the wedding of your dreams without the headache of enormous bills.

Whether you choose to have a big or small, formal or informal wedding, the reception seems to clock in at approximately half of your budget. So, going with that figure, you need to evaluate and prioritize wedding clothes, flowers, the photographer, the cake, music, invitations, and the ceremony itself. Can you wear your mother's wedding dress (with some alterations, of course)? Can you cut invitation costs by using black ink rather than a fancy foil? When you booked the band, did you read the fine print? (One bride found, the day before the wedding, that they had to provide a soundman and soundboard. Yikes!) "Weddings, like life itself," say the authors, "are rarely predictable." They suggest appointing one or two (two is better) close friends or family members (but not attendants) as coordinators. It will give the couple a trusted helper/point person during the planning process and take some stress off the day of the event.

How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less encourages you to dream of your ideal day and then helps you to practically and economically make it happen. "Decide what is really important on your special day and make that a priority," say the authors. "Know what is right for the two of you. Your wedding day should reflect that." --Dana Van Nest

Review

The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (February 24, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761518045
• ISBN-13: 978-0761518044
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars doesn't really offer tips on saving money, June 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5000 (or Less) : Achieving Beautiful Simplicity Without Mortgaging Your Future (Paperback)

Although this is rated high up there with the many top wedding advice books, this still isn't one of the best. My main and only problem of the book is where is the "budget" aspect of the book as it says in the title. They offer numerous and helpful tips and advice about planning a wedding, even an elegant wedding. But for those actually looking for advice on keeping a wedding under a limited budget, this isn't the book. For real and practical budget advice, I recomend Bridal Bargains by D. Fields.

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money, September 18, 2002

By 

"libby_528" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5000 (or Less) : Achieving Beautiful Simplicity Without Mortgaging Your Future (Paperback)

If you are really trying to throw a wedding for under 5,000 you can't afford this book. The book could have been called how to throw a wedding for 20,000 dollars. It really is a very basic wedding planner that has nothing to do with saving any money. The best book you could buy is Bridal Bargins. That book shows how to save money.

68 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title, March 19, 2003

By 

LisaW "lisa_1" (Newton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5000 (or Less) : Achieving Beautiful Simplicity Without Mortgaging Your Future (Paperback)

This book should be titled something like: "Things to Think About When Planning a Wedding". It contained very little money saving tips, which is why I bought the book.