The Honeymooners - How to Have a Debt Free Wedding

One of the most invisible women at a wedding is the mother of the groom. I found that being invisible was actually a lot of fun because my son was marrying the right little lady at the right time and in the right way! All eyes should be on the bride--and groom.

The bride wore white and the groom was in black--in the black, to be precise. Our oldest son, Daniel, graduated from college debt free last month with a great FICO score and no consumer debt. This past week he got married and once again, there was no debt associated with the ceremony, reception or honeymoon! In fact the only "red" that this new couple got into was their (paid for) red convertible. And it wasn't because mommy and daddy took care of all the boy's bills, it was because he learned about financial freedom and living within your means. Starting out well in life by paying cash may mean you wait on the things you want to get, but it also means that there's twice the likelihood Daniel and his bride will not divorce since one in two couples cite "money issues" as the reason they separated.

I gave them The New Bride Guide when they got engaged over a year ago and they used it as their wedding planner. Thousands of other couples have done the same and here are just a few of the key tips to have the wedding of your dreams in the reality of today's economy.

• Live Your Plan - It's important to evaluate how much you can spend by having careful and honest discussions with parents, grandparents or others who will contribute to the wedding. Don't work your plan until you know how much you have to spend. I have a chapter that gives you the step by step guidelines for these discussions. Too many couples make their plans first then struggle with a way to pay for it later which usually means debt.
• Bargaining - By incorporating five words (is this your best price?) you can save thousands of dollars on everything from invitations, dresses, flowers, photography, the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon! Learn the fine art of bargaining.
• Honeymoon Savings - Daniel followed the tips on vacations and got a rock bottom price on an incredible honeymoon trip to Ireland. They layered the savings online for other items they needed for the trip and saved as much as 50%.

You don't have to be the son of a financial expert to learn how to have a tasteful debt free wedding. As I told Daniel, it's not about planning a wedding, it's about planning a marriage and starting a marriage debt free is the best gift you can give your bride.

Ellie Kay

America's Family Financial Expert (R)

www.elliekay.com