There was a point in time during the past couple months that I got tired of writing the economy into nearly every news story I covered.  Of course, I couldn’t argue that it was relevant — just old.  But the fact is, the economy IS an important thing to consider, especially when planning a hefty event like a wedding.

First of all, know this: More dollars does not translate to a better event. So instead of stressing about your tight budget, try to think of ways to express yourself uniquely without draining your savings account.
Here are a couple things to try:

• Shop online.
The beauty of the Internet Age is the incredible variety of tools available to you on the Web, often in bulk or for cheaper prices than you will find at your local craft store. For invitations, for example, try using a site like vistaprint.com, which lets you design your own invitations, save-the-dates, etc. and prints them for you, then ships them in the mail.

Looking for decorations, and needing a lot of them? Check e-bay. You will find a generous number of former brides who are more than excited to let you take their lot of 100 lily bowls off their hands. An added bonus: After your big day, you can resell to the next bride in line! (I have never sold on e-bay, for the record, but have bought numerous things there and have never had a problem.)

• Shop around.
A temptation with wedding shopping — whether for accessories, décor or even a venue or photographer — is to splurge just because it’s a big day, a once-in-a-lifetime event, etc. While that may be a fact, a streak of impulse buys on wedding shopping trips could lead to regret down the road when you’re struggling to finance something the two of you may have a need for.

Yes, those flashy, custom-designed invitations are REALLY cute, and yes, the $2,000 photographer has an amazing portfolio. But before you decide to splurge, double-check your bottom line. Would it be easier on your budget to stick with the lower-end invites and embellish them yourself? Could you check with a photographer friend or look up a student in a college photojournalism program (insert plug for Kent State University’s top-notch journalism and photojournalism program here) who might be able to provide his services for a discounted price?
Sometimes, a splurge may be merited — but not without careful consideration.

• Put uniqueness before gallantry.
Your wedding should be an expression of you and your husband-to-be: Your tastes, your passions, your creativity. Don’t forget to shop local, where you can find some embellishments or creative touches that might not be offered by the big names. Try to think outside the box and put your hard-earned cash into a celebration that your guests will remember as being “you” — not just extravagant.

Our nation’s economic woes are touching just about every wallet out there, in one way or another. But that’s no reason to fret about pulling off a gorgeous wedding ceremony and reception. A little creativity and some savvy shopping skills will work wonders for your budget — and perhaps leave room along the line for that nice little house you’ve been saving for.

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Authored by Abbey Roy for LV Sound Entertainment http://www.lvsoundent.com

Abbey is a brand-new bride from Wadsworth now living in Newark, Ohio. She is a general assignment reporter for the Newark Advocate and married fellow reporter and Kent State graduate Seth Roy on Oct. 25, 2008.