First of all, talk to your friends. It is most likely that they have been to weddings in NI or some other country, and know of good wedding cars, wedding photographers and wedding shops in NI. They can put you in touch with others who could give you massive bargains as a result. Secondly, always price around. In the example of a wedding dress, there are numerous wedding shops in NI or other countries who act as the distribution outlet of one wedding dress designer. The result is a range of prices, and most will undercut to get the business on a particular dress.



Thirdly, always check out a wedding directory. Checking a wedding directory out means that you can research a particular wedding business on the internet directory, find reviews or positive / negative posts and decide if you are going to use this wedding supplier at all. It can save a lot of money in the long run, especially on legal fees! Fourthly, always pay any deposit with a credit card. This might not be ?saving money? but it protects you more if the wedding photographer goes bust, as your credit card company will cover at least some of the cost. Many people have lost deposits because a company goes into administration or disputes arise.

Fifthly, determine what is really necessary in your wedding plans and make a budget that you can stick to. Are you having a big wedding party because someone else in NI (e.g. a friend) had them? This doesn't make good financial sense - it must be what YOU want. Sixthly, never accept the price quoted to you by a wedding supplier when you are deciding what you want for getting married. One of the big changes in the advent of the economic downturn has been people's attitude to price of products and services. If they want something, they want it for a reduced rate. wedding photographers expect this, and thus are generally willing to haggle. If necessary, walk away and come back. Don't be rude, but be firm about negotiating a price. After all, it is your money.

Next, pay whatever you can upfront and in advance of your wedding day. This serves two purposes. It gives you room to negotiate a price with the wedding car owner etc (whereas if you leave it to the last minute the wedding supplier will know that you are desperate and may not budge on the price), and it also means that you have ?committed? wedding resources that cannot be wasted on something else. Research shows that last minute wedding shopping is generally the most expensive!

Also, always ensure that you know the exact prices of aftersales, and can hold the wedding supplier to account (aftersales are items like albums for putting your wedding photographs into). Whatever you do, remember your wedding day is one of the biggest days in your life. Money cannot buy happiness, but it is also in your interest to spend frugally and to enjoy all of the preparations and wedding planning as well as getting married itself.