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Cynthia Rodgers

How to Get a Wedding Grant

As the cost of weddings has continued to rise, many couples are looking for ways to save money. If you're looking to cut costs and keep your wedding budget in check, you can be smart and use a wedding grant. That's right! Grants are available to those who need a little help with their big day. With the right grant, you can save thousands of dollars. 

These grants are usually given by governments, charities, and corporations, and they are awarded to couples who demonstrate that they have a need for financial assistance. In this article, we will take a look at what wedding grants are and how to get wedding grants.

What are Wedding Grants?

Wedding grants are the free source of funds that are provided by the government, non-profit organizations, or companies to those who need them. Wedding grants help couples carry out their wedding without having to worry about wedding costs. Grants can help allocate extra money for your wedding and the good part is that you don’t have to pay it back. Every year the government provides wedding grants to couples who cannot afford their wedding. Government can help get you a wedding grant of up to $10,000 on a conditional basis. However, non-profit organizations also help by providing grants for marriage ceremonies. For couples who are suffering from diseases or disabilities, these organizations can help by funding their wedding. 

How to Get a Wedding Grant

Getting a wedding grant may not always be easy. Government wedding grants are very rare and it is almost impossible to find one. But worry not, there are other non-profit organizations that can help you get a wedding grant. These non-profit organizations depend on the donations they get from generous people. 

The first step to do is to find a non-profit organization that can provide wedding grants. These organizations will check for the special needs of the couple before providing the grant. If the couple is disabled or is suffering from some disease, there is a high possibility of getting a grant. Some charities can provide wedding grants if the couple does not have enough funds or enough income to get a loan. 

All you have to do is, share your story and explain why you need a wedding grant. How you are suffering from the money deficit and how a grant can make your life easier. Below we will discuss different organizations and charities that provide grants to fund a wedding.

Wish Upon a Wedding 

Wish Upon a Wedding is a non-profit organization that helps to get wedding grants for couples that are facing serious illnesses or disabilities. The organization gets a lot of donations and is only focused to provide grants to needed couples. You can visit their website for a wedding grant application or you can contact them directly. It might take up to 6 weeks to verify your application. Once they have verified that your application is eligible for the grant, they will fund for wedding activities such as wedding venue booking, catering, photographer, Music and DJ, food up to 50 people, makeup, wedding dress, and more.

Churches 

Churches get a lot of donations from different people and they use that fund for social welfare. Churches are known to grant money for weddings, especially to needy couples. To get a wedding grant you need to reach out to your local churches and talk with them if they are able to help. Share your story and tell them how a wedding grant can make their life easier. Churches may not have a lot of funds to fully cover your wedding expenses but they can provide assistance to get wedding dresses, wedding food, venue, and more. 

Local Charities

There are charities that help with funding for people that need it. You can ask for grants from local charities or catholic charities that are ready to help struggling families. You can explain the need for funds and they can help you with the assistance for your wedding. 

Governmental Grants

The government doesn’t directly separate funds for weddings but can provide grants to needy families for their welfare. Government programs like TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and the Office of the Family Administration might help bring financial security and provide financial assistance during emergencies. You can apply for wedding grants by showcasing your need and income shortage. These programs provide financial support which encourages couples to live happy lives. 

Other Ways to Fund your Wedding

Wedding Contests

Wedding contests are held between multiple couples and provide exciting gift vouchers to the participating couples. Wedding grants are rare in wedding contests but it is still worth playing them. The couples can get gift vouchers like wedding dresses, honeymoon packages, free venues, photographers, and more. Some popular companies that perform wedding contests are travel agents, bridal outfitters, and wedding planners. 

Pay My Wedding for Loan Financing

Pay My Wedding is an online platform where you can ask for a wedding loan. Unlike any other financing, with paymywedding.com you just have to fill out the online form to get a loan. Many couples get worried that they won’t get a wedding loan with a bad credit history. Yes, poor credit history makes lenders hesitate to give a loan. But with Pay My Wedding, you don’t have to worry. Our lenders are committed to working with every type of loan application. 

Tired of applying for a wedding loan and have not found one yet. Why not try us. You just have to provide all the authentic information on our online form and see the magic happen. Within 24 hours, our platform will find a lender and get you a loan as requested. 

10 Clever Ways to Save Money on Wedding

Planning a wedding can be expensive, as well as stressful, especially when you are on a tight budget as you don't want to give up all your luxuries on your big day. From wedding dresses to the venue, everything cost money and if you are thinking about an expensive piece of jewelry for your opposite half, that’s even more. 

Luckily, with a little creativity and planning, you can save money and still have a beautiful memorable wedding without breaking the bank. We have come up with clever ways that you can adopt to save thousands of dollars on your wedding without sacrificing anything. So without further ado, let’s get started and unveil the 10 smart ways to save money on your wedding!

Plan “Off Season” Wedding Date

Prices of wedding venues rise to their peak when the wedding season arrives. The typical wedding off-season arrives between November to March. Plan your wedding during this timeframe and you will save a huge chuck on wedding venue, and designer clothing. Most people choose June for their wedding which raises the prices of everything considering the demand in the market. Choosing off-season probably in December or January will help with your tight budget.

Shorten Your Guest List

The more guest, the more expensive wedding becomes. Simple as that. A shorter guest list is easy to manage and plan your budget. We are not saying to shorten it to 10-15 people but if you had planned 200 people, removing half of it will save you a lot of money. Invite your closest friends, relatives, and neighbors and remove anyone who you rarely knew or talked to like a friend from the job. However, don’t remove anyone who might hurt their feelings if you don’t invite them. Make sure to curate your guest list before sending an invitation.

Avoid Weekends

Weekends are the most expensive days for the wedding since most people are free during this time and book venues for their events. You should inquire about any unbooked dates and try to fill in your wedding date to save money. Planning a wedding on off-weekend will interest lesser guests as they will have work to do and only your closest ones will attend it. 

Limit Plus-Ones

A clever way to manage guests for your wedding is the limit the plus-ones. Send a plus-one wedding invitation to the married, engaged, or someone in a serious relationship only and cut off anyone who doesn’t fit these criteria. You don’t have to send a plus-one to every guest who will attend your wedding. This will also remove any unwanted guests, shorten your guests' list and save you money.

Plan Your Wedding at a Single Venue

You can save money on logistics and transport if you plan your entire wedding at a single venue. You can cut off extra costs of shifting your equipment and wedding essentials if you plan the wedding including the reception and after-party at the same venue. 

Wedding venue

Hire a Wedding Planner

If you're worried about sticking to a budget for your wedding, don't be! A wedding planner with great management skills can save you thousands of dollars on flowers, venue, jewelry, dress, and food. A wedding planner will take care of everything that worries you and save you time. So go ahead and plan that champagne wedding—you can definitely do it on a beer budget!

Avoid the Bachelor Party

A Bachelor party for just a few friends or BFFs is sometimes a waste of money. Rather, you can spend that money on something that lasts a lifetime like bridal jewelry or more practical such as paying for the wedding venue.

wedding bachelor party

Watch Out for Wedding Deals

There are various bridal salons and equipment providers on social media that frequently provide wedding deals and a certain percentage off for choosing them. You could get good discounts on wedding dresses, jewelry, gowns, and shoes. However, don’t fall for the fake ones, and keep an eye out for your favorite deals.  Make sure you do your research beforehand.

Use Venue’s Resources

Various wedding venues provide certain wedding items in the rental fee like tables, chairs, carpets, and linens which will cost hundreds of dollars. Ask each venue what’s included in the rental booking and be aware of how much they charge for each extra item. Many people have to face upcharges and they think of this before. If you are planning a DIY wedding, you are probably going to have to rent everything on your own. This is where, a wedding planner can help you with.

Go Paperless

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to print wedding invitations. In the current digital world, you can just send invitations through online media like websites, emails, or social media. Make a list of guests, create a wedding website, and send an electronic invitation to all your guests. You can also make a phone call to your close ones to inform them about the wedding instead of sending the invitation. This applies to the after-wedding parties and reception invitations as well.

Rent and Return

Weddings get more expensive when you need to buy everything new including flowers, decors, lights, dresses, carpets, tables, and dishes. A clever way to save money on weddings is the rent everything that can be rented. You don’t even have to purchase designer clothes for both bride and groom. You can just rent it out and save a huge chunk of money. 

Consult PayMyWedding for Bad Credit Wedding Loans

If you are on a bad credit, Pay My Wedding can instantly help you get a wedding loan allowing you to host your dream wedding without having to worry about the budget. You can get a fast and easy loan anywhere between $500 to $50,000. Venues, wedding rings, gowns, dresses, and more, Pay My Wedding will cover all your expenses to help you host a stress-free wedding. Consult Pay My Wedding today and get a wedding loan as fast as tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, you can also check out our article on the $10,000 Wedding Budget Breakdown if you are looking for one. 

$10000 Wedding Budget Breakdown: Here is How You can do it?

Budgeting for weddings is not easy, especially if you don’t know what you want. After all, there are so many different options available to you. You want to make sure that you don’t go over your budget, but at the same time, you need to make sure that your wedding is everything that you’ve always dreamed of. It is important to be able to plan and save for your wedding to make sure you are able to enjoy the special day with your loved ones.

Nowadays, wedding costs are rising quicker than ever before. This means that a lot of people are finding themselves in debt, or even worse, in the red. If you are planning your wedding, but are afraid you won’t be able to afford it, you don’t have to worry! There are a lot of ways to save money on your wedding. In this article, I am going to give you a rundown on how you can find the perfect wedding for less than $10,000.

Wedding Budget Breakdown

A big chunk of money for the wedding will go into activities like wedding venue booking, catering, ceremony fee, wedding photographer, reception, wedding dresses, make-over, etc. Let’s break down these activities and how much each should cost for the optimal budget plan. 

  • Wedding Venue Booking - $2500

Whether you are getting married in a traditional church or a rustic barn, the venue will play an important role in helping you customize your wedding. Best place would be to find affordable “party places” that also provide quality wedding food. If that is not an option, then you can search for local hotels that have enough ground for your guest to walk around. Most of the hotels, provide package deals for weddings or parties. Select the hotel that can provide deals like free DJ, workers, etc. 

  • Catering Service - $1800

Catering is an important part of every wedding and is often the most expensive part of the whole event. This is the part where you can save most of your budget. The cost for the catering depends on the size of the wedding and the food you are planning to serve. Always, make a checklist of your guest and confirm the number. For the backup, try to add some extra plates. After that try to make a checklist of the food items. Just don’t select every expensive item. Try to mix food items that are affordable with expensive ones so that the food menu looks pleasing. 

In most cases, wedding venue providers also provide catering services. You can also save some money if you properly manage your venue and catering service. Plan the affordable foods for the starters, heavy food items for the meal, and light dessert. For the drinks, see if you can find any deals in the liquor shop. 

  • Wedding Photographer - $1000

For a wedding photographer, you need to choose someone that has good experience in photography and is more affordable. Most of the photographers take money based on their presence at the wedding. The longer they are more money they will take. Always double-check if they provide some deal for the whole event. 

  • Venue and Reception Decoration - $500

Decoration of the venue and reception should be done with the utmost care and attention. As these are the aspects that guest like to watch. Try to use flowers, fairy lights, lanterns, artistic designs, etc for the decoration. The venue provides by default has some décor items with them and on top of that you can use extra items to make the event more beautiful. 

  • Wedding Dress – $700

For every bride, the wedding dress is the only thing they wait for. But this doesn’t mean it had to be an expensive one. Visit the local shops that provide beautiful-looking wedding dresses at an affordable price. Another option would be to search on e-commerce websites for the perfect wedding dress. Here is a guide on how you can buy affordable wedding dresses online

For the groom, you can just order your wedding suites online. Wedding suites are very affordable can find one in the range of $100-$200. Here is a list of the most affordable wedding suits for men

  • Makeup - $200

Here in the makeup section we are not just talking about the facial makeup or hair styling but also the bridal accessories like wedding shoes and bracelets. You can also check our list of wedding shoes for women to find the best affordable shoes.

  • Sound Box and DJ - $500

For morning and daytime, you can just entertain people with the manual music from the sound box. You can get it on rent from the venue provider or you can purchase one for around $150. For the evening show, you can hire a DJ to make the wedding a memorable one. You can hire a local DJ at an affordable price of around $300-$400. 

  • Honeymoon Period - $2000

Planning a honeymoon can be a tough task. There are so many things to think about and you want it all to be perfect. During the honeymoon period, you cannot save much that is why we saved a little more in other parts. $2000 will be more than enough for the honeymoon. Traveling to new destinations, surfing on beaches, and staying in expensive hotels won’t be an issue. 

  • Miscellaneous - $800

In the miscellaneous section, we have separated some money for things like a wedding cake, wedding flowers, wedding ceremony fee, tips, etc. 

Wrapping Up

Budgeting for a perfect wedding is almost impossible as weddings are quite unpredictable. But if you follow the breakdown guide we have created, you can save a lot of money. Whether you are booking a venue or planning the honeymoon, the above-mentioned budget will be more than enough to complete the wedding for under $10,000.

Meanwhile, if you are searching for a wedding loan, contact us. At Pay My Wedding, we offer fast and easy financing to couples who need extra cash for their wedding days.

Pre-Marital Counseling and Reasons to Take It

Pre-Marital Counseling and Reasons to Take It

Have you ever heard of couples therapy? Premarital counseling is just like that. Premarital counseling is also known as pre-marriage counseling. This type of counseling is made for couples planning to take their relationship on to the next level or the marriage. Some teams consider having counseling before the wedding to prepare themselves before entering into a new chapter of their life.