by Silva Payne

Created on: April 18, 2009   Last Updated: May 13, 2010

Getting married on a budget is not the ideal way to start married life for many women. For many, the dream of a huge white dress, horse and carriage, attendents and luxury honeymoon have been nurtured and cherished since childhood. However, not all brides-to-be want the full white wedding with all the trimmings.

Many women either don't want to be the centre of attention, or simply cannot afford everything their heart desires for their big day. Having a smaller wedding and keeping tight hold of the budget reins is the solution. Men, traditionally, have little to do with the wedding arrangements, even though these days they do end up paying for a larger portion of them. So it is often left to the women to plan the day and work out how to limit the expense of getting married.

Start with the basics: what is the absolute minimum you need to marry the man of your dreams? Depending on the country of course, this is usually a case of obtaining the licence, booking an officiant, and turning up to sign the register. In England this can be achieved for around £100, although there is also a general 3-week waiting period between the first notice of intent to marry and the ceremony taking place (in the rest of the British Isles, a wedding can be arranged for even less and Scotland is a popular choice). In the US, the cost of obtaining a licence can vary; in Wyoming you pay $25, in Virginia it is $30, in Arizona or Ohio it is $50, and in Florida it is $93.50.

Booking an registrar, celebrant or officiant is the next step. In the UK, weddings are usually conducted by a Registrar, who will charge between £150 and £300 depending on the day of the wedding and the time of year. In the US, if you choose to employ a justice of the peace to officiate, you can expect to pay between $50-$100. A retired judge or minister may charge twice that amount, and one with a lot of experience or who is in demand may set their fee at $400 or more.

If you want your celebrant to be at a rehearsal then expect to pay for their time there too, on top of their usual fee. You may or may not also need witnesses to your marriage, usually if they are required you will need 2, but rarely will you have to pay for them to do the job. Plenty of people have been dragged in off the street at the last minute by complete strangers who wanted a quiet wedding but forgot the need for witnesses! So if you really want a no-frills wedding, it can be achieved for as little as a couple of hundred pounds

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