by Beverly Bochenek

Created on: April 28, 2009

Your wedding day. Those three words are unique on their own and unique when you place them together. It is your wedding day. Even if other couples get married on the same day as you, this day belongs to you and your intended because it is the start of a life that only the two of you can have. You want to create a day that will express the love you feel and the hope of making it last to the end of your days. You want to make it memorable.

But you also have to be realistic about expenses. Planning is the key to everything. If you take a look at what you want and what you have and you can afford an extravagance (or two) then what follows are some wedding splurges you might want to consider:

1. Rolls Royce

A stretch limo and a trolley are cute and they certainly catch the eye, but nothing says 'Holy Crap' better than a $400,000 car waiting in the church parking lot. You won't actually buy the car - you can rent it. Make sure you get lots of photos and allow your guests to take photos standing in front of it. Think of it as a big old party favor with a motor.

2. Couture Dresses

'Couture" simply means sewing; haute couture means really good sewing but if you think dresses are expensive off the rack, then imagine what having your wedding dress made by hand, or at least, not mass produced will cost. On a personal note, I found a really good deal on my wedding dress and it came in way under my budget. My bridesmaids dress expenses were beginning to rack up because there were such diverse body types that finding the one dress to suit them all was going to cost way more than any dress should. I ended up hiring a seamstress to do my bridesmaid dresses as my present to them. We got a dress that suited them all and one they could use again. Haute Couture for my attendants was well worth the cost. I mean, they looked better than me, but I got the guy.

3. Shoes

I remember seeing a photo of Mariah Carey after her wedding to Tommy Mottola. They showed her shoes - a nice pair of white pumps that looked just like the one I got at Payless for $14.95. The caption writer made a note that her pumps cost more than $2000 and that was probably the only time they made it in a photo. But you can be sure to raise a foot anytime the photographer is in the area.

4. Photographer

You can spend money at one of the national chains, or you can go to a specialist. We looked at one photographer who charged $150 for two photographs. We didn't hire him, but his photograhs were unique and nothing like the standard pose and click photos we ended up having. It's more like a photo shoot. You can get an interesting view of your wedding if you're willing to pay extra for it.

5. Music

Instead of a DJ, hire some live performers. A real band with a real singer gives an entirely different feel to the reception. It's like a concert but with cake.

The fact is, almost any detail of a wedding has a practical and splurge component. I mean, we had ice sculptures, really, who needs ice sculptures? The point is, this is where you can make a statement about who the two of you will be together, Whether your splurge is one for public consumption (like food) or one that's just known to the two of you (like diamond/platinum rings), this is a chance to express yourselves, make a statement, and provide loving, lasting memories of your wedding day.

Learn more about this author, Beverly Bochenek.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.