By Chris Easter of TheManRegistry.com

Wedding spending getting you down? Here’s four tips on easing some of that pain and perhaps actually enjoying the wedding planning experience.

Be realistic – Many couples go deeply into debt for their weddings. This is a scary thought considering the (in)stability of the current economy.  You need to stay in control of spending! Don’t sign up for a new credit card to pay for your wedding. The only way way to responsibly budget your wedding is to figure out what you can realistically spend and stick to that number (a chat with the parentals on the topic wouldn’t hurt either). Cut down your guest list rather than trying to penny pinch to fit in your entire office floor.

Hire quality vendors – This may not make sense, but you actually want to look for vendors that DON’T offer the lowest prices. By researching and hiring quality wedding vendors, you limit the chances that you’re going to get scammed or that the company is going to go out of business between the time you book and your wedding day.

Budget for more than just the wedding – If you spend your entire savings on the wedding and honeymoon, say goodbye to your financial cushion. It’s important that you make a budget for both your wedding and your everyday life and then stick to it. This will help you feel in control and confident with all your decisions.

The key word: resourceful– Being resourceful doesn’t necessarily have to be tied to cash.  Consulting parents, hiring a coordinator and doing your due diligence by researching up a storm can all go along way towards ultimately saving money.

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Guest blogger Chris Easter is co-founder of TheManRegistry.com  – the leader in wedding gifts for men. In addition to gifts, The Man Registry contains wedding tips for guys, groomsman gifts and a local wedding guide.