Destination Weddings and Honeymoons

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Save big with these fail-safe tips for negotiating with finesse.

It's no wonder couples often feel uneasy about wheeling and dealing on the details of their big day -- weddings are about romance, not haggling, right? But with a few smart tricks and a little sweet talk, you can knock thousands of dollars off the price of your wedding. Just follow this advice to get the best deal possible -- and save some scratch for your happily ever after.

Shop around.
Having a couple of options provides both a plan B and a little negotiating leverage. Ed Brodow, author of Negotiation Boot Camp, says everyone is sensitive to the power of competition: "You can squeeze them by saying, 'We'd love to have our wedding here, but this other site is willing to do the same thing for us at half the price. Can you match their offer?'"

Focus on the large expenses.
"You'll receive the highest return on investment when you're shopping for big-ticket items," says Michael Sloopka of Negotiatingcoach.com. Instead of trying to knock 20 percent off the $4,000 florist bill, knock 20 percent off the $20,000 catering bill, which will give you enough money to cover the flowers.

Never take the first offer.
Your vendors may act like their prices are set in stone, but they rarely are. "People ask for more than they expect to get, creating some room for compromise," Sloopka says. Negotiators will likely concede some of their range when you respectfully request a revised quote, he says.

Be reasonable.
Make your opening price lower than what you're willing to pay, but don't go overboard -- no vendor will agree to an 80 percent discount. "Everybody has a right to make a profit as a business owner," says wedding planner Sasha Souza. "We make our living doing what we do professionally."

Tell your story.
In a bit of a jam? Brodow recommends opening up about your (truthful!) personal situation to make the salesperson more sympathetic. "You can say, 'We're dying to marry in your venue, but we have a problem -- my fiancé lost his job and we're tight on cash,'" he says. "Affirm how special the place is, but express that you don't have that much in your budget."