Free Government Grants For Free Weddings Expenses – Everyone dreams of having a grand wedding ceremony however it requires a lot of money to fulfill this dream. The solution to this problem is applying for wedding grants sponsored by government and nonprofit organizations. Apart from getting grants for weddings through government or nonprofit organizations, there are various other ways to help you get a great wedding ceremony. This guide will help you to learn about government grants for weddings including other ways to get monetary assistance.
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Highlights of this Post
What Are Government Grants For Weddings?
Government grants for weddings are financial assistance programs that are funded by the federal, state and local government including nonprofit organizations to assist couples covering the cost associated with their wedding ceremonies. Wedding grants are designed to support couples from different backgrounds who are unable to celebrate their special day due to financial constraints and have to compromise their dreams.
The average cost of a wedding in the United States differs between $21,000 and $24,000 and can be higher in a few localities. If you are in a long-term relationship and are heading towards marriage then you can apply for wedding grants to overcome theimmediate financial difficulty.
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What Are The Eligibility Criteria And Documents Required For Wedding Grants?
To be eligible for government-free grants for wedding couples have to meet certain eligibility criteria. The criteria may vary depending on the grant program you are applying; however income-eligible couples are mainly preferred to receive wedding grants.
Let’s take a look at the following criteria that can help you to secure a wedding grant.
- Be a citizen of the United States or a legal permanent resident.
- Have a valid Social Security card
- Demonstrate robust financial need and incapability to cover the costs associated with wedding ceremonies.
- Must belong to the low-income category and have income below the federal poverty guidelines.
Now that you are aware of the particular eligibility criteria that can help you to secure wedding grants, let’s take a look at the following documents that you need to submit with your application form to secure wedding runs.
- Documents showing your valid residency or citizenship status.
- Income verification documents like pay stubs, bank statements, wage statements, tax forms etc.
- Personal identification documents like passport, driver’s license, original birth certificates, school registration, government-issued ID
- Proof of your current address in form of the utility bills, copies of lease, rental agreement etc.
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How To Apply For Grants For Free Weddings?
Couples need to follow the below-mentioned steps to secure a wedding grant.
- The first and foremost step is to research the wedding grant programs available at the federal, state and local level community to identify the programs that best align with your eligibility criteria and financial need.
- Every wedding grant program has specific eligibility and documentation requirements. Interested applicants have to meet the eligibility criteria and provide proof of documents like citizenship or residency status, proof of income, wedding plans etc.
- The next step is to fill out the grant application modestly and accurately and provide all required information since an inaccurate or incomplete application may lead to rejection or delay.
- Couples have to follow the submission guidelines provided by the wedding grant-giving authorities. Few grants require online submission of applications while few require physical copies. Once you submit the application you need to wait patiently to get a response from the grant program.
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What Are The Different Government Grants For Weddings?
Wedding grants are monetary assistance that are provided by government and nonprofit organizations to promote responsive marriage. These grants also assist families in providing for the well-being of their children and encourage couples to become self-sufficient. There are limited government grants available to American citizens for wedding purposes.
The Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Program provides wedding grants in the United States of America for eligible individuals. The specific eligibility criteria may vary depending on your state of residence. It is important to check with your local state government about how to get the program and use the financial assistance towards your wedding purposes.
Let’s take a look at the following eligibility criteria to qualify for the program and use the financial assistance towards wedding expenses.
- Be a citizen of the United States or an eligible non-citizen with a valid ID card
- Should be unemployed or belong to low-income family
- Must meet other eligibility criteria required by the program.
The Healthy Marriage Initiative HMI
An agency of government known as the Office Of Administration For Children And Families makes sure to provide financial security to low-income couples in the form of the Healthy Marriage Initiative. The initiative assists couples who are undergoing financial assistance and have chosen marriage for themselves.
The initiative provides access to education services on marriage, skills and knowledge to sustain a healthy marriage. The Administration assists families to achieve long-term achievement and also provides for the well-being of their children and other family members. The Office Of Family Administration offers government grants for wedding purposes to eligible couples who wish to have a family, however going into financial hardship.
Other Grants to pay for weddings
A few more grants are available to assist couples in paying for their weddings. However, they typically face intense competition and lack funding. Some of the most popular wedding grants are listed below.
- The Colorado Meeting and Events Incentive is a state program that offers discounts of up to 10% off the cost of hosting weddings in Colorado.
- A website called BrideAccess gives $500 scholarships to couples who are planning their wedding.
- Ezer Nisuin is a Jewish association that gives grants to couples who are struggling financially to manage the cost of their weddings. Most grants range from $250 to $500.
There are also a number of contests and sponsorships that offer money to couples who are about to get married in addition to these grants. Although they can be a great way to obtain wedding financial assistance, these opportunities are typically harder to find.
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Nonprofit Organizations And Charities That Provide Wedding Grants
SwanLuv promises to lend engaged couples $10,000 for their weddings with a criteria that if they got divorced, they would have to repay the loan. The company’s business model is based on the assumption that the majority of marriages end in divorce so that they could charge interest on loans and make a profit.
A nonprofit organization known as Wish Upon a Wedding assists couples in planning their wedding and has helped more than 141 couples since 2010. The charity works to make the wedding memorable for eligible families. This is a donation-based organization for couples going through serious illnesses and unable to curtail their wedding expenses.
You just need to fill up an application form and answer questions about your health and financial condition. The wedding grants will help you to cover expenses such as videography companion, photography, music or flowers and cake.
One of the largest nonprofit organizations that assist people in times of their hardship is Catholic Charities. Even though the charity does not provide grants under the name of weddings you can surely receive some sort of financial assistance from the faith-based nonprofit organization.
Financial assistance to fund the wedding are based on the availability of funds and the severity of applicants’ need for funds. Individuals applying for assistance from Catholic Charities have to submit a few important documents pertaining to their personal and financial situation such as proof of citizenship, proof of income etc.
A nationwide nonprofit organization that works similarly to Salvation Army and Catholic Charities and assists in relieving the pain of low-income families and needy individuals is Modest Needs.
Even though the organization will not provide direct wedding grants to individuals you can apply for financial assistance to cover your wedding expenses.
You just need to demonstrate a strong financial need to get assistance. Individuals can easily locate a nearby office for Modest Needs or check the official website to apply online.
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What Are The Other Ways To Get Free Wedding Money?
Securing wedding grants isn’t a cakewalk. Even non-profit organizations provide help to couples, they demand a lot of paperwork and fulfillment of stringent eligibility criteria. With that in mind, you can consider the following alternative means to fund a wedding.
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Making A Budget
It is always a good idea to save as much as you can yourself even though you are relying on funding opportunities from the government and nonprofits. One of the best and most effective ways to do this is to make a solid wedding planning budget.
Once you set a date for your wedding you need to estimate the amount of money you have to spend from your pocket. Decide what percentage of this figure you are likely to pay without borrowing money. Calculate the amount of money you can put away each month and cut back on unnecessary expenses.
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Getting Help From Family And Friends
Traditionally the bride’s family takes care of paying for the overall wedding however with time couples splitting the cost of their wedding expenses. If you’re struggling financially then you can seek the assistance from your friends and family.
For instance, if the bride’s family is willing to pay for the wedding and reception, the groom’s family can return the favor by paying for the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon.
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Wedding Loans
Couples who have no other way to put enough money into their wedding items and services can consider opting for a wedding loan. These are similar to other loans except that the loan providers market wedding loans particularly to fund the wedding of couples.
You can secure financial assistance up to $500 to $50,000 through these loans. It is important to borrow the amount of money that aligns with your needs and financial budget.
Wedding Scholarships For Free Weddings Expenses
Applicants must be a high school senior, graduate or undergraduate student in the UK, Canada or the U.S.. Particular consideration is given to students majoring in journalism, writing, design or fashion.
The eligibility criteria require candidates to study at a renowned institution and write an essay of 600 to 800 words explaining why they are looking for a wedding scholarship. You’re also required to fill out an application form and provide proof of documents. Eligible candidates can receive assistance up to $1000 to cover their wedding expenses.
Similar to the Hitched Wedding Scholarship, the Orla James Wedding Scholarship offers financial support to high school college students who are planning to get married. The scholarship is available to those with a United States or United Kingdom nationality.
The scholarship belongs to students of all disciplines especially those of design degree, English creative writing and fashion field. Eligible candidates receive assistance up to $1200 that they can use to cover their wedding expenses. It is important to keep in mind that these wedding scholarships are a bit difficult to get so you need to work hard and fulfill the eligibility and application procedure.
You can apply for this scholarship program and write an article no longer than 1000 words on any wedding subject of your selection. The aim of this essay will be to demonstrate imagination and your writing abilities to make it as unique as you can.
Raise money through bachelor party
The groom and bride may each leverage their individual parties and inquire their wedding party members in raising cash. Each participant can create their very own fundraising page that is special, and operate to boost a specific amount.
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Establish reasonable savings targets
Determine how much you’ll save for your connection and list your fixed weekly expenditures in addition to the expendable ones. You can specify a savings target each week.
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Wedding Sweepstakes
Couples who want to get free wedding money can take part in wedding sweepstakes. These are competitions or sweepstakes that provide specific services and can help you fund your entire wedding. You just need to win the contest to fund your entire wedding.
Participating in the sweepstakes requires you to fill out an application form and write an essay or blog about your wedding. A lucky winner of the competition gets financial assistance and free wedding money. It is important to run a background check on the sweepstakes before entering the competition to stay safe against scams.
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Raise Money Through Bachelor Party
If you are a graduate or college student you can raise money for your wedding right showing a bachelor party which is one of the easiest ways to raise money. Organizing a bachelor party and inviting your friends from college, family and society will help you to collect a reasonable amount of money.
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Dedicating Bridal Shower
A lot of couples encounter financial challenges to fund their wedding because of limited savings, financial constraints and high costs related to wedding expenses.
In some cases, society can contribute to your wedding if you are going through a crisis and wish to get married. You can dedicate a bridal shower to raise money from society for your wedding.
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Sponsor Your Wedding Through Brands
Couples having a substantial social media presence and followers can attract brand sponsorship. The brands can approach you to advertise their services or products and help you cover your wedding expenses in return.
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Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is a global tendency that can be utilized to finance a wedding. You’ll need to start an account on a Crowdfunding platform and share it with everyone. The more noise you make the more income you will get. Engage all family and friends with a compelling and engaging message. You can also offer them a gift for a donation, such as cutting on the groom’s tie, or taking the bride’s bouquet.
Conclusion
A wedding is one of the most important and happiest days of a person’s life. However financial insecurity can affect the charm of your most important day in life. To maintain the aura and energy of your wedding day you can take the help of government grants, help from nonprofit organizations and other alternative ways mentioned in the guide above to have a dreamy wedding. Free wedding grants are provided to eligible couples who are in dire financial need.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How to get government money for a marriage ?
No government grants are there specifically for weddings. However, if you have low income, there are government programs that can assist you in paying for your wedding.
Who pays for American weddings?
In the United States, during a marriage the relatives from the groom’s side generally takes responsibility for the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon expenses whereas the bride’s family typically covers the majority of the wedding day expenses. But that is just a ritual, and there are no set regulations about who can pay for what.
How can I get money for a wedding fast?
When it comes to organizing a marriage, decide on your budget. Once the funding is determined, set your priorities. Try to cut back on unnecessary expenses and start saving. Consult your supporters to think about making a contribution they get from their guests. Apply for government grants and scholarships to reduce your burden to a little extent.
Who Can Benefit From Wedding Grants or Scholarship Programs?
High school students and graduates who intend to get married but lack funds can benefit from the wedding grants received through scholarship programs. The best thing about applying for wedding scholarships is that they are completely free so recipients are not required to pay them back.
What Is The Role Of Wedding Grants?
Grants play a critical role in helping people cover the overall cost associated with their wedding especially if they have limited resources or are facing financial difficulties. The primary objective of the government or nonprofit-funded wedding grant programs is to alleviate financial stress, promote healthy marriages for couples and create a positive impact on society.