Congratulations – you’re getting married! As you know this is one of the biggest decisions of your live. And, it’s also one of the most expensive. Looking for ways to save money on a wedding? We’ve got you covered.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- Sneaky tips and tricks to help you save money on a wedding
- A few ways to budget to help you save money
- How to have the wedding of your dreams without going into debt
To help you prepare for the Big Day, here are the X best ways to save money on a wedding. Best wishes!
1. Start with a set budget
Wedding expenses can add up quickly. From the dress and tux to the flowers and cake, you’ll literally be nickeled and dimed to the point of spending much more than you’d initially thought you would. To avoid disaster and a lifetime of debt, budget yourself.
Discuss with your parents, your partner and anyone else involved in planning your wedding exactly just how much you want to spend. You can itemize your costs, too. For instance, to save money on a wedding you could allocate a certain amount for your dress. Then, be sure to stick with it. If you’ve said you won’t go over $1,000 for a dress, then don’t!
Do a little research before you begin to hire and buy so that you can know the approximate costs of everything you’ll need to create the wedding of your dreams. Then, sit down with your partner and talk about what you’ll be willing to spend on each item or service.
- The cost of a wedding can add up when you consider everything you’ll need
- Discuss a total budget with your partner and everyone else involved
- Do research to find average costs, then feel free to itemize your budget according to what you’ll need
2. Choose your venue carefully
Is there a wedding venue in town that’s simply to die for? Maybe it’s the cathedral, or the botanical gardens. Maybe it’s a beautiful rustic barn that’s been converted into a grand reception hall.
Well, these places are great, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box. You can save money on a wedding by looking for less obvious venues. For instance, you could talk to your neighbors with the beautiful Victorian home, or the seaside summer house. You could speak with local parks about renting space – some are actually quite gorgeous and ridiculously cheap.
You don’t have to get married in the biggest church in town. Your wedding can be just as stunning at your parents’ mountain house … and much cheaper!
- Think outside the box when it comes to wedding venues
- Don’t always choose the most obvious places to get married
- Don’t be afraid to talk to family and friends about renting out their space for your wedding
3. Stay local and talk to your friends
There are pros and cons to staying local versus having a small destination wedding. With a destination wedding, you’re pretty much just paying for you and your soon to be spouse. You can go anywhere in the world you like, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. With a destination wedding, you won’t even need to do the whole dress and tux thing. A wedding on the beach in Fiji just requires a couple swimsuits and flip flops.
But usually people want to invite friends and family to their wedding. It can be difficult to save money on a wedding if you’re inviting people to come with you out of town. Instead, stay local and ask friends for their help. Help could include supplying a venue, taking advantage of their connections or even just providing flowers.
- Destination weddings are great – when it’s just the two of you
- To really save money on a wedding, keep it local
- Be sure to ask friends for their help in supplying venues, decorations and more
4. Buy or mix your own alcohol
When you get married, you’re going to choose between three options: alcohol-free, open bar or having guests pay for their own drinks. The third option is largely considered rude. After all, shouldn’t the bride or groom care for their guests and provide for their celebration?
The first option is kind of boring. Unless you have reasons for limiting alcohol (say, a history of alcohol abuse in a family or religious reasons), your guests are probably going to expect at least a glass of champagne to toast the bride and groom.
Unfortunately, many wedding venues take advantage of the fact that most people want alcohol at their wedding. They’ll charge premium prices for bottom shelf drinks, leaving you and your parents to foot the bill.
Avoid these high costs and save money on a wedding by finding a venue that will allow (or require) you to bring your own alcohol. To save even more money, choose just one or two types of alcohol to provide. For instance, champagne, white wine and red wine. Be strategic, too, setting one bottle of each on each table.
- Most wedding guests will expect alcohol to be served – champagne at the very least
- You can save money by bringing your own libations to your party
- Choose just one or two types of alcohol to avoid overbuying
5. Control your floral budget
Flowers die. Period. Once you’ve had your wedding, your flowers are going to be composted or, at best, donated to a church or something similar. Instead of going crazy on your floral budget, stick to a small limit. Visit local nurseries (not florists, but the people who actually grow the flowers) and discuss options for a wedding. Choose a beautiful arrangement for the bride, a small arrangement for each of her attendants and a small boutonnière for the groom.
That’s really all you need! You don’t have to decorate your venue with flowers. Instead, choose more sensible decorations and allow guests to bring them home as keepsakes. Setting a reasonable flower budget is an easy way to save money on a wedding – and an eco-friendly one.
- You can save money by limiting your floral budget
- You don’t need to decorate your venue with flowers
- Instead, choose sensible décor that your guests can take home
6. Keep your decorations simple
On the topic of decorations, there’s nothing wrong with keeping your décor simple. You don’t need the ivy-laden archway or the red carpet. You don’t need an elaborate centerpiece for each of your guest tables.
Go onto a site like Etsy or Pinterest and search “simple wedding decorations.” There you’ll find oodles upon oodles of ideas to use to decorate your venue. Some, you can even buy from the dollar store. Trust us, they won’t look cheap. You can put together some very stunning decorations with items you’ll find in very inexpensive shops, a great way to save money on a wedding.
- Be creative when it comes to your wedding décor
- Consider a DIY approach to wedding décor
- You can get together with friends before the wedding and create these centerpieces and decorations together!
7. Rethink your invitation
The wedding industry is brutal. Where you might go to a discount store and buy a pack of greeting cards for around $5, you’ll spend as much as 4-5 times that when you specify to a printer that they’re for your wedding.
To save money on a wedding, rethink your invitations. You don’t have to have the classic, elegant, embossed, fancy-schmancy invitations featured in the bridal magazines. Instead, be creative! It’s easier than you think. Go online and search for templates. When you find one you like, you can bring it to your local print shop and have them print it on quality weight cardstock. Done and done!
This will cost you a fraction of the cost of a traditional wedding invitation, and you can customize them any way you like. Again, visit Pinterest or Etsy and find a template you like. Etsy even has templates that are professionally made that you can buy for just a few dollars. They look great and the seller will usually work with you on customization.
- DIY invitations are an easy way to save money on a wedding
- You can customize your invitations, and they turn out looking great!
- Check for templates on the web, find one you like and bring them to the print shop
8. Go digital
If you really want to save money on a wedding, you can send out digital invitations. There are quite a few sites online that will allow you to “evite” your guests, and some are even free. They obviously won’t be as elegant as the professionally embossed invitations, but they do have other benefits, including affordability and eco-consciousness.
If your wedding has a theme, you can really have fun with evites. Choose colors, images and fonts that reflect your personal style. There’s another advantage to this type of invitation as well: guests can RSVP right then and there. It’s easy to do, with a click of a button, and you can even add the option to choose menu preferences and plus ones.
- Inviting people to your wedding digitally is an eco-friendly and affordable option
- RSVP and more can be added to your evite
- You can customize a digital wedding invitation to suit your personal preferences
9. Wear a used gown
No, it’s not bad luck to wear a used wedding dress. If nothing else, you can count it in the “something borrowed” category. Think about it: how many times have women worn dresses that were passed down through the generations? That doesn’t mean the marriage is destined to fail! If nothing else, it could be good luck for you and your groom.
You can wear a used gown to save money on a wedding. It doesn’t have to be a dress from within the family. It could be something your find at the local charity shop or thrift store, or even one that’s been borrowed from a friend. Dresses cost thousands of dollars, and if you can get one for a fraction of that price, you’ll be able to expand your budget in other areas.
- Wearing a used dress is not bad luck!
- Many dresses are passed down through generations
- Saving money on your wedding dress allows you more wiggle room elsewhere
10. Choose a smaller cake
We have a small project for you. Open up a new search tab and search the term, “what size cake should I buy?” You’ll find a bunch of different calculators that will tell you how big a cake you will need depending upon the number of guests you invite. Chances are, that cake is a lot smaller than you’ve expected.
In some cultures, it’s tradition to save the top layer of your cake to eat at your one year anniversary. Take it from us – it’s a nice tradition in theory, but the cake isn’t going to taste all that good. Factor that into your cake-buying decision as well. Do you really need that top layer to save, or can you serve it to guests.
Alternatively, you don’t have to opt for a cake! Why not count up your guests and serve something you can do yourself? Make a gorgeous display of cupcakes, for example. While we wouldn’t recommend taking a DIY approach to a full wedding cake, cupcakes are definitely doable. Alternatives to a traditional wedding cake are great ways to save money on a wedding.
- You might need a smaller wedding cake than you think you do
- Use an online calculator to determine the true size of cake you’ll need
- You could also opt for a choice you can DIY, like a gorgeous cupcake display
11. Limit your photographer
There are certain aspects of your wedding you’ll want to have photographed. For instance, cutting the cake may be a thing for you. Saying your vows certainly will be. You may want your photographer to capture you coming down the aisle, or dancing with your new spouse at the reception.
But do you really need that picture of you arriving at the venue? Do you need the photo of your hair getting done? Grooms, do you need a pic snapped of getting your tux on? Hiring a photographer to stay through the preparations, the ceremony and whatever reception you hold afterward is costly – and usually not necessary.
There are certain moments of your Big Day that you’ll want captured professionally, but others may very well be left to the amateurs. For instance, there will be about a dozen people taking pictures of the father of the bride as he toasts the couple. You don’t need a pro to do that for you.
Tell your photographer that you’ll hire her from when the wedding begins (your official start time) until, say, your first dance as a couple. By hiring a pro for the full day, you’re wasting money that you could otherwise spend elsewhere. To save money on a wedding, limit the time your photographer is booked.
- There are moments in your wedding you’re going to want professionally shot
- Others can be left to your guests and others at the wedding
- Limit the time for which your photographer is hired to save money on a wedding
12. Pick a date that’s not in peak wedding season
Depending upon where you live, there’s going to be a peak/prime time of year for weddings. For instance, you may have beautiful, colorful foliage during autumn, or may be wishing for a winter wonderland wedding – like thousands of other couples.
Weigh how important this is to you, and book accordingly. If that summer beach wedding could just as easily be a spring beach wedding, look for dates that will work for you. Booking in the off season will save money on a wedding every time.
Interestingly enough, if you choose not to get married on a weekend, that will save some money, too. Even getting married on a Friday can cost less at some venues than getting married on a Saturday or Sunday. If you’re not picky about your wedding date, you can save a ton on your wedding.
- You want a winter wonderland wedding … but so do thousands of other people
- Pick a date that’s in the off-season for weddings in your locale
- Even the day of the week you choose can help you save money on a wedding
13. Limit the plus-ones at your wedding
It’s great that aunt Kate has been dating Steve for a few weeks now. But does he need to come to your wedding? Not really. In some cultures, it’s traditional – even expected – that a couple should allow guests to bring a plus one to weddings. What that means for you is that your wedding has now become almost twice as expensive. Eek.
Save money on a wedding by limiting those “extras.” Tell your guests explicitly on the invitation that there will be no plus one allowance for your wedding. Phrase it nicely, saying that the bride and groom would prefer the wedding to be a more intimate affair, among the closest friends and family.
- Allowing guests to bring a guest will raise your wedding cost significantly
- Tell your guests you’d rather keep it personal and intimate, and that guests of guests are not allowed
- Be firm, yet kind and state this in no uncertain terms on your wedding invitations, reminding guests when they RSVP
14. Look for catering alternatives
Many venues “offer” on-site catering. Some even require that you take advantage of their catering services. Before you book one of these venues, be sure to take a look at alternative options, as shopping the market can really save money on a wedding.
You have a lot of options available to you. Some venues will allow you to hire an outside caterer, and this is an easy, more affordable and professional option. But if you’re really an adventurous couple, host an informal wedding where each guest brings a dish. It’s not as tacky as it may sound – you’ll have a huge array of foods available to you and your guests, and the best part is that it will cost you little to nothing.
You can save money by hiring an outside caterer or by allowing guests to contribute. If not for the wedding, than at least for the rehearsal dinner if that’s popular in your culture.
- You can save money on a wedding by hiring an outside caterer
- On-site caterers typically cost more than a DIY or outside approach
- Check the rules of your venue and shop around for options before you book
15. Consider a joint wedding
Do you have a friend who’s also engaged? Could you and your partner double up with the other couple and share expenses? Now, to do this you can’t be a bride- or groomzilla. You absolutely must be flexible in your wedding preferences, from the color themes to the menu choices. But by having a joint wedding, you can save money on a wedding, making your celebration cost as much as half the price.
When you choose this option, be careful. Be sure to check with the venue to be sure this is allowed, and see if they’re going to charge you extra. But if you get married, say, on the beach or at a gorgeous local park, you can typically divide the cost of the venue by two. You’ll also have to be sure that each couple is laid back enough to work together on transportation, number of guests … the works. It won’t work for everyone, but it might work for you!
- You can save as much as 50% on a wedding by hosting a joint celebration
- Check with venues to be sure this is allowed
- Be sure you and the other couple are willing to collaborate on the details of the wedding:
- bridezillas need not apply
Summary
Weddings can be insanely expensive, but you don’t have to go broke just because you’re tying the knot. By doing some savvy shopping and a bit of budgeting, you can host the wedding of your dreams for a fraction of the cost.
