There is no doubt that weddings are expensive. If you have a tight budget and you’re looking to make the most of it, you’ve found the perfect article here!
First comes love, then comes marriage and finally comes paying for the wedding. You don’t need to break the bank in order to make your day memorable. If you are planning a wedding on a budget, use these helpful tips while getting ready for your big day.
12 Tips For A Wedding On A Budget
Here’s How You Start
- As a couple, look at your savings and determine how much you can afford to put towards your wedding.
- Make a spreadsheet and tally up every expense you can think of.
- Meet your target budget. If you go beyond that, you may need to re-evaluate your priorities.
Tips
1. Start with a well defined budget
Saving money on your wedding always begins with a strict and clearly defined budget.
2. Go paperless
You can send electronic invitations for free by using a wedding website. It also lets you manage the wedding guest list. Not ready to go fully paperless? Emailing
3. Leverage personal relationships and keep business local
Once you choose your venue, determine whether you can leverage relationships with local business owners. It is a way to keep business in the community and potentially make friends. Consider the following ideas:
- Bartending: Whether it’s a college friend or cousin, you likely know someone you can trust to serve drinks responsibly. Offer to pay them an hourly rate.
- Photography: If you have many artsy friends who are actually professional photographers who can take on this role. If so, offer to compensate them at an agreed rate. This can save money on photography and will help you budget your wedding.
4. Consider bridal consignment
A second-hand wedding dress is not for everyone, but it’s a budget-friendly option. These are for brides who are wise and think outside the box. Look for bridal shops that specialize in pre-owned wedding gowns. Also, look for websites which have a collection of thousands of once worn and never worn wedding dresses. You can also sell your dresses via these sites after the wedding.
5. Pick an off-peak date
Not all wedding dates are created equal. Find out which ones are most popular by looking up a wedding date calendar. If there’s more demand for a given date, you’ll usually pay a higher price for the venue. You could score a discount easily by choosing a less popular month. You may even find a nice discount by simply choosing a Thursday or Friday rather than Saturday.
6. Simplify your drink options
An open bar stocked with liquor, mixers, beer, and wine can be pricey. Consider sticking to beer and wine to save money while still keeping your guests hydrated. Scaling back options will also help you to scale back the costs. Want something more fun? Choose a signature drink to serve only during cocktail hour. You can even tell the bartender to serve them in smaller glasses.
7. Control your floral budget
Wedding flowers are expensive. If you decide on a color scheme for your wedding, you can reduce your floral budget by relying on seasonal, locally available flowers to match it. Though tropical flowers like orchids might look stunning, avoid them. Staying within the season for your décor will save both hassle and money. It is also way better for the environment too. Stick with just one type of flower which will save you a fortune compared to elaborate arrangements with 12 different blooms.
8. Keep decorations simple and tasteful
No matter where you’re holding your ceremony and reception, don’t be afraid to let
9. Use the venue’s resources
Ask each venue, what’s included in the rental fee. Some will offer items such as tables, chairs or linens which can translate into hundreds. Beware of upcharges of higher quality items.
10. Negotiate unexpected costs
Loss of unexpected expenses can pop up during planning including cake cutting and corkage fees or power for your DJ or a photo booth. You don’t have to accept them unquestioningly. If a cost seems unreasonable, respectfully request the person to have it removed.
11. Catering alternatives for a wedding on a budget
Some venues are more strict about this. Some places don’t allow outside food and beverages. If your venue doesn’t require you to use it’s catering service, definitely make arrangements to bring in your own food and utensils. For the food, local specialties may help reduce your cost. No matter how you do it, make sure your setup is self serve. P
Pro Tip: Always make sure the food table is open on both sides. This way you can have a line on each side which makes things move much quicker!
12. Use minimalist thank you cards and invitations
Don’t splurge on wedding invitations. Put your money towards your ceremony and reception instead. When it comes to sending thank you cards, opt for a similarly bare bones approach. Choose simple postcards that carry your wedding’s color theme and use one of the outtakes from the post ceremony photo session as the cover photo.
Conclusion
Although wedding preparations are full of fun stuff, weddings are expensive and there’s no getting away from the nitty-gritty of the wedding budget. Prioritize what you really want and what is more important for you and your partner to have a wedding on a budget.
Are you total foodies? Splurge on the catering!! Music, more your thing? Make sure to secure your own Fab band and DJ. Or are you all about style? Then your dress and décor should be an important spending point. Spend on what is important to you and your spouse and cut costs on things you don’t mind too much about.
Ultimately, this list is just the start of the things you could do to save. It’s important not to scrimp on every single thing but to find savings in those areas which are not as important to you. Keep your hard earned money to spend on what you will enjoy and remember forever.
His Expertise Includes:
- 8 years working in the wedding industry
- Owner of USA DJ a wedding service provider URL: https://usadj.org
- Former groom with first-hand experience planning his own wedding
For the better part of the last decade, Jason has personally helped countless couples create successful wedding.
Since 2018 he has devoted much of his time to creating Smartest Brides with his wife Rachel. His mission is to help remove the stress and anxiety that normally comes with wedding planning by making the process simple.
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