Budget savvy brides and grooms it’s time to give you a compiled list of ways to save money on the big day!
Weddings are a very expensive ordeal and there are some budget friendly ways you can cut corners. Now before you go about cutting these corners make a list of what aspects of the wedding are truly important to you the areas you definitely do not skimp on and then DON’T. If they are important to you know they will be important to you later and you’ll regret it in the long run!
The Actual Wedding
1. Go for an off season wedding vendors tend to lower their prices when they aren’t in high demand!
2. Have a small intimate wedding you can utilize a small inn or have a small garden party less people = less cost.
3. Have a wedding at someones house.
4. Have the ceremony and the reception at the same place there are usually deals on doing two in one space and you don’t need to worry about transporting guests.
5. Do a lunch reception lunches are much cheaper than a full dinner!
6. Do an afternoon wedding with hors d’oeuvres and finger food instead of a full meal.
7. Have the wedding ceremony and reception at your place of worship.
8. Have the wedding on a day other than a Saturday. Other days are less busy and can have deals.
9. Ask for volunteers to prepare your the meal and serve it. Or if not serving you can have friends who place the food on the tables for family style eating.
10. Ask someone you know to perform the ceremony! Friends are FREE! My brother and sister-in-law performed mine.
11. Have a reception in the afternoon with just desserts.
12. Find a venue that allows you to bring in outside caterers that way you can price out different companies to get a deal!
13. Look for all inclusive venue that includes tables, chairs, linens, flowers, lighting.
14. Stick to the time schedule to avoid overtime fee at the venue.
15. Skip getting a wedding planner or day of coordinator (I say this as a wedding coordinator!) If you can’t afford it you can’t afford it, but if you can obviously it will make your like a whole lot easier!
16. Find a venue where you can bring your own drinks bringing in your own beer to be served or being able to leave it in containers is much cheaper than having servers and going through a venue!
Getting Ready
17. Buy Decorations and Vases for Centerpieces at the Dollar Store.
18. Use your favors a part of the table decorations.
19. Use candles as your decorations.
20. Repurpose the bridesmaid bouquets as the flower centerpieces on the tables.
21. Buy flowers that are in season
22. If you are having a seasonal theme and are planing a year in advance go shopping at the end of the season and buy items on sale at craft stores.
23. Design and print your own invitations.
24. Use electronic Save the Dates.
25. Don’t use live flowers for bouquets use fake flowers.
26. Use Christmas lights you have around the house to decorate for an evening wedding.
27. Make a website for RSVP, or do email RSVPs.
28. Make paper flowers for decorations.
29. Send out postcard invitations to save money on envelopes.
30. Create you own candy bar.
31. Create your own signs for the tables and reuse frames you have in your house to make them pretty.
32. Print your own menu, program, seating chart.
33. Buy flowers at your local farmers market.
34. Skip the individual menu all together just put signs out by the food.
35. Create you own fun games for guests.
36. Print out the table numbers and frame them in little frames from the Dollar store.
37. Do the rehearsal dinner at home or a cheaper venue.
38. Find chairs, ribbons, table covers at party shops that have nothing to do with weddings.
39. Incorporate fruits as part of decorations. Cranberries are great for winter weddings!
40. Create your own entertainment for the rehearsal dinner.
Entertainment
41. Get a smaller band or student musicians.
42. Get a DJ who does reception + ceremony.
43. Skip the band and have a friend to make a playlist on the laptop for reception.
44. Use your iPad to make your own Photo Booth.
45. Avoid buying things that has “Bridal” or “Wedding” in the title.
46. Find a combo Photographer/Videographer/DJ Company that can give you a discount.
47. Negotiate with your photographer’s fee by reducing their hours.
48. Find a student photographer or a friend.
49. Use a photo app to have all of your guests send you the photo’s they take from their phones.
50. Make an Instagram hashtag and ask people to tag it.
51. Find an outgoing friend to be an MC for your wedding.
52. Ask a friend to sing as you walk down the isle.
Food + Drinks + Gifts
53 Have a 1 or 2 tiered small wedding cake, and have a larger sheet of cake hidden in the kitchen for serving.
54.Have a buffet or family style meal instead of a seated dinner.
55. Do 1 or 2 hour open bar, the rest of the night cash bar.
56. Only serve wine and beer it is cheaper than opening up a full bar.
57. Have the favor double as an escort card.
58. Skip the champaign toast.
59. Make your own cake topper or cake decorations.
60. Have a cash bar only.
61. Buy your own drinks and alcohol.
62. Ask a friend to bake you a simple cake.
63. Get cupcakes from a local bakery and decorate them yourself instead of a big cake.
64. Get your cake at a grocery store.
65. Buy drinks and alcohol in bulk for a discount if you’re allowed to bring in.
66. Get a keg and use just that type of beer for guests instead of individual bottles.
67. Skip the favors.
68. Instead of favors, have a candy station where they can scoop their own treats.
69. Have a potluck for reception ask friends and family to help out.
70. Create your own hot coco bar for a winter wedding.
71. Create your own cake stand.
72. Skip the hors d’oeuvre and go strait to the dinner.
73. Skip the alcohol if you do an early wedding you may not need it.
74. Butter Cream Frosting is cheaper than fondant… And it tastes better too!
75. Make your bridal party gifts.
76. Ask your servers to only fill champagne glasses a little to reduce the number of bottles needed.
77. Make sure your venue offers a cheaper meal option for your vendors.
78. Don’t serve fancy food… Lots of people don’t like it any way!
79. Ask your caterer to make a special menu for kids that’s more affordable.
Looking Good!
80. Make your own garter.
81. Buy a used veil or use a family members.
82. Rent your dress or borrow from a friend.
83. Do your own hair and makeup.
84. Do facials at home with homemade ingredients.
85. Buy discount shoes or regular shoes from a non bridal boutique.
86. Borrow things from already married friends.
87. Reduce the number of your bridal party members this reduces the number of gifts you need to buy.
88. Rent tuxedos.
89. Skip tuxedos and have the men just wear black or grey suits they can wear again to other formal events.
90. Think of carrying a single flower like calla lily for you and the bridesmaid.
91. Buy a used wedding dress.
92. Go to a wedding/bridal party dress sale.
93. Find a sample sale for your wedding dress.
94. Buy a dress off the rack (I did then I just got it sized down)
95. Skip the veil.
96. Get a dress that fits perfectly so you don’t have to get it tailored.
97. Borrow jewelry from friends and family.
98. Get your nails done at home.
99. Skip the flowers for the men.
100. Borrow shoes from a friend it can be your something borrowed!