A wedding is supposed to express you and your fiance's individual style. But does it have to come at such a pretty penny? The average wedding could cost anywhere between $20,000 - $30,000. Here are some ways to help you have the wedding of your dreams when you're looking for ways to save money every step of the way.
1. Prioritize: The first thing you should do, is sit down with your fiance and decide together what's most important for you on this very special day. There are so many directions you will be pulled when deciding on your wedding and before any outside influences come in between you and your planning bliss, make sure you and your future hubby-to-be are putting what you want first. This way, for instance, if flowers aren't as important to you - you will resist the urge to splurge on roses at the suggestion of your florist etc. My suggestion is to make a list of the top 3-7 things that are important to you on your special day and build your budget from there.
2. Guest List: Weddings can cost up to $300 per person to throw. Yes - I know that sounds outrageous, but if you have a $30,000 wedding for 100 people (which is easy to let happen sometimes when you splurge on everything you want), that is what you might be looking at. That being said, the easiest way to save money on a wedding is limit your guest list. I know it's more difficult than it sounds at times, but if your parents or in-laws are trying to invite the entire neighborhood that you grew up on, put your foot down and just say no.
3. Food and Catering Costs: Food can be of the most expensive things at a wedding. Some ideas instead of having a full wait staff serve a 5 course meal could be a buffet, or a luncheon instead of dinner. Some couples will even stick to appetizers instead of a full meal to save on costs and guess what....that's right, your guests will still enjoy themselves. The important thing to remember, is that they are there for YOU, not the food!
4. Location: There are several beautiful high-cost venues you can select from in any city where you decide to marry. However, on the flip side - there are also several low/no-cost venues you can select from too. Find a church that will donate it's space, or use an outside venue in a public park. Utilize your surroundings and bring in the natural beauty for a one of a kind wedding, with little to no cost.
5. Wedding Attire: There are several options for selecting wedding attire and dress at low costs. Many general bridal shops will have designer knock offs at low prices (i.e.David's Bridal) and many styles you can choose from. There are also outlets and used dresses you can choose from. When trying on dresses, try on styles that will require little to no alterations as that can get costly too.
6. Flowers and Decorations: This can be costly if done the wrong way, and affordable if done the right way. To save on flower and decore costs, choose a venue that is already beautifully decorated and use it to your advantage. Otherwise, you can find several DIY projects for decorations as well as buy wholesale flowers and create your beautiful displays at a fraction of the cost!
7. Save the Dates and Invitations: Invitations can be VERY pricey at times. Save by either making this a fun DIY project with your bridesmaids, ask for RSVP's to a wedding email that you can set up or select simplistic versions and make inclusions yourself.
8. Photos: Photography is generally about 8% of a total wedding budget, which can add up. There are a lot of professional photographers out there and the prices range from inexpensive to very pricey. The thing you do not want to sacrifice is value and quality - but at the same time, how much are you willing to spend? Think....will you own the proofs, will you be buying multiple copies to save, do you get digital copies, do you have to pay additional costs for editing the copies? These are all questions you have to ask yourself when selecting your photographer because good pictures do not have to cost you an arm and a leg. Here's an idea: if you live near a local arts college, community college or university, find photography students and get several to come shoot your wedding. With several "eyes' you're bound to get a lot of good pictures at a discount (as students will often do for cheap because they are trying to build their portfolios).
9. Music: Wedding DJ's and/or bands can get very expensive. Shop around - I'm sure you'll find a good deal. Sign up for contests, and go to bridal shows. A lot of times, when you meet a DJ at a wedding show they will have discounts included. Ask around from your friends too - sometimes you will get a discount for being a referral of someone who has used the DJ's service prior to your event and for referring you.
10. Open Bar: While it's always fun to make sure your guests enjoy themselves, you can limit this expense by allowing only a select number of hours, or a selective (instead of full bar) be the choice for guests. If you'd like, you can even select the liquors, beer, or wine that you'll be serving as part of open bar - and provide additional choices at an additional costs that your guests incur. Chances are, your guests won't bawk at this, and to be even more honest - guests won't miss having premium liquor as well especially if there is other options provided at no cost to them. If allowed to build your own bar and bring your own alcohol, (don't quote me on this) but I think that your local BevMo has a pretty good return policy (though you should plan accordingly to avoid major returns).
I hope this helps! I know that it certainly helped me to cut back when planning my own wedding. I mean, these days...who isn't on a budget?
Happy savings!
No comments:
Post a Comment