Cost-Cutting Wedding Tips
Your wedding day should be as beautiful and romantic as you want it to be — but you shouldn’t have to spend three years paying off what you planned in one. Your friends at I Do for Brides have come up with 34 tips to help you cut your budget without sacrificing wedding elegance.
Do you have a wedding cost-cutting tip to help other brides? Share the love: Leave us a comment!
1. Think off season. Most weddings are scheduled between May and October, meaning you are competing with more brides for venues and wedding services. Schedule your wedding day during the “off season,” and you’ll probably find better deals (and get the venue, photographer and cake you want).
2. Be strict with your head count. Omit children, co-workers and casual acquaintances, and your guest numbers will shrink. Also, a smaller wedding party equals smaller amount of your budget going to flowers, boutonnieres, gifts and transportation.
3. Have your wedding earlier in the day. Your food and beverage costs will be lower with a morning brunch than an evening dinner.
4. Wear a non-bridal gown.Your wedding gown doesn’t have to come from a bridal salon. Look at bridesmaid dresses, check out the formal wear at department stores. You may even find the wedding dress of your dreams at a vintage clothing store.
5. Ask a friend or family member to officiate. Consider having someone you know officiate your wedding. Laypeople can be ordained online to officiate weddings, and most of the states will recognize them. Check with your county clerk to see if there are restrictions in your area.
6. Skip the wedding program. Sure, wedding programs are nice, but they’re not necessary. Skip the program and you’ll cut down on your printing costs.
7. Buy in-season, local flowers. Work with your florist to select beautiful, cost effective flowers.
8. Go for the big buds.Larger flowers take up more room in bouquets and centerpieces, so you’ll use less.
9. Use the theme to your advantage. Apply the theme to your food and beverages and you can avoid an outrageous tab –– and the guests will never notice. For example, at an Italian-themed wedding, serve only red and white wine and perhaps an Italian beer such as Peroni at the bar.
10. Be a Friday or Sunday Bride. As you research your wedding and reception venues, note price differences between Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will always be more expensive.
11. Pick bridal shoes you’ll wear again. You can add a dash of color to your wedding wardrobe, and be able to enjoy the shoes again after the wedding instead of putting the shoes away in a box.
12. Use your iPod. More music-savvy couples are providing their own music at wedding receptions through their well-stocked iPods.
13. Borrow jewelry. Your mother’s earrings or your grandmother’s necklace may be the perfect touch to your wedding gown. Grooms can borrow, too.
14. Limit cocktail choices. Carefully choose your cocktail menu — offer select beers, wines and a signature cocktail –– and watch your bar tab shrink.
15. BYOB. If the venue will allow it, bring your own alcohol (you, not your guests).
16. Just desserts. Skip the wedding cake (and the cake-cutting fee) and offer a dessert bar. Have the ceremonial slice-and-feed-each-other moment, then invite your guests to come up and have dessert. This works with cupcakes, too.
17. Eschew the limo. Hire a town car, ask a member of the party to drive you, take a cab, walk. Limo companies often charge newly weds more than other customers.
18. Ask for help. You never what hidden talents your family and friends have that will work to your wedding-day advantage.
19. Look for a pre-owned gown. Shop online for gently used, or never worn, designer dresses.
20. Give something made by you. Make your own party favors.
21. Have a one-stop wedding. Host the wedding and the reception in the same spot. You’ll cut down on transportation costs, vendor travel time and space rental.
22. Use bigger tables. Larger tables at the reception mean fewer centerpieces and linens.
23. Register your honeymoon. Instead of registering for kitchenware and China, ask guest to contribute to your honeymoon. Sites such as honeyfund.com allow you to create an online account and guests to contribute.
24. Skip the champagne toast. Not everyone drinks the bubbly and you’re paying for it. Do, however, consider having it available at the bar in case someone does want a glass.
25. Get the most out of your flowers. Use ceremony flowers on the cake table. Have vases at your table and the wedding-party table so that the bouquets make instant center pieces.
26. It’s all in the family. Consider serving your meal family style.
27. Use double-duty centerpieces. Use bud vases or potted plants as your center pieces, then have the guests take them home as favors.
28. Go green. Use more greenery than blooms in your flowers. And if you’re getting married in a church, just remember the that it doesn’t need to adorned from door to altar with flowers.
29. Loose the invitation liner. Skip the liner on your invitation and, if you can, keep all of the info on one card. This will save on paper and postage costs.
30. Celebrate in ambiance. Look for locations that require minimal decorations.
31. Get the quote in writing –– and signed. If you are planning far in advance, ask for fixed prices, get it in writing and get it signed.
32. Post it. Use postcards as reply cards in your wedding invitations instead of cards that require envelopes. You’ll save on postage.
33. Ask for a discount. When purchasing craft supplies, vases or candle holders in bulk, ask the manager if you can get a discount. It may not always work, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
34. Go custom. Consider having your dress custom made by an experienced, local seamstress.
