8 Ways to Cut Down The Price Of Your Wedding
There are so many unique ways to cut costs in order to have a $5,000 wedding! And, yes, it is actually possible! Let’s talk about it.
Now, there are a ton of ways that I was able to cut costs, and I recognize that not all of you will have every opportunity available, but it is all about creativity!
These are the 8 ways to cut down the price of your wedding in 2023:
- Choose Alternative Food
- Lab Diamond or Moissanite
- Make Your Own Bouquets
- DIY Centerpieces
- Change Your Venue
- Bridal Accessories
- Hair and Makeup
- Wedding Season
Food
Food is typically one of the largest expenses you will have when planning your wedding. When it came to my wedding, I decided that catering was way too expensive! Honestly, I was not ready to be paying $20 a plate per person.
I also realized that people don’t care. The people who judge the food that you serve at your wedding, honestly may not even be worth having at your wedding!
I chose Chick-fil-A catering, which was a much different experience than choosing a catering company. It was around five to six dollars, instead of the wild $20-35 plates that catering companies offered.
What’s nice about the option we chose was that it was delivered for free, it came with utensils and napkins, and people remember it to this day!
I know some of you will be like, “oh my gosh, no, I can’t do that”. But, consider doing something similar and you could save a ton of money!
Ring
The second way that I saved a ton of money was by not going to the big box stores for the ring. I was able to save a massive amount of money by not going to a box store and by doing lots of research online!
I highly encourage that you consider this, too! Even if you already have an engagement ring, look at your wedding band and maybe your spouse’s or partner’s wedding band online.
There are lab-made diamonds that are a fraction of the price compared to what you would have to pay in a typical jewelry store. And, diamond-alternative such as moissanite are an amazing option that can save you a huge amount of money as well!
Bouquets and Florals
Another huge way to save money on your wedding is by making your own florals and your own bouquets!
To do this, I went to Hobby Lobby mostly. I got everything 50% off (the discounts are every other week)! You can also find inexpensive floral at Michaels, Walmart and Dollar stores. Garland is on sale at Hobby Lobby every other week, and this can be a great way to stock up on floral pieces as well!
It will take some extra time to learn how to put together your own bouquets, but there are YouTube videos out there! I was able to help multiple brides out with only the experience of doing my own bouquet, so I promise it is not as hard as you think!
The extra time you put into making your own bouquet will be rewarded when you have hundreds of dollars on this item!
Centerpieces
Cutting down the price on wedding centerpieces is so much easier than you would think!
In fact, I made my own centerpieces and managed to make them each for under $5. It’s possible!
To do this, I recommend starting with searching Pinterest and getting a ton of ideas. Then, start searching your local Dollar store for alternatives for vases, floral, and vase fillers. You will be surprised at how you can get gorgeous vases for only $1 and filler for another $1!
Remember that the key here is creativity. You want to be okay with getting pieces at different stores, or even considering buying online when possible.
Venue
People can get pretty touchy when it comes to cutting the price on your venue. The venue of a wedding can completely change the vibe, so this is a big deal!
You do not have to do a backyard barbeque in order to save money on your wedding. In fact, there are plenty of alternative options you can consider to not only have a gorgeous wedding, but for it to feel expensive, too!
Here are some examples of wedding venue alternatives that can be less pricey:
- Parks
- Community centers
- Churches
- Local event spaces such as outdoor amphitheaters
Bridal Accessories
Bridal shops will try to get you to spend hundreds of dollars on accessories, but be sure to look online before buying!
When doing my own research for my wedding, I was able to find the same bridal belt from the store (that was priced over $300!) for $17. That’s quite a mark up!
I also purchased my shoes, jewelry, veil, and other accessories online, varying from Amazon to Etsy. All because you buy online does NOT have to mean that it is not good quality. You can find all sorts of great products online, you just have to search for them!
Here is a list of items to avoid buying at a bridal shop to save money:
- Dress accessories such as a belt and straps
- Veil
- Shoes
- Tiara or hair pieces
- Gloves or purses
- Jewelry
Hair and Makeup
It is becoming more mainstream to pay for your hair and makeup to be professionally done for a wedding.
In fact, it has been more common for the bride’s hair to be professionally done, but more recently it has been expected for the bride to pay for makeup too.
Prices for these services can range anywhere from $50 each to over $300 for each service! Obviously it depends on your location and the pricepoints of who you are looking at for hair and makeup.
Nevertheless, if you want to save money, this is one easy way to cut costs! If you are nervous about not being able to do your own hair or makeup, there are ways around this!
First, find a friend or family member who is willing to do your hair. There are tutorials online and all it takes is practice!
Second, either you or a friend can do your makeup. This can take experimenting as well, but if you have plenty of time to practice, it can be worth saving the cash!
Wedding Season
Considering having your wedding during the off-season can actually save you a lot of money!
I was able to get a huge discount on both photography and videography by simply having my wedding during the winter. The wintertime is technically an “off season” for weddings, since most people choose to have their weddings between May and October.
Winter weddings can be absolutely gorgeous and unique compared to spring and summer weddings, so be sure to consider this option to save money!
Final Tips
When trying to think up ways to save money on your wedding, be sure to remember that weddings come with all sorts of miscellaneous expenses that pop up along the way.
Don’t get upset about not sticking with an exact budget! It will be hard to budget for each random expense that will come up, so be sure to set aside extra money just in case!
