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How to Save Money for your Wedding
Weddings are expensive!
If you are recently engaged, you may be learning that out now, which is why you came to this article.
No matter your wedding #goals or dreams, if you have limited money, it won’t be easy to stay within budget and have a Pinterest-worthy wedding.
But, it is possible!
In this article you will explore numerous ways to save money on your wedding, while still being completely satisfied and happy!
9. Set a Budget and Have Realistic Expectations!
To successfully have an inexpensive wedding you must start out with a good foundation!
Are you or your fiancé good at making spreadsheets? It is important to have a notebook, Excel spreadsheet, or Google Sheet that is intended for tracking all your wedding spending.
It is important to sit down with your family and fiancé and have a serious discussion about how much money you can spend on the wedding, and to talk about the differences between your wants and your needs. (You can have multiple and separate meetings!)
Weddings cost incredible amounts of money these days, with averages being around $35,000! To me, that’s just insane. Yet those number only continue to rise by the year.
To prevent overspending, it is critical to have money talks early and to allocate said money to different spending categories.
Through these discussions you may realize that you can afford less (or more!) than what you originally thought. Unfortunately, this typically results in women learning that they cannot afford the beautiful weddings that are plastered all over your Pinterest home pages.
It is easy to want. But it isn’t easy to afford. So, write down everything that you’d want at your wedding and/or reception.
Do you think it’d be cool to have a photobooth? Write it down. And how about a video booth? Dollar signs jump with this, but write it down if you want it.
The point of writing all your wants is to brainstorm. It allows you to get creative later on.
Then, write a list of your needs.
Do you need a dress? Most likely yes. Does your mother require that you to have a reception? Maybe, but that can skyrocket your budget. Do you need to serve food? Do you need rings? Do you need shoes?
Some of your needs will be obvious. Yes, of course you will need to allocate money for wedding clothing and rings. But that needs to be part of the budget too!
It gets tricky when you start saying that you need to have things like chocolate fountains and large centerpieces. There are plenty of ways to get around those items without spending ridiculous amount of money. We’ll explore more below!
8. Cake and Punch
The term “cake and punch wedding” can have a negative effect on people.
Yet, it has changed drastically in comparison to what it used to be a few decades ago.
When your parents got married, a cake and punch wedding meant the guests would attend the wedding, then literally go have a slice of cake, sip on punch, then head out. One hour and you’re out of there.
However, with the availability of the Internet, and the opportunity to save money easier, cake and punch weddings can be a lot more fun!
Since “cake and punch” has that negative connotation, we’ll just use the term: “light reception”.
So, at a light reception, you can still feed guests, but not have to spend tons of money on a meal! However, do keep in mind that you probably should adjust the time of your wedding for this. As in, have the wedding at 2pm, for example, so your guests know they won’t be getting a meal.
(A hungry guest isn’t a happy guest!)
Ideas to serve food at a light reception without spending tons of money:
- Have a desert bar (ex. Have Grandma bake you a couple dozen cookies, buy a few pies, bake a few sheets of rice krispie treats, and make a few pans of brownies)
- Make a chips and salsa bar (and consider getting queso and guac!) by buying from a local Mexican restaurant
- Buy small appetizers from a local caterer. We’ve done our research on this one and if you find a small catering business, you could spend around $2.00-4.00/person instead of the $12.00/person you could expect from a dinner from a caterer!
- Buy party trays from a local grocery store. Keep in mind that you can go to a dollar store or look online and get clear bowls and trays for cheap to place chips, sandwiches, meats and cheeses, and veggies on, without it looking tacky!
7. DIY Décor
This is an obvious one! Every source for an inexpensive wedding talks about DIY’ing as much as possible.
However, doing this can still really add up.
Have you looked at the price of silk (“fake”) flowers? Not as cheap as you’d think!
Through experience, we have found numerous ways to get cheap décor without spending the ridiculous amounts of money on professionals!
Some of our favorite options include:
Facebook Groups
These are in nearly every city! Join a Facebook group that participates in reselling/donating of wedding items! Try keywords like “(name of city) wedding resale”, for example. This is an awesome way to get expensive items like arches, garland, dresses, and unique décor for a fraction of the price.
Sales Sales Sales!!
For example, if you have a winter wedding in a year, then stock up on all your décor during after-Christmas sales! You can get décor for a huge discount, especially online! This applies to whatever season your wedding is in.
The Internet is Your Best Friend
Do not go to box stores to expect the best prices. If you really need to save money, then you need to do a hefty amount of online research. Of course, some stores may have the best prices, but it will be completely worth it in the end if you look online first!
Friends Who Have Had Weddings Already
If you have good friends who have had recent weddings, chances are that they have tons of “wedding stuff” that is sitting around. This could include anywhere from signs, centerpieces, tablecloths, and flowers that they could give or sell to your for a super low price!
6. Skip out on the DJ
The prices for DJ’s continue to rise. If you plan on having a small wedding, or really need to save on money, consider not having a DJ!
To make it work, you may need to ask a friend to borrow a good speaker, but all you’d then need is a playlist from a service like Spotify!
This may not work great for a huge venue, or if you need all the party lighting, but it is definitely worth considering!
5. DIY Flowers
This is a tricky one, because, as you will read below, fake flowers aren’t exactly cheap!
The way to do this is through good research and dedication.
For example, let’s say you’ve done your Pinterest research and you know the bouquet you want for your and your bridesmaids.
It will cost hundreds for real flowers, but still could cost around $80-100 for a “fake flower” wedding bouquet alone.
To make it cost effective, be smart about your coupons for stores that give 40% off 1 item, for example, and make numerous trips. You’ll save tons, but it will take more time to gather all the stems you need.
Also, be sure to look online! There are tons of options on Etsy and other bulk stores that sell for much cheaper than when buying everything all at once at a store!
4. Watch Out with Wedding Store Accessories
If you have yet to buy your wedding dress, you may not realize what you are going to get yourself into.
Not only are wedding dresses expensive, but the accessories are extremely overpriced.
Sure, allocate your money so you can purchase the dress of your dreams! No problem! However, there are plenty of other places to buy accessories that are at much fairer prices than at wedding stores.
For example, you could get beading for $100/foot at a wedding store, or for 1/10th the price online.
Belts go for $300-$500 at stores but can be found for $15 online. The markup is ridiculous!
Sure, you may not have the luxury of seeing the product before buying, but you will save an incredible amount of money! Always do your research before purchasing, and be sure to read through tons of reviews!
3. Find an Up-and-Coming Photographer/Videographer
The average price for a photographer can range anywhere from $3000-$8000.
Many new wedding photographers charge less, and many can charge more.
Then, you’ll need to consider if you want a videographer. Those are even more expensive! Averages can range $4000-$10,000.
But let’s say you already are skimping on your wedding and just want to capture your special day with a good photographer and/or videographer.
Yet, you cannot afford those crazy prices. (You’re not alone!)
Go onto a Facebook group that we mentioned above, and request for photographer ideas under “x” dollars. There are plenty of up-and-coming photographers that could be willing to get experience with a wedding for $500-$1000 or so. Many we’ve seen will provide 2 photographers during your day and won’t limit the amount of pictures you’d receive.
If you are really picky about filters, you can always edit the photos on your own that you want to print or send on cards. This could save you thousands!
2. Bridesmaid Dresses
This is another example of how stores make tons of money off of you!
No bridesmaid loves to spend $150-$300 on a dress that they will never wear again.
Admit it, you probably have been in a wedding where you have never worn the bridesmaid dress after that day.
So, why spend that money (or make them spend it) when you could get much cheaper alternatives?
There are tons of websites that sell dresses online. There are innumerable companies, boutiques, and stores that sell dresses. You don’t have to buy from a wedding store!
We don’t advocate for just one store, but be sure to do your research. There are plenty of dresses that go for $40 that can look identically beautiful as a $300 one. Save your wallet, or your friends’ wallets, by looking around for other options!
1. Don’t Spend Money on Pointless Items
You’ve heard it before. Women talk about how they barely remember their wedding day, and regret worrying about the small things.
When you’re on a tight budget, there isn’t room for monogramed napkins and bubble wands.
Sometimes you need to take a break from Pinterest and think about what you really need at your wedding!
But truly, you just need to get creative. People really won’t remember small details about your wedding. They don’t need koozies or gift bags to remember your beautiful day. Think about what is most important!
Some brainstorming examples:
Do you want to do a sendoff but can’t afford fireworks? Ideas: Buy sunflower seeds, glitter, or confetti.
Do you want to give a party favor but don’t have money in the budget? Ideas: Choose a photobooth that prints pictures. Print a thank you note, crossword puzzle, activity, etc., to place at each chair.
Okay, Let’s Summarize!
- You do not have to spend tons of money to have a beautiful wedding! However, it may take a lot more time to find the best deals.
- Be sure to create a budget and stick to it! You’ll prevent overspending if you start your wedding shopping with a strong foundation.
Thanks for reading! Check out some of our other articles to help you on your path to financial freedom!
All advice and opinions provided in this post are reflections on experience and are honest to help readers make decisions on their path to saving, budgeting, and investing. Affiliates were used in this article. Please see our disclaimer page for more details.