How to Save Money on your Wedding

Saving Money on your Wedding

Traditional weddings are expensive.  But there are some things that you can do to make things a little more affordable.  Here are some of our favorite ideas:

Pay wisely

Pay with check, cash or ACH (not credit card).  Some vendors, venues, and companies give you a small discount if you’re willing to help them avoid credit card fees.  So write a check!

Price out the big stuff before booking any of it

Get quotes for the high-price items before booking any of them. Many people end up paying too much for their wedding because they didn’t get quotes on the most expensive parts of a wedding before booking others. For example, if you book your venue but haven’t received a quote on the food, you might be surprised at how much things like linens, plates, and staff cost that may be excluded by one venue, and included with another.

  1. Venue
  2. Catering
  3. Florals
  4. Rentals
  5. Alcohol

Be you.  Not what’s in style.

Don’t believe everything you see.  Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, or your Best Friend’s Sister’s Aunt will all have opinions on what you MUST HAVE in order for your day to be perfect.  They’re wrong.

  1. From centerpieces to party favors, special getting ready outfits to getaway cars, you don’t need it all. You DO need to look at your venue and your day-of plan and really decide: what will have the most impact.  Can you pick favors for your guests that also decorate the tables?  Can you take your getting-ready pictures at your venue, instead of in an expensive hotel suite?
  2. Do you need a photographer, videographer, and photo booth?  Maybe.  It all depends on what you want.  Then think about what KIND of party you want.  Romantic and quiet?  A late-night dancing rager?  Pick your “keeping guests entertained” stuff around your theme.  If you want everyone on the dance floor, you might not want a photo booth to distract them.  If you want a quiet wedding, you might want a classical quartet instead of a DJ, and wine on the tables instead of an open bar.   It’s totally up to you.  Just remember: you don’t need it all.

What’s included in your venue?

Don’t just get married in your (or a parent, or a friend, or ______’s) backyard without costing it out first.  Refer to “Pricing out the Big Stuff” above.  You have to plan for tables, chairs, linens, plates & silverware, food, delivery staff, parking, cleanup before and after, overindulgence mishaps, possibly a tent as a rain-plan, and a lot of family in your space all day.  It may end up being the same cost as getting married in a venue, but with the added cleaning burden.  If money is your driving factor in where you’re getting married, get all the costs upfront before you make a decision.

Wait, how do you know us?

You don’t have to invite everyone you know to your wedding.  Let me repeat that.  You don’t have to invite everyone you know to your wedding!  You especially don’t have to invite people you don’t know well at all.

  1. Make a list of your family and closest friends
  2. Make a list of the people that you asked “do they belong on this list” when you made the first list – everyone who is more of a “sometimes friend” or acquaintance, or a “I work with them but are they my friend?”
  3. For those with parents helping to pay for the wedding, make a list of the people your parent(s) insist you must invite.
  4. Now go back to List #2.  Who would you not talk to again if you got a new job?  Who may you never see again after the wedding?  Who do you not even know if they have a significant other?  Guess what – you don’t need to invite them!
  5. The “plus one”.  How do you decide if you should let your friend bring a guest?  The etiquette here is to either give all unmarried people a plus one, or only give people a plus one if you have met their “other”.
  6. Finally, kids.  If you want kids at your wedding, great!  Be sure to specifically put the kids’ names on the invitation.  If you don’t, it’s ok!  Guests typically know that if their invite didn’t say that their kids are invited, they’re not.  If you do want kids at your wedding, be sure to talk to your caterer about kids’ pricing – they should have a significantly lower cost than the grown ups!

Budgeting for everything

The internet lies.  If you search “what should my wedding cost,” you’ll get answers from $5,000 to $120,000.  Then you can start searching “how to have a wedding for only $10,000” and someone will brag about how they did it.  Beware: they are probably only sharing their main costs (see above).  But the total cost of a wedding is EVERYTHING YOU PAY FOR IN ORDER TO HAVE A WEDDING.  Don’t forget to plan alternatives, or budget for, all that extra stuff, like:

  1. Wardrobe – dresses, suits, shoes, special undergarments to hold in your jiggly bits, etc
  2. Accessories and the rings
  3. Music – live, DJ or Playlist (and that silly little dongle you had to buy to use your phone)
  4. Gifts for your wedding party
  5. Any “fun with friends” costs.  This is what I use to refer to those unexpected extras: you having to pitch in unexpectedly for your bachelorette or bachelor party; having to help a friend buy their dress or rent their suit; getting a hotel room for Uncle Pat, etc.
  6. Makeup & Hair if using a vendor (though you could also hit up some talented friends and do it yourself!)
  7. Signs, table cards, save-the-dates and invitations
  8. Rideshare or parking or car rental
  9. All the things you pinned on Pinterest that you “just have to have” – even if you’re making it, you still have to buy the supplies.
  10. Rehearsal dinner (if you are paying for it)
  11. Your Honeymoon

What are friends for?

Ask friends to help with stuff in lieu of gifts.  Need someone to pick up the wine that you bought from a wholesaler?  Ask a friend if they would do that for you (and bring it to your venue within a time window) instead of buying you a knife set.  Maybe someone will do your makeup – be your chauffer – loan you a getaway ride for the night.  Get creative!

Conclusion

Your wedding is about you – so don’t feel pressure to do things the way that anyone else has done them.  Always ask yourself – “what do we want?”  And if you’re not sure what you want, ask yourself “Will I remember this in 10 years, and will it be important?”  If not, maybe you won’t need it.  Everyone is there to celebrate you, and don’t care if there were swans wandering around in the yard or if the silverware was gold-toned :).

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