Planning a wedding is an exciting journey; however, ceremonies like these often come with heavy price tags. The wedding cost may vary depending on the style of the wedding, venue, location, guest count and scale of the celebration. The average wedding can cost anywhere between ten thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars or more. But we have good news for you – you can reduce your wedding cost without compromising on style, quality and experience.
Wondering how?
Read this post for some of the best and most practical tips to reduce wedding cost without compromising. With these tips, you would be able to create a ceremony that leaves lasting memories for both you and your guests. So, without any further ado, let’s get started…
17 Best Tips to Reduce Your Wedding Cost
Here are some of the best, tried and tested tips for you to reduce your wedding cost. Take a look…
1. Set a Realistic Budget and Stick to it
First things first, before you start your wedding planning, set your wedding budget. Set a realistic budget for your wedding and do stick to it. Determine how much money you can spend without going into debt. Break down your budget into categories such as venue, catering, outfits, photography, decorations, jewellery, entertainment and miscellaneous expenses.
Once you have your budget ready, prioritize the aspects of your wedding according to your preferences. For instance, if you want an exquisite wedding venue, then allocate more funds there and cut back on secondary items like elaborate décor or extra entertainment. Conversely, if wedding attire is your priority, then cut on décor or other aspects. Likewise, you can decide the most important aspect of your wedding and accordingly adjust your funds.
2. Choose an Affordable Venue
Venue is one of the most significant wedding expenses. However, the best thing is there are venues for all pocket sizes. This implies that you don’t necessarily need to look for a highly expensive wedding venue. Instead, look for an affordable yet beautiful venue in your city. If you are hosting an intimate wedding with only a few guests, then a backyard or a nearby garden can be a great option.
3. Choose an Off-Peak Season or Weekday for Your Wedding
You can save a significant amount of money on your wedding by choosing an off-peak season or weekday wedding. Some venues offer budget-friendly deals or all-inclusive packages to host a wedding in budget. You can look for the one that offers catering, décor and rentals at affordable prices. Bundling these services turn out to be budget-friendly than renting or hiring everything separately.
4. Limit Your Guest List
You may be fond of elaborative wedding celebrations; however, small gatherings allow for more enjoyment and fun at the wedding. Reducing the number of guests will again help you save a lot of money. This is because with small guests you can host your wedding in a smaller venue or outdoor spaces, thereby cutting both venue and catering costs. For instance, a backyard or a garden venue may be less costly than a hotel ballroom. Also, you can use picturesque outdoor settings to your advantage for reducing the cost.
Pro Tip: Consider inviting only close family and friends rather than distant acquaintances and work colleagues.
5. Keep Catering and Beverages Simple
Catering is the second most expensive aspect of any wedding celebration. However, you can reduce costs without compromising taste or experience by simply opting for a buffet instead of plated meals. Aside from that, opt for seasonal fruits, vegetables, and locally sourced items to reduce costs. So far bars are concerned, instead of offering a full open bar, you can opt for a limited bar.
Pro Tip: Consider hiring a local caterer and opt for simple but high-quality dishes to keep costs low and taste and experience high.
6. Choose Your Wedding Dress Wisely
Wedding dresses can be very costly. However, you can cut cost here also and get a beautiful gown within your budget. Here are some tips you can reduce cost on wedding outfit:
Buy your wedding attire at samples sales (many bridal boutiques sell floor samples at significant discounts).
Consider opting for pre-owned wedding dress: Some platforms like Stillwhite, Preowned Wedding Dresses, and Nearly Newlywed offer pre-owned designer gowns at a fraction of the price.
You may buy an off-the-rack or ready-to-wear wedding attire to reduce cost.
Choose a dress that require minimal tailoring.
7. DIY Decorations to Add Personal Touches
Wedding décor can be stunning without being costly and extravagant. All you have to do is to choose do-it-yourself (DIY) décor ideas. DIY decorations not only helps reduce wedding cost, but also help you add personal touches to your wedding ceremony. Instead of opting for expensive blooms, purchase seasonal and local blooms. Make use of candles, fairy lights and potted plants instead of expensive décor pieces. And for signages, you can opt for printable wedding signs, menus and place cards.
Pro Tip: Consider reusing décor items from engagement parties or bridal showers. You can also use glass jars with candles and greenery for elegant table décor and reduce cost.
8. Save on Wedding Photography
Of course, you need to capture each moment to create lasting memories. However, wedding photography (especially by renowned wedding photographers) can be very costly. Therefore, you are advised to consider hiring a fresh talent (budding photographer) instead of a renowned wedding photographer. New talent can give your wedding photo book an exciting and fresh look. However, if you have already decided to book a renowned one, then have your photographer for key moments, such as the ceremony and reception and get other events captured by your passionate photographer friend or cousin. Lastly, consider opting for a bundled photography and videography package to get the best rates.
9. Entertainment on a Budget
Music and entertainment are undoubtedly imperative aspects of a wedding. However, they can significantly increase your wedding cost. But with careful planning and informed choices, you can save a lot on entertainment. Instead of hiring a live band, consider hiring a DJ. Aside from that, you can consider opting for local band or talent that offer quality performances at a lower price. Besides that, you can use a curated list to keep your guests dancing and entertained all night long.
10. Invest in Smart Wedding Invitations
Wedding invitations are again integral for a memorable experience but you don’t have to spend fortune on wedding invites (at least in this era of technology). So, instead of investing in expensive printable wedding invitations, you can opt for digital invitations or e-invites. Doing so will save money on printing, postage and design. Moreover, instead of professional designer for your e-invite, you can use digital tools, like Canva to create personalized and very attractive wedding invitations in your budget.
Pro Tip: Limit extra inserts. Skip inserting additional maps, RSVP cards and so on. Instead, opt for digital RSVPs for cutting cost and tracking guest responses easily.
10. Save on Wedding Cake
Wedding cake is one of the largest expenses. However, you can cut costs on wedding cake without compromising on style or taste. Instead of opting for a multi-tiered cake, opt for a two-tiered beautifully decorated wedding cake. Alternatively, you can include donuts, cupcakes or a dessert table to save cost. Also, opt for a locally baked wedding cake instead of high-end custom cake designers.
11. Transportation and Logistics
Transportation and logistics again add to the wedding cost; however, with careful planning, you can save a significant amount of money. Instead of hiring a transporter, consider using personal vehicles. You can ask your relatives and friends to bring their cars. Limit the fleet by prioritizing essential rides like the couple and immediate family. Aside from that, be mindful when choosing your wedding and reception venue. You can either choose the same venue for your wedding and reception or choose venues (for wedding and reception) close to each other to reduce travel costs for guests and logistics.
12. Save on Flowers and Bouquets
Flower and bouquets are essential wedding aspects and can be very costly also. But you can save money by simply opting for seasonal flowers rather than exotic blooms. Alternatively, you can use high-quality artificial or preserved flowers for your wedding venue décor. Aside from that, choosing a minimal floral décor, DIYing wedding bouquets can also help save money and create elegant décor.
13. DIY Wedding Favors
Favors are again essential and can add up to your wedding cost. You can save money on wedding favours by simply opting for DIV favors. Instead of costly favors, you can choose handmade edible items or potted plants that they can enjoy even after your wedding is over. Some edible items for wedding favors include, cookies, chocolates, local honey/jams, gourmet coffee/tea, mini bottles of spirits/wine, S’mores kits or spiced nuts. You can opt assorted items as well to leave a lasting impression on your guest in a budget-friendly way.
14. Lean on Friends for Support
Hiring professionals can help host a smooth wedding; however, it will add to your wedding cost significantly. Therefore, you are advised to lean on friends for support and reduce cost. Often times we have friends who are good at managing events, if you have any such friend or relative ask for help. This way you would be able to save a lot of money on costly professional wedding planners. Aside from that, you can opt for bundled services. Hire vendors that offer multiple services, such as catering and décor, photography and videography and so on.
15. Plan Ahead
Here is another significant tip for you to save a lot of money on your wedding. Planning ahead may seem like a simple step; but trust that it can reduce a lot of wedding cost. All you have to do is to book your vendors, venue, caterer and photographers as soon as you have your wedding dates in hand. Often times wedding vendors and venues (especially the renowned ones) increase their charges during peak wedding seasons. Also, you may have to pay more when you book at the last minute. Early bookings ensure significant cost saving.
16. Use Technology and Apps to Your Advantage
Instead of relying on traditional paper and pen method for your wedding planning, use advanced technology and tools. There are numerous advanced tools and apps that make wedding planning a breeze and help cut cost on unwanted things. You can use budgeting apps for tracking your expenses and avoiding overspending, guest management apps to track RSVPs digitally and design tools to create personalized invitations, stationery and décor.
17. Prioritize Meaningful Moments Over Material Add-Ons
Last but not least, focus on experience, rather than extravagance. After all, the essence of a wedding is celebrating love and togetherness! And the coolest thing is that you can do it all without going extravagant. Yes, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create memorable experience. You can create an unforgettable experience for all by implementing simple things or gestures, such as creating a heartfelt wedding vow or incorporating a customized photo slideshow at your wedding ceremony. Aside from that, incorporating interactive games, including live performances of your friends can help leave lasting impressions without breaking the bank.
The Bottom Line
So, these are the top 17 ways you can reduce wedding costs without compromising on quality, elegance and experience. Remember that reducing cost not does not always mean to compromise on your dream wedding. In fact, by implementing the strategies outlined above you would be able to create a memorable, personalized wedding day and save a lot of money that you can use for your dreamy honeymoon getaway or to meet other future expenses. All you have to do is to focus on what truly matters. Using these strategies, you would be able to celebrate your love in the most enchanting way while staying within your budget. So, be creative and flexible and use the tips above to plan a beautiful, budget-friendly wedding. Happy Wedding… 😊😊
