Tips For Saving Money On The Wedding
Because Ramen Noodles Aren’t Part Of The Bridal Diet
Weddings ain’t cheap. There’s no way around that one. I’ve tried to find a pretty euphemism or way for wedding finances to sound sexier, but it’s just not possible.
Here’s a little riddle for you:
What’s the difference between cake, flowers and string lights on the day of your wedding versus those items on any other day?
Answer: The number of 0’s on their bill.
Despite what vendors want us to believe, there’s no magical ingredient in the cake or obscure petal in your bouquet or brighter bulb on your string of lights that warrants the astronomical price. You could ask for a 5 tier white chocolate cake with butter cream frosting for a birthday party and I can assure you the price would be fairly different than what’s been quoted for the wedding. Yet, as soon as the word “wedding” is placed in front of almost any item, the numbers multiply. This can be extremely daunting when figuring out a budget; especially when you take Pinterest into account. This goldmine of inspiration has shattered more dreams than a pile of college rejection letters. I was the girl to have Pinned anything and everything since Pinterest’s inception, and was sure that my electronic catalogue of details would pave the way for my wedding. Then reality hit and I was left wondering why Pinterest doesn’t come with price tags!! Those tents filled with thousands of lights, the greenery strung around decorative chandeliers, it was all a part of my budgetary demise.
This is where I insert the importance of a good wedding planner. It’s no easy feat to take ideas and turn them into a reality, especially when costs are a factor. I sat down with my planner and explained my vision, and together we determined which aspects of the day to spend the majority of the budget on. I think this is a good exercise to do early on in the planning process. Create a list of your “Must Have’s” and your “Nice To Have’s”. That way, when you begin choosing vendors and decor, you can make sure your budget is spent in areas that matter most to you. My Must Have’s included music, food/drink, and spending as much time as possible with everyone. Therefore, we decided early on to book an amazing band (RiverTown), splurge on the open bar and food, and chose a venue that allowed our guests to stay together on-site and begin celebrating with us as early as Wednesday.
When making your list and dividing up the budget, keep in mind what aspects guests will truly notice/care about, and how long you’ll be around that item. Below are some of my suggestions on where to save:
Be Strategic With The Flowers:
Put your flowers where they’ll be noticed! Flowers end up being one of the priciest parts of your decor, so it’s important to make them count!! If you’re having a 30 minute ceremony, maybe don’t put all of your floral focus on this portion of the day! Instead of having flowers all along the alter or down the aisle, ask your florist to create a few statement pieces. Focus this portion of the budget on the areas your guests will be congregating around the most. For instance, if you know your bars are going to be a gathering focal point, maybe have a custom floral arrangement done on the bar itself! If the dance floor is where you plan on spending the majority of the night, maybe have a flower wall right beside it!
Another way to save on flowers is by taking the bridesmaids bouquets down a notch. Make yours the statement piece and choose smaller bundles with less expensive varieties for the girls.
Repurpose!! Instead of tossing the bridesmaid bouquets to the side, have them brought to the tables for centerpiece decor. If you’re using flowers along your alter, see if you can take the arrangements and place them in front of the dance floor once the ceremony is done!
Intimate Guest List:
The more intimate your gathering, the more you’ll save! Instead of inviting everyone you’ve ever spoken to, create a list of your most genuine and close friends/family. This is the easiest way to save!! Every plate, chair, drink, etc all adds up, so really think to yourself: “is this person worth it?” Also, limit the plus ones! It’s okay to tell people you’re on a budget or have capacity restraints, and are only inviting couples that are married or if you know the significant other very well! Sorry to your cousin’s new boyfriend, but he may not make the cut!
Naturally Beautiful Venue Space:
Pick a spot that is already beautiful on its own!! As great as a blank canvas is to create your vision from scratch, it is very pricey!! Finding a spot that already has your vision built in or has a gorgeous view will cut costs on the decor significantly. It may be more upfront, but just think of all the money you’ll save on flowers, lighting, draping, etc.
Cut The Cake:
I know wedding cake is a tradition, but if your sole purpose of wanting a wedding cake is to have that one picture of you two cutting it together….maybe get rid of the cake altogether! I promise, by the end of the night half the guests forget to eat the cake anyway (hopefully too busy on the dance floor)! Something like a cupcake station, donut wall, or candy bar could be an easy way to cut costs on dessert. If having a cake is a tradition you can’t see yourself without, consider doing a one-tier cake (for cutting/photo purposes) and having a dessert bar as well!
Photo by Style Me Pretty
Photo by Martha Stewart Weddings
Favors:
Although always generous, absolutely not necessary! This is an expense that often goes to waste, as guests forget to take theirs or are traveling home and can’t bring it with them. If you make the wedding enjoyable, guests will not care that they’re not leaving with a bottle of olive oil or mini hot sauce!
Dress and Veil:
No, I’m not about to suggest you get married without a wedding gown!! Just that when you shop for a dress, consider giving the store associate your absolute maximum price, and do not try on any dresses over that amount. There are SO MANY gorgeous gowns out there at a reasonable price, I promise!! It’s very tricky to try on an expensive dress, fall in love, and then convince yourself you don’t need it. If you don’t put on any dresses outside of your budget in the first place, this won’t be an issue! Also, on the topic of veils, I find them to be a complete waste of money. They certainly make you feel more like a bride, but consider how long you’ll be wearing this for, and how expensive it’s going to be. I wore my veil for my first look and the 30 minute ceremony (so about an hour total), and then tossed it to the side! If you don’t need a veil to feel like a bride, I vote to do away with it! And certainly don’t blow a huge chunk of your budget on it.
Bride Squad:
This doesn’t have to look like that scene from “27 Dresses.” Instead of having all 15 of your besties, consider limiting your bridal party to a few closest friends, or even just picking one maid of honor and no bridesmaids! Their bouquets, gifts, hair/makeup, etc all add up very fast, so the smaller the group, the more you’ll save. You can always invite more girls to your bachelorette party, getting ready suite, etc if that’s important to you.
Photo by Style Me Pretty
Liquor:
Ask your vendor for pricing on open bar AND by consumption! We did the math on our rehearsal dinner night and found that we’d save thousands of dollars by doing a consumption bar. The math showed us that each person (grandparents and 15 year olds included) would have to consume 3 beers/wine and 2 cocktails in that night to equal the cost of an open bar…which is absurd! So, by having a consumption bar, guests could order whatever they wanted to drink, but we were only paying for the alcohol they consumed!
DIY It!
Instead of going through expensive vendors for calligraphy, menus, seating charts, etc. do it yourself! We turned to Etsy for almost all of our “extras” because it was such a great cost saving option and allowed us to customize pieces like ceremony guides, mini tissue boxes, etc. Even for the welcome bags, we found a lot of cute additions (like Mint To Be lifesavers) on Etsy or Amazon! Spend some time looking at options before buying the first thing you see—I can guarantee you there’s a cheaper way out there, and that might mean doing some of the final touches yourself!
