Now that you have a better understanding of what your budget can get you, how can you reduce the cost of your wedding even more? Here are seven ways to keep wedding costs down and help you stay on budget!
1. Limit your guest list.
Less is sometimes more! You might feel tempted to come up with a guest list as long as the royal wedding’s, but think of it this way: Every guest is an expense. It sounds harsh, but it’s true, you guys! With each addition to your guest list, you’re only driving up the overall cost of your wedding.
To save money on your wedding, you may want to host a smaller, more intimate affair. If the number of people at your wedding isn’t important to you and your fiancé, try cutting your guest list by 20%, then another 20% on top of that. Or invite more guests to the wedding ceremony and host a smaller reception with your family and closest friends.
2. Host the ceremony or reception at home or outside.
The venue eats up the largest chunk—nearly half!—of the wedding budget. Why not cut back by using your home, a parent’s home, or a public park as the backdrop? An outdoor ceremony and reception in a place with personal meaning eliminates the need for an elaborate, over-the-top venue.
If you do decide on an outdoor event, make sure you have a good backup plan. Rain or even extreme heat can put a damper on your day, so just make sure you have plan B handy.
3. Ask friends and family to exchange skills for presents.
If you have friends and family members with creative or organizational skill sets, ask them to use their talent at the wedding in lieu of a gift. Would you rather receive a stand mixer or live music, free of charge?
Tap into your network. Is your aunt an amateur florist? Does your friend have an eye for photography? Is your neighbor a restaurant owner who could lend you their space? Even if they can’t provide services for free, you could still score a major discount.
Don’t overlook your own skills either. Use your talents to barter for wedding services. Exchange your graphic design skills for a free wedding cake, or trade your accounting abilities for free dress alterations. Get creative!
4. Do-it-yourself whenever possible.
You and your fiancé can save big money by doing things yourselves, but a word to the wise: Only DIY when you know the outcome will be worth the effort. And give yourself plenty of time to complete any DIY projects. Believe me, you don’t want to be up until 3 a.m. the day of your wedding frosting cupcakes or putting together table centerpieces.
Pretty wedding invitations are nice, but do you really want to spend $800 on something that’s ultimately going to wind up in the trash? Save money by making your own wedding invitations. All you need is a good home printer and an invitation kit from a stationary shop or an office supply store.
Don’t forget the DIY online route! Sites like Moo.com offer fairly inexpensive wedding invitations you can create and order online. You can even use a free design website like Canva.com to cut back on the cost even more. It may not be as fancy as gold leaf or an invitation printed on a keepsake tea towel, but it will be way less expensive.
Instead of hiring a caterer, take care of the food preparation yourselves! Join forces with your families to draft a menu and buy food and supplies at a wholesale store. Make bouquets and table centerpieces using supplies purchased from a dollar store or a wholesale florist. You can even clip flowers from your own backyard.
Try using seasonal décor, too! Winston and I got married in December, and we used a lot of seasonal items like berries and holly in place of flowers. Décor was one thing I really had to cut back on while trying to stay on budget with my own wedding.
5. Use a dummy wedding cake.
Wedding cakes are expensive, you guys! Save money by decorating a dummy wedding cake. A pastry chef—or someone you know who has icing skills worthy of a spot on a reality TV baking competition—can decorate a stack of Styrofoam just as elaborately as a real wedding cake. Serve guests slices from a sheet cake you bought at the grocery store. They’ll never know the difference!
If you’re set on the cake cutting tradition, just have a smaller cake made for you and your new spouse. You could even use it as the dummy cake’s topper so it looks like the real deal!
6. Time your wedding wisely.
The average price per person for a plated meal averages around N6,000. Avoid the expense of a sit-down meal by scheduling your wedding in the afternoon and planning a reception that’s more like an extended cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres.
Consider day of the week, too. You could pay up to half the price for your venue if you hold your wedding on a Friday or Sunday. Plus, you’ll have more options for vendors—like bakeries, photographers and DJs—which tend to get booked up pretty quickly on Saturdays.
And keep in mind the time of year. September and October are the most popular months to get married. So you’re likely to pay more in the fall when wedding resources are limited.
7. Scout out vendors.
Take time to shop around for different wedding vendors. If you’re looking for a pastry chef, don’t immediately pick the first person you see. Schedule time to meet with more than one vendor to make sure you’re getting quality service for the best price.
There’s nothing like a good recommendation from someone you trust! Don’t forget to ask your friends and family for vendors they’d suggest. Once you’ve found one who seems like a keeper, scour the internet for online reviews just to be sure you’ve picked a winner.
A Beautiful Wedding on a Budget Is Possible!
Remember: Your wedding is about the two of you and your marriage. And that will last much longer than one day of celebration. Through all of the wedding planning hoopla, remember not to lose sight of what truly matters. Spending a ton of money on your wedding day won’t prove your love for one another, but it can leave you with an empty bank account. It’s completely possible to throw a budget-friendly wedding that’s beautiful, stylish and affordable!
You can have the gorgeous, debt-free wedding of your dreams, but only if you have a plan! Visit www.poshrentals.rentals to see our affordable party rental options.
