Weddings On A Budget

Wedding dreams can have no limit, but the budgets usually do. Here are some ways you can save a few dollars and still have the wedding you want.

Figure it out. Once you have decided how much money you have to spend on your wedding, it’s important to know where it will go. On average wedding budgets are broken down as:

45% Reception venue, dinner and drinks

35% all other wedding items including dress, decor and professional services.

Prioritize. One of the biggest mistakes brides make, is not prioritizing their wedding budgets. If you have your heart set on a particular wedding item, it should be listed as a top priority. This allows you to cut other expenses as necessary to keep that element. (Click here to learn about other top wedding mistakes.) You should also consider other elements that are low priority and cut them immediately. Most people won’t notice if you don’t offer personalized cocktail napkins and matchbooks, but your budget will be better off.

Be selective with invitations. It’s a difficult task to decide who makes the guest list “cut”. With the average wedding reception cost per person of $100, this can be a budget saver though.

As eco-friendly weddings increased, the formality of wedding stationary has decreased. It is now acceptable to print your ceremony and reception information on one invitation. You can also ask for your reply information to be printed on post cards. This will result in lower printing and postage costs.

Reduce the number of attendants. Each person standing up in your bridal party is a dear friend – and an expense. While you may not be paying for their attire, you will purchase their flowers, attendant gift, transportation and more. Consider limiting your bridal party to siblings and closest friends.

Bundle services. It can be a huge savings to bundle multiple services with a single company. Centerpieces, attendant’s flowers and ceremony decorations with one florist. Invitations, wedding programs, and personalized stationary with one printer. (Click here to learn about bundling DJ, Photography and Videography with Mike Staff Productions.)

It’s all about appearances. It is common to have a display cake for the cake cutting ceremony, with one layer for cutting, and a sheet cake in the kitchen for dessert service. You can also display a fine bottle of champagne at the head table, but have a less expensive sparkling wine for the toast. No one will be the wiser.

In season means in budget. Choosing flowers that are in season can result in major savings. Instead of telling your florist what bouquet you want, ask for recommendations using less costly blooms for your time of year. If you want something out of season, ask to use them as accent flowers rather than the primary.

Choose one location. There are multiple benefits of combining your ceremony and reception location. In addition to the convenience, you can reduce the cost of multiple venues, transportation and decor.

We can create a custom package that fits within your wedding budget. Click here to learn more.

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What budget friendly ideas would you add? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook fan page.