Weddings are expensive, but yours doesn’t have to be. Here are the best tips on how to have a wedding on a budget so you can save money while still having a beautiful and memorable wedding.
Limit your guest count
Your guest count is one of the most important factors that impact your wedding cost. It is easy to see the correlation: the more people in attendance, the most cost there is to food and drinks, which oftentimes are the biggest cost drivers for the event.
If you are tight on budget, you may want to limit your guests to just immediate family and close friends. A smaller wedding can also feel more intimate, because you will have plenty of time to socialize with every guest.
Another benefit you have is that instead of being limited to large venues such as banquet halls, you all of a sudden have plenty more venues to choose from. Romantic restaurants, cafes or studio spaces all become possibilities.
Forgo the wedding planner
A wedding planner can add a few thousand dollars to your already tight budget. Having one will make your life easier since they will recommend vendors, but at the end of the day, you still have to make all the decisions. Why not go one step further and do research yourself? You can save quite a bit of money in the meantime.
Research, research, research
If you don’t have a wedding planner, then researching vendors falls entirely on your shoulders.
It may feel like a daunting task but don’t worry. There are many resources out there to help you. Take the Knot app as an example. Just enter your anticipated wedding date, and the app will calculate automatically and let you know what tasks need to be completed for each month. Just follow the steps, and you will be okay!
Another thing to remember is that your wedding is not just yours to plan. The two people getting married should both be involved.
Figure out what your priorities are
If you are having a wedding on a budget, chances are you may not get every element presented in a romantic comedy. Fortunately, it is likely that you may not care about having the entire package.
Think through the list of things you want and prioritize them based on your true feelings. Do you want an amazing venue, or do you prefer having beautiful rings? Are you okay not having a videographer, and investing more money into hiring an amazing photographer for just a few hours?
Only you know what your priorities are. List them out in order of importance, and prioritize how you spend your money accordingly.
Use fresh flowers sparingly
Fresh flowers can be expensive, not to mention that many florists also require minimum orders.
To save money, you can minimize the usage of fresh flowers and only use them where you absolutely want them to be (e.g., bouquets, boutonnière and corsages, and maybe one statement piece). You could also mix fresh flowers and artificial ones.
Be creative with centrepieces
You don’t absolutely need fresh flowers for your centrepieces. Candles, fruits and plants make beautiful centrepieces that cost a lot less than fresh flowers.
If you really want fresh flowers for your centrepieces but are also looking to save money, you can go to a local grocery store and pick up fresh flowers from there. Buy some beautiful small vases from the dollar store, and you can transform them into elegant centrepieces with very little cost.
DIY as much as you can
If you want to save money for your wedding, then DIY as much as possible is a surefire way to help you get there. Think about what you are comfortable doing yourself. Are you comfortable doing your own makeup and hair? Do you know a fabulous baker in your family? Is there a great cook that you can rely on? Can you make your own centrepieces if you purchase flowers in bulk? You can find plenty of opportunities if you think creatively.
Do not be afraid to ask for help
If you decide to go down the DIY route, you may feel overwhelmed if you have to do everything yourself. But don’t worry. You have family and friends to rely on. Do not be afraid to ask for help. People want to help you. It’s your big day, and people who truly love you and cherish you will do their best to help you have an awesome wedding.
Set up a cash fund as a part of your registry
A cash fund is an alternative way to help you save money on your wedding because you can use the cash fund to help pay for some of the wedding expenses. It is also more flexible and allows your guests to donate whatever amount they feel comfortable with.
Of course, some of your guests may still prefer to give you gifts, so don’t forget to add some options for physical gifts to your registry!
Use loyalty programs/points that you have
If you have been collecting points through various loyalty programs, you may want to use them to offset some of the costs. For example, you could exchange points for flights and hotels for your honeymoon.
Consider renting your wedding dress
Instead of buying a wedding dress, why not rent one for a few days? You can rent a designer piece at a reasonable price, and you won’t need to worry about storing or selling your wedding dress after!
Join local swap-and-sell groups
To save money, I also recommend that you join local swap-and-sell groups. You can find some gorgeous pieces for your wedding very inexpensively.
Conclusion
Just because you have a budget doesn’t mean that your wedding can’t be as beautiful and dreamy as you want. I sincerely hope that you will have an awesome and memorable wedding!
