Wedding Budget Tips


Planning anything on a budget can be a challenge, but budgeting for your wedding requires special attention to detail if you want to get the most bang for your buck.  Remember, the price of things is not a direct indication of the quality.  When you are choosing vendors like wedding DJ’s, caterers, or who to shoot your wedding pictures, you should spend the time to do a do a good check on references, see examples of their work, and don’t forget to ask others who used the services their opinion.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save money without sacrificing the quality of your vendors, and we’ve outlined them here for you.

Ceremony and Reception

Invite fewer people. This doesn’t only save money on catering costs, but you will also have less seating, table settings, stationary, alcohol, and centerpieces to pay for.

Have the ceremony and reception in the same place, if possible. The venue may give you a deal, and this also eliminates transportation costs and wasted time for vendors.

Hold your wedding in the off-season. Winter weddings are beautiful and can save you thousands!

Be savvy about your décor shopping. Buy pink and red decorations after Valentine’s day, string lights after Christmas, and so on.

Go bold. You can cut down on decorations by making bold statements with the ones you have. Make splashes of bright colors ‘wow’ your guests.

Use paper napkins instead of linens.

Search through every dollar store you can. You’ll be amazed by what you can find.

Flowers

Use flowers that are in season

Use cheaper, bulkier flowers like hydrangeas in your decorations

Food and Drink

Order a smaller wedding cake. Supplement this with a sheet cake, hidden in the kitchen.

Toast without champagne.

Offer beer and wine and a signature cocktail to reduce alcohol costs

Stationary

DIY! If you have an artsy, creative friend, enlist their help. You can get supplies like cardstock and stamps at a craft store.

Be creative with your guestbook. Have guests write their well-wishes on pre-cut pieces of colorful cardstock, and create a scrapbook after the wedding!

Make the escort cards double as favors.

If you think outside the box and have fun with your wedding planning, you can pull off cheaper alternatives as “chic” or “vintage.” Good luck!