20 Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding Without Looking Cheap
You Don't Want To Begin Your Life Together Under A Mountain Of Debt
There's a lot of pressure to spend a large sum of money on your big day, but weddings don't have to be debilitatingly expensive to be classy and tasteful. Sometimes the simplest affairs are the most beautiful. Here are 20 ways to save money on your wedding without looking cheap so you can have a little something left over for yourselves.
1. Pick A Wedding Date Outside Of Peak Seasons
You may not realize that certain times of the year are more expensive than others for holding your wedding. Unless you have your heart set on a certain season, consider choosing an off-peak time (usually winter).
Konstantin Mishchenko on Unsplash
2. DIY Your Decor
Making your wedding decor yourself is not only going to save a lot of money, but it's also a cute way to personalize your wedding. You don't have to be particularly artistic: there are plenty of ideas you can find simple directions for online.
3. Buy A Gown Not Meant For A Wedding
Anything wedding-specific is going to be expensive. Find a cute dress that isn't necessarily made for a wedding and save thousands.
4. Have Fewer Guests
This one can be tricky as there are a lot of emotions involved, but consider trimming your guest list. Minimize it to those you and your partner truly want present. If it's too hard to reduce, consider only inviting the larger amount to the reception and keeping the actual ceremony small.
5. Pick An Off Day & Time
If you want to save money, don't hold your wedding on a Saturday. Pick a Sunday or a Thursday and even consider doing it at an off-hour like lunch, brunch, or afternoon cocktail hour.
6. Choose A Dessert That's Not Wedding Cake
Does anyone really like cake that much? There are so many desserts that would be more pleasing to a greater number of people so skip the wedding cake and serve your favorite dessert instead.
7. Have A Family-Style Setup
Instead of a formal, sit-down dinner with table service, consider a more casual family-style setup where all your guests sit side-by-side at long farm tables. Serving staff can just put the food in the center of the table or you can do a buffet-style meal.
8. Forego All-Inclusive
Wedding venues offer all-inclusive experiences where you can just check off the things you want, much like all-you-can-eat sushi. This is great in a pinch but if you have time to do things yourself, you should. Not only will it personalize the experience, but it will save you a lot of money too.
9. Buy A Used Dress
Some people believe used wedding dresses to possess bad mojo but we think that was a rumor spread by dress designers. If you find a beautiful gown that's probably only been worn once before, why not buy it? You'll save thousands.
10. Do Your Own Hair & Makeup
Hair and makeup artists are great. However, getting together with your bridesmaids and doing each other's makeup is great too. What's more, you'll save hundreds of dollars.
11. Keep Your Wedding Party Small
Even if you can't cut your guest list, do yourself a favor and keep your wedding party small. Every person is an extra cost so just have the people that are truly meaningful to you standing next to you on the altar.
12. Cut Photographer Hours
Photographers are an integral part of your day. However, their time is expensive. Cut their hours as much as possible because, after all, you will probably never look at endless dancefloor photos anyway.
13. Have A Limited Bar
Alcohol is expensive but there are ways to save money here without opting for a cash bar and looking cheap. Limit the choices to beer and wine or whatever you think your guests would appreciate the most.
micheile henderson on Unsplash
14. Skip The Champagne Toast
Having a champagne toast will only end with a lot of barely touched glasses of the expensive stuff left on the tables. Let your guests toast you with a drink of their choosing.
15. Skip The Party Favors
This one may be controversial as in some places, party favors are a cultural necessity. However, those little items add up and most people don't give them a second thought anyway.
16. Hire A Wedding Planner
It might seem counter-intuitive to spend money in order to save money, but hiring a wedding planner can help you score sweet deals. They're professionals who are well-connected in the industry. If you communicate your budget to them effectively, it will be money well spent.
17. Consider Wedding Resale Markets
You don't have to buy everything for your wedding new. Thrifting wherever you can will make for more unique and memorable decor. There are extensive wedding resale markets you can check and you can resell the things you buy there as well.
18. Do Your Own Flowers
Do your own flowers to save money on a florist. Just buy flowers or use the ones in your own garden and make flower arrangements following tutorials online.
19. Make Your Own Invitations
Buying invitations can be surprisingly expensive. Try making your own with a program like Canva and print them onto cardstock to achieve professional-looking invites for a fraction of the price.
20. Minimize The Amount Of Things You Need To Print
Wherever it's not necessary to print, don't. For example, menus can be printed large and placed in the center of tables instead of having each guest with their own print-out. Similarly, save the dates can be skipped and RSVPs can be sent digitally.
