We know that weddings can be quite expensive. The wedding dress, flower arrangements, transportation, wedding band, and all of the various parties all come with a cost. If you’ve started planning for your wedding, you’ve probably started totaling up all the expected costs for each expense on your list – and are realizing that your predetermined budget just isn’t going to cut it. Lucky for you, you’ve stumbled upon this article at just the right time! We’re here to inform you that you’re not the only bride or groom on a budget. There are ways you can cut costs without even noticing the difference.
Although there are some expenses that you won’t even dream of budging on no matter the costs, there are lots of ways to shave down on your expenses here and there. From the wedding photographer to the flowers, here are a number of ways to easily modify your wedding details and save money, so you can keep the parts of your wedding that are most important to you.
Trim the Guest List – And Set it Early
When planning your wedding, the guest list will be one of the most important things to consider – and you should start to do it early. Determining how many people go on your guest list will determine how much money you need to spend on other areas of your wedding – such as catering – and will affect the cost estimates. It’s also important to plan your guest lists early because there will be many people (ahem, friends and family) who will try to plan your guest lists for you or try to add whoever they deem important to the list. And considering that there are a number of guests lists you’ll have to make including the wedding, reception, and bachelor and bachelorette parties, this is a task you shouldn’t put off.
Picking the Wedding Date
The day of the week you choose to hold your wedding can have a great impact on the cost of the venue. Because Saturdays are the most popular day of the week, venues tend to charge excessively more for booking an event on Saturday than any other day. Although choosing a different day may not be as convenient for some of your guests, having a wedding on a Friday or even a Sunday can help to decrease your venue budget by a decent amount. Giving a wedding date to all of your guests far in advance can make it easier for all of your guests to make accommodations and attend on a day that isn’t Saturday.
Limit the Bar
By limit the bar, we don’t mean to take away the alcohol (we aren’t that cruel) and we also aren’t telling you to have a cash bar. It’s okay to limit your alcoholic beverage offerings, so instead of a bar full of various pricey spirits, only offer beer and wine, a signature cocktail, or perhaps even a combination of both.
Keep Wedding Invitations Simple
Skip on wedding stationary upgrades. Envelope liners, hand painted custom details, and custom colors all add up in costs. Another great way to save is to send single page invitations in order to save on postage.
Hire an Associate
Many times, vendors or experts who provide wedding services such as a wedding photographer, band, or DJ, will have an associate. While a well-known vendor may cost quite the dollar, vendors can recommend another person that works for them or in their company at a lower price. This means you can obtain a similar quality and style without the upfront high-end cost!
Book a Smaller Band
Smaller doesn’t mean less musically talented. Hiring a smaller band can save you money in a lot of ways. With less members in the band, the less people you have to pay. And the less band members, the less equipment you will also have to rent and pay for. Bands also often require sound and music technician help, and when your band is smaller, then less will have to be set up. All of these are costs you can cut from your budget just by booking a smaller band!
Hire More than One Service from the Same Vendor
Sometimes wedding vendors will offer more than one kind of service. Some music companies can provide both a DJ and a band, and they can provide it for both the ceremony and the reception. Look for these sorts of companies that offer multiple services to help reduce costs.
Now that you’ve read through our list of smart ways to cut down on your budget, you can starting making changes to your list of expenses so that you can keep your budget for the parts of your wedding that are important to you as a couple.
