Wedding Bells: 6 Tips for Wedding
Planning on a Budget
The average price of a wedding in the United States is $33,900, according to a report by CNBC. If that just blew your mind, you’re not alone. Weddings are notoriously expensive, and while they are a great way to celebrate your new marriage, they don’t have to cost as much as you might think.
If you’re in need of wedding planning on a budget, consider what is most important to you. Decide what you want to prioritize and what you are willing to compromise on. These six tips can help you plan that wedding without breaking the bank, so read on!
1. Limit the Guest List
It’s a no brainer; guests are expensive to invite to your wedding. With the accumulation of sending out invitations, serving dinners, handing out wedding favors, and finding a venue to fit them all, your wedding budget checklist may have tripled.
Consider who you need to have at the wedding, and invite only those people. Having a small wedding can be just as exciting with the added element of making it more intimate.
Whether many or a few, the personalized wedding invitation is important. It's your guests' first glimpse of your wedding - see here.
2. Use What You Have
If you have family members willing to lend a hand in any part of the wedding process, take it up with them. You could even exchange their skills as a wedding gift. Maybe you have a musician in the family that could provide the entertainment or a baker that could help with the cake.
If you or your partner have any creative skillsets, you can use those too. Perhaps you could make your own invitations or craft your own wedding favors. Consider the effort this will take and if the outcome of saving money could be worth it.
3. Consider the Time
The timing of your wedding could save you tons of money. If you choose a venue while it’s not peak wedding season, you’ll automatically get a discount.
This also applies to the time of day that you have your wedding. If you decide on a morning or afternoon wedding, you won’t have the added cost of serving your guests dinner.
4. The Venue Matters
The venue can save you half the wedding cost. If you choose to have an outdoor wedding, you can have it for free, depending on where you choose.
If one of your family members has a beautiful home, you could ask to host it there. If the location does not matter as much to you, consider substituting a more expensive venue for these options.
5. Substitute Where Possible
You don’t need the most expensive flowers or the most expensive cake. Substitute expensive fresh flowers with a cheaper option that is still beautiful and will go with your wedding theme. Using a wedding hire service that combines elements and finds the best deals can also be a great option to save money.
You could also consider a dummy cake that is made out of styrofoam. You can decorate the styrofoam to be as extravagant as a standard wedding cake, and serve your guests sheet cake from the grocery store without anyone being the wiser.
6. Utilize BYOB
Booze is a top expense in your budget. Instead of going for the old open bar, choose a venue that allows guests to bring their own alcohol. This will keep the fun without forcing you to pay for it all.
Wedding Planning on a Budget
As you can see, wedding planning on a budget is more than possible. It can be fun to get creative with different ways to save money, and you will still have a beautiful day to remember forever.
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