If you and your spouse-to-be share a frugal streak, you are likely making wedding plans with an eye on making your day special without being over-the-top expensive. You’ve also probably found out that is easier said than done.
But, as many have learned while planning their weddings, there are tricks you can use to keep costs low without sacrificing your vision. Here are a few:
1. Be Flexible With the Date, Time, and Location
One of the main things that will determine how much your wedding costs is when and where it happens. In general, it’s more expensive to have your wedding:
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In the city rather than in the country
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In the evening rather than in the morning or afternoon
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On a Saturday rather than on another day of the week
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In spring, summer, or fall rather than in winter
If a Saturday evening wedding featuring dinner and dancing is important to you, save money by choosing to get married in January or February at a venue a few miles outside of the city. That decision can save you thousands of dollars. Plus, if you choose January, the venue may still be decked out for the holidays and you’ll end up with some free decorations.
Not only will being flexible about the time, date, and location of your wedding save you money, but it will also give you more choices. Many venues are booked years in advance for spring, summer, and fall dates.
2. Be Ruthless About Your Guest List
This is another biggie because fewer guests = fewer people to feed. But creating your guest list can get emotional. It may involve input from your parents (especially if they’re helping to pay) and it can require a lot of compromise. The size of your guest list is also dependent on how large your venue is and whether the venue or your caterer requires you to spend a certain amount of money.
Some couples choose to use an A and B guest list. This involves sending out invites to the people who are most important to you first (your A list). Then, if people from that list are unable to attend, you send out additional invites to your B list.
To save money on the guest list, consider having an adults-only wedding and inviting no family members that are more distant than a first cousin. You’ll also have to make some difficult choices when it comes to your large group of friends and acquaintances. You may find it more equitable to not invite some of your social groups (for example, co-workers or rec team members) rather than inviting a few and risk hurting others’ feelings. Finally, only offer plus-one invitations to people you know who are in committed relationships, rather than to everyone.
Ultimately, you want to limit your guest list (and save money) while ensuring that all of the people you love will be there to celebrate with you.
3. Tap Your Network
Do you have a friend whose cakes are to die for, or a cousin who loves to DJ family reunions? You may be able to enlist some of your guests to help with wedding tasks that would otherwise come with big markups.
Depending on how skilled (and giving) your friends and family are, you may be able to get help with food, flower arrangements, decorations, invitations, officiating, tailoring, music, photography, and more. Their talent and thoughtfulness in providing services will not only save you money, but will also add a personal touch you won’t get with a hired vendor. Just remember to be gracious. Your aunt may be great at calligraphy, but she’s also got her own life. So, if she can’t help, let her know that’s OK. If she decides to help you, show your gratitude by paying for any materials she’ll need and thanking her with a heartfelt note and a gift (and maybe even a shout-out in the program).
4. Don’t Let All Your Money Get Sipped Away
Calculating the cost of keeping 100+ people buzzed is a sobering experience. If your friends and families are big drinkers, this will eat up a substantial amount of your budget, but you don’t want to pay any more than you need to.
Thinking about getting a personal loan to pay for your wedding? It could be the right choice if you are able to incorporate loan payments into your budget.
Some venues allow you to provide the alcohol yourself. That can save a ton of money. Plus, it lets you choose some of your favorite (inexpensive) drinks for your guests to enjoy. If you buy the alcohol from a store that allows returns, you won’t have to worry about accidentally buying too much.
Other ways to save money on alcohol include forgoing the typical champagne toast, having a cash bar, or offering beer and wine instead of liquor.
It’s also OK not to serve alcohol at all. A big part of planning a wedding is figuring out what’s important to you and what isn’t. So if you’re not big on drinking, you don’t have to make it part of your big day.
5. Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else
Reading about celebrities’ million-dollar weddings can be fun for a little while, but do it too much and you’ll start to feel bad about how your own wedding plans stack up.
And it may not be just tabloids and gossip blogs that bring you down. Without realizing it, you can find yourself attending your friends’ weddings and thinking about how much their flowers cost and whether you should spring for uplighting too, instead of focusing on them and enjoying their weddings.
There will always be someone else who can afford a fancier wedding than you can. Try to remember that, despite what some reality TV shows tell you, your wedding is not a competition. There’s no prize for throwing the best party. Your wedding will be wonderful, no matter how much or how little you spend on it.
Once you realize that, you can focus on planning the wedding you want (without elaborate flower displays or fancy lighting) instead of the one you think will impress other people. That realization will save you money – and more importantly, it will give you peace of mind.
Need help with budgeting for your upcoming wedding?
We can help! Come in to your local branch today and speak with your personal banker. We can start you saving right away. Call us at 1-888-254-9500 to get started.
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