45+ Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

save money on your wedding - money with scrabble tiles

Spending money on your wedding can be easy – way too easy. But if you’re not careful, it can be hard on your wedding budget.

The good news is saving money on your wedding is easy too! Here are over 45 ways to save money on your wedding.

General Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding

1. Trim your guest list.
Fewer people means less food, beverages, centerpieces, linens, favors, etc.

2. Have a longer engagement.
Not only will you have more time to search and find sales, you’ll also have more time to set aside money.

3. Enter giveaways to win free wedding stuff.
Free is always good.

4. Use coupons and watch for sales when buying items from craft stores.
Michael's Craft StoreMichaels and Hobby Lobby often have coupons and sales. There’s no reason to pay full price.

5. Opt for an adult-only reception.
An easy way to decide who to trim from your guest list is to have an adult-only reception. Determine no one under the age of 13 or the age of 16 for example.

6. Seat more guests at larger tables.
You’ll end up needing less tables and chairs, and in turn less centerpieces and linens.

Your Wedding Date/Time

7. Get married on any day but Saturday.
Many venues and vendors offer a discount for any day other than a Saturday.

8. Get married off-peak season.

Winter months are typically the slow season in the wedding world, so many venues/vendors offer a discount for those months.

9. Have your wedding ceremony and reception earlier in the day.
A late morning ceremony followed by a brunch reception will save you tons of money.

How To Save Money On Your Wedding Favors

10. Skip the expensive favors.
wedding favors
Fancy favors are commonly left behind. Why? Because your guests really don’t want/can’t use them. Edible treats are one of the best favor options. They’re inexpensive, and your guests will actually use them.

11. Or omit favors altogether.

12. Choose escort cards that double as favors.
Double duty is a wonderful money saver.

. . . and Your Invitations & Other Printed Items

13. Send postcard style response cards with your invitations.
Not only will the postcard RSVP cards cost less, you’ll also need less postage on each one.

14. Skip the fancy custom or vintage postage stamps.
45+ Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding | If you want to save money on your wedding then this post is for you! It includes more than 45 different tips to easily save money, but still have the beautiful wedding you’ve always dreamed of. #wedding #moneysavingtips #weddingplanning #daytonweddingplanner #ohioweddingplanner
Your guests won’t miss the fancy postage stamps, and regular stamps (check with your post office for pretty floral or LOVE stamps) cost less than the custom ones.

See also  Wedding Flower Ideas That Won’t Break The Bank

15. Skip square or odd sized invitations.
They may look great, but the post office charges more postage on non standard shaped or sized envelopes.

16. Use a sign instead of a ceremony program.
Rather than printing up programs all of your guests, do one large sign and have it at the entry to your ceremony.

17. Proofread everything twice before ordering.
Having something reprinted is definitely a cost that is not budgeted for. Eliminate this possibility by proofreading everything multiple times. Have someone else proofread them as well – a second pair of eyes can spot things that the first may have missed. Double check all spellings, dates, and addresses.

18. Order thank you cards when you order invitations.
Saves on extra shipping and handling charges.

9 Easy Ways to Contain Your Wedding Costs

19. Print guests names on a board instead of individual escort cards.
45+ Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding | If you want to save money on your wedding then this post is for you! It includes more than 45 different tips to easily save money, but still have the beautiful wedding you’ve always dreamed of. #wedding #moneysavingtips #weddingplanning #daytonweddingplanner #ohioweddingplanner

20. DIY your invitation assembly.
From standard envelope stuffing to attaching rhinestone embellishments or pretty belly bands – paying the invitation company to assemble them costs more money. Save by assembling them yourself (or have your wedding party help out).

Save Money On Your Wedding Cake

21. Choose a small one or two tiered cake.

2-Tier Wedding Cake
2-Tier Wedding Cake

Have the small cake on display for your cake cutting ceremony, but also have unadorned (just iced) cakes hidden in the kitchen.

22. Skip the dessert table.
You don’t need additional desserts. Your wedding cake is enough.

23. Choose buttercream icing instead of fondant.
Fondant may look gorgeous, but you’ll end up paying at least twice as much (maybe more!) for your cake.

24. Skip on the cake fillings.
Fillings typically cost more, and if you’ve got delicious cake to start with, your guests won’t miss a filling.

25. Serve cupcakes instead of cake.
Wedding Cupcakes
You’ll save on the serving price (cupcakes can be up to half the cost per serving as cake). Also, since cupcakes don’t have to be cut/plated, you’ll save on the plating fee most venues charge.

. . . And Other Food & Beverages

26. Offer beer and wine, and a signature drink.
Wedding Cocktail
Serving alcohol can get expensive. Save by offering only beer and wine, and perhaps a fun signature drink.

See also  How To Determine Your Wedding Style For a Dazzling Celebration

27. Serve champagne to the head table only.
You don’t need to provide champagne to all of your guests, and they will be fine toasting with whatever beverage they’ve chosen from the bar.

28. Skip the late night snack.
Sending your guests off with a yummy little nibble may sound like a fun idea, but it’s a cost that you can easily omit, and no one will miss it.

Flowers/Décor

29. Choose less pricey flowers in your bouquet.
Your florist can give you lost of flower cost-effective options that achieve the look you are going for.

30. Re-use decorations from the ceremony at the reception.
You’ve already paid for them, so why not get more use out of them? This includes altar arrangements, unity candle flowers, and bridesmaids bouquets.

31. Pick simple tablecloths.
Many venues provide standard linens at no additional cost. In love with a pricy specialty linen? Use it on just the cake table and sweetheart/head table.

32. Choose flowers that are in-season.
45+ Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding | If you want to save money on your wedding then this post is for you! It includes more than 45 different tips to easily save money, but still have the beautiful wedding you’ve always dreamed of. #wedding #moneysavingtips #weddingplanning #daytonweddingplanner #ohioweddingplanner

Flowers that are in-season are more abundant, and will cost less than flowers that have to be imported.

33. Choose short centerpieces.
Tall centerpieces are elegant, but often need more flowers to look so grand. More flowers = more cost.

34. Skip the chair covers and sashes.
Unless the chairs are ghastly, save money by not getting covers. Another option is renting resin or samsonite folding chairs. These common chair rental styles often cost less than renting chair covers/sashes.

35. Choose a ceremony venue and/or reception venue that requires little decoration.

Bad Wedding Planning Advice – Not All Money Saving Ideas Are Good Ones

36. Skip the aisle runner.
In reality, aisle runners don’t enhance the overall look of your ceremony. Save yourself a bit of cash by omitting an aisle runner altogether.

37. Use more greenery and less blooms.
Greenery is elegant, abundant, and less costly that flowers.

38. Use non-florals in your centerpiece design.
wedding centerpiece lantern
Candles, books, bird cages, lanterns, and bowls of fruit are just some non-floral ideas that cost less than a floral arrangement, yet are still pretty and stylish.

Attire

39. Borrow a veil.
bridal veil

Borrowing is always cost-friendly. Plus you’ll have your “Something Borrowed” covered.

40. Buy shoes you’ll actually wear again.
wedding shoes
Why spend money on shoes you’re only going to wear just once? Save money by choosing a pair that you will be able to wear again and again.

See also  Top 10 Most Commonly Forgotten Wedding Items to Budget For

Vendors

41. Hire a DJ instead of a band.
wedding dj
Simply put, having a DJ costs less than having a band.

42. Skip the limousine.
A fancy ride is fun, but you’re only going to be in it for a relatively short time.

43. Hire a wedding planner.
This may sound like an odd way to save money on your wedding, but a wedding planner has the know-how to stay on budget, yet stay stylish with creative alternatives.

44. Have ceremony & reception at same place.

45. Choose a venue that doesn’t require you to use their vendors.
Not having to use their “short list” of vendors gives you more options.

46. Borrow items.
Wedding Champagne Glasses
Not interested in keeping the cake knife/server or toasting glasses? An easy way to save money on your wedding is to borrow these items instead of purchasing them.

47. Buy items instead of renting them. You can purchase just about everything for your wedding, from table linens to vases. What to do with them after the wedding? Sell them of course. These days, many areas have bridal resale shops. Or check out online sites such as Wedding Recycle.

What other ways to save money on your wedding have you seen or tried? Let me know what they are in the comments section below.

Photo Credits:
Money with Scrabble Tiles – 401(K) 2012 (CC BY 2.0)
Michael’s Craft Store – Aranami (CC BY 2.0)
Winter Wedding – Anna Pruzhevskaya (CC BY 2.0)
Favors – antaresjhw (CC BY 2.0)
Seating Chart – Monica Benavidez (CC BY 2.0)
2-Tier Wedding Cake – Ken Curtis (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Wedding Cupcakes – kgroovy (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cocktails – Elegant Cuisine (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Table Number Lantern – Michael Morse
Veil – Chaia Scruggs (CC BY 2.0)
Wedding Shoes – @joefoodie (CC BY 2.0)
DJ – Iain Buchanan (CC BY 2.0)
Champagne Glasses – S.Su (CC BY 2.0)

Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

For more ideas, contact me today at [email protected] or at 937-581-3647!

3 thoughts on “45+ Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

    1. Thank you. I’m glad you liked the post. You’re right about buttercream – it does (IMO) taste so much better than fondant. Your cake was absolutely gorgeous! Perfect for a vintage themed wedding. The bottom tier reminds me of those chenille bedspreads.

      1. Thank you! Yes, they can still do beautiful things with buttercream 🙂 I love chenille! haha 😀

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.