You may be wondering about how to save money on your wedding. It’s no secret that weddings cost a lot of money. It stands to reason though. You’re planning a party for several (maybe 100 or more) people, with special food, beverages, dessert, fancy decorations, and entertainment. So, like most engaged couples, you’re likely to be looking for money saving tips for your wedding. You’re in luck. There are several money saving tips for your wedding, and they won’t sacrifice the overall feel of your wedding.
Below are 20+ easy things you can do to save money on your wedding (and many are also eco-friendly).
Money Saving Tips For Your Wedding
Date & Time
• Get married “off season.” Some vendors offer discounts for a wedding that’s held on a weekday or during a non-peak month such as January or March.
• You can save on catering by having a morning or early afternoon ceremony/reception. Meals are generally lighter and guests tend to not drink as much as they would for an evening event.
Invitations & printed materials
• Individual programs or menu cards look pretty, but you can save a bundle by providing this information on a pretty calligraphed sign. (Not to mention that you won’t have a bunch left behind).
• Skip the envelope liners for your invitations. Liners are pretty and elegant, but if you need to trim the budget, this is one place that “won’t show” in the grand scheme of things.
• Use RSVP postcards instead of the traditional RSVP card/envelope combo. You’ll save money on printing and postage.
• One of the money saving tips for your wedding is also helpful for your guests. Use corner copy on your invitations instead of having a separate reception card. By using corner copy you will save a significant amount of money. It costs about $10, regardless of quantity. Compare this to what you’d be paying for 100 or more Reception cards. An added bonus is that since you’ll have less items going into your invitation suite, you may end up paying less for postage! And why is this helpful for your guests? There is one less card they have to keep track of.
Décor
• One of the easiest money saving tips for your wedding is to re-use your ceremony décor and bouquets. You’ve spent good money on something that otherwise will only be used for only about an hour or so (figuring the time guests have arrived and are waiting for the ceremony to begin). Get your moneys worth – reuse altar arrangements, pew décor, and your bridesmaids’ bouquets as decorations for your reception.
• Scaling down the size of bouquets for you and your wedding party can help save money. A small nosegay is pretty, and cost effective.
• Use more greenery and less flowers in your arrangements. Greenery and candles are still one of the best ways to save money on centerpieces. It’s elegant and cost effective. And if you get battery operated candles, you’ll be able to use them again for years to come.
• Group small potted plants and flowers together for centerpieces. Then at the end of the evening these can be sent home with guests as favors. Larger potted plants can be used as aisle décor for your ceremony or a pretty arrangement on the bar or escort card table. Send these home as a special “thank you” to someone who helped out on your wedding day. Since the plants can be taken home and replanted there is less waste – excellent for the environment.
• One of my favorite money saving tips for your wedding is to use non-floral décor items such as: lanterns, individual tiers of wedding cake, bird cages for a garden wedding, seashells for a beach/seaside theme, branches, bowls of fruit, leaves or acorns for a fall wedding.
• Want something with big impact, but not the big price tag? How about a graceful candelabra? Gorgeous, but costs a fraction of a large floral arrangement.
• You can also add some pizzazz by easily dressing up plain glass candle holders with adhesive rhinestones, ribbon, lace, glitter or paint.
• After your wedding, donate your centerpieces and other flowers to a local hospice.
Word of caution: If you do use real candles at your reception, get the unscented kind. When you get a room full of candles, a scent will get overpowering, can aggravate someone’s allergies, and (believe it or not) will affect the taste of the food.
Food and Beverage
• Serve only beer and wine instead of offering a full bar.
• If you are providing alcohol, skip the top shelf liquor. House brands will cost a lot less.
• Skip the champagne toast (or just have it for the head table). Your guests will be fine drinking what they have.
• Offer a meatless entrée. A veggie or pasta entrée costs less than one with meat.
• Remember, you’ve invited your guests to celebrate with you, and it is up to you, as the hosts, to provide for your guests at your event. This means that you shouldn’t expect your guests to pay for their meal or beverages. Having a reception that serves only cake and punch is certainly acceptable. Asking guests to buy their own dinner is not.
• Donate left over food to a local food bank. Make sure you talk with your caterer (you want to make sure that they permit any left over food to be taken off the premises), and your local food bank prior to your wedding day to find out their requirements.
Dessert
• Instead of ornate detailing on your wedding cake, go with a simpler design and accent with a few fresh blooms.
• Serve cupcakes or cake pops rather than a traditional tiered wedding cake. You’ll save money per serving (cupcakes and cake pops are often .50 – $1 less per serving than cake). You won’t be paying a cake cutting fee (that most venues charge). And you’ll be able to order just the amount you need.
For example, if you have 100 guests, you’ll want 100 servings. For a tiered cake, you’ll end up with at least 118 servings as an 8″ tier serves 24, a 10″ serves 38, and a 12″ serves 56. Not that there’s anything wrong with having extra leftover cake, some couples do so on purpose, but if you need to shave something off your budget, this is an easy way to do so.
Fun Stuff
• Photo booths are still popular. And with good reason – they’re fun, a great activity for your guests, people can be silly or serious, and you all end up with a great keepsake.
However, many couples whose budget doesn’t allow for a traditional photo booth are changing it up a bit with a DIY Photo Booth.
Ok, DIY Photo Booths are a bit more effort on your part than having a professional photo booth, (not to mention that there won’t be the fun extras that the pros offer, such as a custom logo, booth attendant, and professional equipment). However the DIY route can be relatively easy. For a simple DIY photo booth/selfie station just get a digital camera on a tripod, set up a simple, but pretty backdrop, and guests can snap away. Or let your guests use their own phones for selfies. Put out a little sign to remind your guests to upload their pics on Facebook or Instagram, and include a special hashtag so it will be easy to find their pics afterwards.
Or you can use a photo sharing app like The Guest Before your wedding day, your guests will get a link for the app. Then any photos and videos they take at your wedding will be shared instantly. Unlike a hashtag where the photo has to be uploaded, with this app your guests won’t have to do anything other than snap the picture. And you get a free digital photo album. Be sure to check out The Guest for full details.
Other
• Trim your guest list. You’ll save on food and beverages. And less people means less seating, which = less tables/chairs, centerpieces, and linens.
• Have a smaller wedding party. Having fewer attendants means savings in bouquets, boutonnieres, and wedding party gifts.
• Have your ceremony and reception at the same venue. No need for a limo or party bus to transport the wedding party, and you’ll save on multiple site fees.
• If your ceremony and reception are at the same location, have your DJ provide the music for both instead of hiring live musicians for the ceremony.
• Rent your wedding dress, or borrow it from a loved one. Or go to a consignment shop or eBay to find your dress.
• Avoid the tacky idea of having some business “sponsor” your wedding, or provide their service for “exposure.” Your wedding is the celebration of your marriage, not an advertising event.
Things You Can Skip
• Omit favors, your guests won’t miss them.
• A special cake knife set or toasting glasses engraved with your names and wedding date are nice, personalized touches for your wedding. However, afterwards these types of items usually end up in the attic. Instead of purchasing something that will only be used once, borrow your keepsake items. Wouldn’t it be cute to have your mom and dad’s cake topper on your wedding cake too?
What do you think of these money saving tips for your wedding? Are there others you’d add, or have done for your own wedding? Let me know in the comments below.
Photo Credits
Money on Chalkboard and Calculator – GotCredit (CC BY 2.0)
January calendar – hot glue media (CC BY 2.0)
Greenery & L-O-V-E Sign – Jacob Fink (CC BY 2.0)
Cake Pops – Shari’s Berries (CC BY 2.0)
Photo Booth – J Renee Creations
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
Looking for fun ideas, or need help with your wedding plans? Contact me today at jean@weddingsfromtheheart.net or by phone or text at 937-581-3647!