With the endless romantic details and enticing entertainment options, it can be difficult to know where to save money on your wedding. You want it to be a wonderful celebration of your love, so you keep on adding new elements. Each Pinterest pin feels like you must include it. But you have to cut off the budget somewhere! The reality is that some aspects won’t even matter or be noticed on the day of the celebration. I’ll help you sort through those areas. If you’re looking where to save money on your wedding budget, keep reading for a professional wedding planner’s advice.
Find a wedding venue that includes furniture
Furniture rentals are an unforeseen cost for many wedding budgets. Chairs, tables, lounge areas…the costs add up once you start browsing the rental company websites. Many spaces include furniture with the booking, so make this a priority in your wedding venue search. You might even consider limiting your wedding guest count to the amount of available seats to avoid spending on additional rentals. I also recommend getting creative with the furniture that comes with the space. If you’re having a more relaxed reception you might not need a seat for every single guest. Finding a flexible venue is a key element to save money on your wedding.
Save money on your wedding: Consider an off-season or weekday wedding
This will only work for some couples, but the venue rental fees can be almost cut in half for weekday and off-season events. I’ve looked at wedding venue costs from all over the country and having your wedding on a less popular date or weekday is significantly cheaper. Your save the dates also give guests enough time to ask for the next day off of work if they like to party hard.
Buy your dress online
You may not get the classic wedding dress boutique experience, but buying a wedding dress online can save a ton of money. There are so many more options and it’s a bit easier to stick to a hard budget by using price filters. It even opens up a world of vintage wedding gowns that are exclusively sold online. Plus, you can still have your dress fitting moment when you visit the tailor.
Use downloadable templates for wedding stationery
The world of wedding templates has really expanded in the past few years. You can now find a variety of stylish and elegant editable Canva templates for your wedding invitations, menus, signage, and anything else you might need. This eliminates the pricier cost of hiring a custom wedding stationer. You can find plenty of high quality papers at the craft store and print the wedding ephemera on your home printer.
Keep the decor minimal
Coming from a wedding planner, this is a controversial take. But I see so many DIY weddings that go overboard with unnecessary decor, leading to lots of extra money spent. As long as you have some well-pressed linens, quality lighting, and thoughtful flowers the space will feel welcoming and romantic. You don’t need a light-up dance floor or dramatic centerpieces. As long as the vibes and music are good, the night will be memorable for everyone.
Save money on your wedding: Book a four hour photography session
Wedding photographers usually advertise their 8-12 hour packages and the prices can get pretty steep for a quality photographer. If you found a photographer you like, ask them if they offer shorter packages. A four hour booking still gives them time to take photos with the wedding party and some more candid shots of the celebration. You can create a shared folder for guests to add their own photos of the rest of the celebration. It’ll be fun to have a variety of different shots.
Forget the wedding favors
Unless you have something super special in mind, you can eliminate guest favors to save money on your wedding. Not to burst your bubble, but most guests don’t even see it or remember to take it home with them. I always end up tossing some wedding favors at the end of an event. Choosing something random just for the sake of it is ultimately a waste of money. And even something small starts to add up. Nobody will miss a wedding favor; they’re too busy enjoying the amazing meal and fun party!
Just because someone else has it doesn’t mean you do
Your wedding day should be personalized to your love story. Maybe you saw something online or at a friend’s wedding. Unless you feel like that wedding element truly represents the two of you, don’t feel obligated to include it. Just because your mom had a formal ballroom ceremony doesn’t mean you have to. Prioritizing your personal preferences when wedding planning will keep out all the noise that wants you to spend more money.
How to save money on your wedding
I hope this guide helps you find out where to cut costs during the wedding planning process. Of course, you should spend money on the aspects that are important to you. But don’t feel bad about cutting out some of the things that don’t fully align with your vision. If you’d like some help creating a realistic budget, download my wedding budget template.
