43 Practical Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

We get it, weddings are expensive. But you can cut costs without anyone noticing.  There are small and clever things you can do to control the hemorrhage of money that seems to happen when planning a wedding.

Here are 43 simple ways you can control the budget blow out.

The Date

1.   Make it a daytime reception. It’s    always  cheaper to serve lunch or     brunch than dinner.

2.  Think off-peak season and save       thousands! Schedule the wedding in      off-peak times. When there’s less      competition for dates, you can have      more negotiating power. You can shave     20 to 30 percent off the cost by off      season planning.

3.  Skip the Saturday wedding. 

Friday weddings are becoming very popular and cheaper....  It’s becoming more common so guests wont grumble

The Bridal Party

4.  Consider fewer bridesmaids and grooms men to keep costs down. Those gifts add up and you won’t have to fork out for a limo to accommodate them all. Two bridesmaids and grooms men is a lot more manageable

5.   Stick to ONE wedding dress. It’s becoming popular for a bride to change into a       different wedding dress for the reception. This is just another not needed cost and      stressful making sure you don’t forget anything..

Flowers

6.   Swap out costly flowers -- did you know peonies are more expensive than roses?

7.   Avoid cascades. The hidden cost of flowers is the labour. “Order or make small,       hand-tied bouquets (posies) for the bride and attendants―cascades require a lot of      wiring, and more labour means higher cost.

8.   Use one kind of flower in your bouquets and arrangements. It’s a budget-friendly       move because your florist will need to place only one bulk order.  This brings a chic      monochromatic look to your event.

9.   Buy flowers that are in season.

10. Include non-floral decorations, like lanterns.

11.  Use more greenery than flowers.

Stationery & Bonbonniere

12.  Get single-page invites to save on postage.

13.  Give out one bonbonniere per couple.

14.  Make your cake the favours. Especially if using cupcakes as your wedding cake.

15.  Have your bonbonniere double as table seating cards.

16.  Email your save-the-dates.

17.  Take advantage of the talents of the bridal party and other friends and family.

18.  Anything you can make yourself becomes a fun shared effort and can save a lot.      Make your own menu cards, table seating cards, and  bonbonniere packaging.

19. Skip favours. Place a bowl of lollies and chocolates on the cake table with a note     saying, “Please enjoy these sweets. In lieu of favours we’ve made a donation to     charity.” Honestly your guests won’t care about not having a gift to take home.

The Reception

20.  Cut the guest list. This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and        even the number of centre pieces. 

21.   Make it no children if you are doing a sit down dinner. If there are a lot of       children in your life consider having a bridal afternoon tea before the date.

22.  Hold your ceremony and reception in one spot -- it will cut travel time for suppliers    you pay by the hour.

23.  Have bigger tables so you need fewer centrepieces and tablecloths.

24.  Shop the off-season for extra decor -- get modern black vases on sale after

       Halloween and pretty pink   ones after Valentine's Day.

The Food & Wine

25.  Serve single choice entrée.  Try a nice vegetarian entree that will please everyone.

26.  Consider skipping the main course... appetisers and drinks are fine too.

27.  Serve comfort foods like barbecue chicken, mashed potato, and corn. It's fun and

often cheaper.

28.  Finger food catering, if you don’t skimp can provide a cheaper way to feed a       crowd, this will save on food and seating.

29.  Avoid the traditional sit-down dinner or buffet meal altogether. Instead, host a       cocktail reception with ample finger foods, cake and punch or cake and cocktails.

Not only will this save on food, but it will save on table settings.

30.  Use your cake as the Dessert - Order a small one or two-tiered cake and then        supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (hidden back in the kitchen)

31.  Offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail instead of a full bar and skip the        champagne toast.

32.  Ask your venue if you can bring your own wine. You will have to pay corkage,        but that can be a lot cheaper than the cost of venue supplied wine, especially if you pick up some great specials at a winery or big liquor outlet.  Also consider purchasing clean-skin wines, they are often a good wine and cheaper.

The Cake

33.  Keep the add-ons simple.

34.  Use fresh flowers, not sugar ones.

35.  Reuse ceremony flowers for the cake table.

36.  Skip exotic fillings like guava and mango.

37.  Use your cake as the dessert or bonbonniere

Music, Photos & Video's

38.  Have a photographer you love but can't afford the prices? Ask your photographer    if you can have the photos on usb only and do your own printing.

39. Make your own photo booth.  A few props, a camera on a tripod and easel        instructing groups to take the photo themselves.

40. Skip buying film cameras for tables. Add a note on the name plates asking people       to take photos of the table and upload to a shared face book album you have        created. You will have a variety of photos instantly.

41.   Opt for a smaller band.

42   Hire a band or DJ who can do both the ceremony and the reception.

43.  Create music a wedding playlists and play it from your iPod or laptop through the     venues sound system.  Include different playlist such as, arrival mingling music,         Dinner Music and Party Dancing music.

Cheers Dark Room Diva