***This is a guest post. <3 from the Dames***
If someone handed you 30 grand right now, what would you do with it? Pay off some debt? Spend a little and save the rest? Surely you wouldn’t blow it all on one thing…unless you are planning for a wedding. According to The Knot, the national average cost of a wedding in 2017 was $33,391. Think of all the things you could do with that much money!
If you’re planning a wedding, don’t let this number scare you. You can have the magical day you’ve always dreamed of without going broke. Here are five ways to plan a gorgeous wedding on a budget.
1. Prioritize What’s Important to You
This step is crucial. Before making any decisions or purchases, sit down and think about what matters most to you on your wedding day. For example, are you flexible on the venue but know exactly what food you want? Or maybe you’re OK with not having a sit-down dinner but want to offer guests an open bar. Also, let’s be honest — your guests really don’t need wedding favors.
Once you figure out what’s important to you (and your significant other!), focus on doing those things to the best of your ability without maxing out your budget. For stuff that isn’t as important, figure out how to do it as cheap as possible or forgo it altogether.
2. Get Creative with Food and Drinks
Did you know it’s possible to have an open bar without shelling out hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars? Go to Costco or Walmart and buy the alcohol you want to serve, whether it’s beer, wine or liquor. You can have a bartender serve the libations you purchased, or offer a self-serve beverage bar. It’s best to serve beer and wine, plus maybe one or two signature cocktails. Liquor is where it starts to get expensive.
Bonus: Get some cheap beverage dispensers from Walmart or Amazon and pour boxed wine into them — no one will have to see it came out of a box, plus it adds to the decor!
In terms of food, look for a more creative way to serve guests beyond the traditional catering. Think food trucks, local restaurants or even just hold a dessert and champagne reception.
3. Hold the Ceremony and Reception at the Same Place
Rather than dealing with transportation from the wedding venue to the reception, rent out a venue where you can have both. This saves on tons of transportation costs, plus it’s easier to have everything happen in one place.
When picking the venue, think outside the box. Look for an Airbnb your guests can stay at that doubles as an event space with a large backyard, or scout more rural areas. One of my friends got married on a farm in a woodsy area of Florida. It was a little off the beaten path, but it was a fraction of the price of all the other local venues, and it was absolutely gorgeous.
Another tip when shopping for wedding venues is to make sure they don’t require you to use their vendors. This way, you’re able to bring in whatever you want to and it’s guaranteed to be cheaper than whatever the wedding venue offers.
4. Skip “Save the Dates” and Use an Online Wedding Service
“Save the Dates” are cute but they’re not necessary, especially when you’re on a budget.
Use an online invitation service like glö, which not only sends out invites but also hosts your wedding site and manage all the RSVPs. Pretty impressive, right? The costs are pretty low for all the services offered, and think about all the time you’ll save!
5. Be Upfront About Your Budget
I talked with Sarah and Andrew Roehm, a couple who threw a gorgeous wedding with 130 guests for less than $7,000. Being upfront about their budget was one of their secrets to staying on track.
After countless quotes from photographers that were more than double their actual photography budget, they decided to just be honest about what they could afford right off the bat. The conversation began along the lines of, “My budget is around $1,400. What can you offer at that price?” (Of course, be respectful and realistic.) Using this technique, Sarah got two photographers for the entire wedding day, plus an engagement shoot.
The vendor will appreciate you being upfront, and will likely work with you to create something that fits your needs.
A Few Other Quick Ways to Save:
- Don’t hire a DJ. Instead, create a few playlists on Spotify and designate a friend to serve as the MC. Just remember to spend the few bucks/use a free trial for your event, so you’re not listening to ads during the first dance.
- Search thrift stores for unique table decor and get a little crafty with it.
- Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a fancy wedding cake, have a “fake” cake. Ask a baker to dress cardboard for the bottom layers, but make one small cake for the top layer for you to ceremoniously cut. Serve sheet cake, cookies or cupcakes to guests instead of an actual wedding cake.
- Ask for the help of family and friends in lieu of wedding gift. Having extra hands to help decorate the venue will be far more valuable, and better for your budget, than yet another set of wine glasses.
Everyone knows weddings are expensive. If you’re still struggling to make ends meet for your wedding, make some money at home or get a profitable side gig and put all your earnings toward wedding expenses.
These methods should give your budget a little breathing room, without sacrificing the quality or meaning of your big day.
And don’t forget, you can save money while attending weddings too! Check out how here.
Jacquelyn Pica is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Find her on Twitter .