7 Unexpected Ways to Save Money on Wedding Planning
So engagement season is upon us!
While I’ve been in the throes of wedding planning for a while, some of you guys are going to be happily entering a brand-new territory. Planning a wedding can be equal parts fun, exciting and stressful, so get ready for the whirlwind! One of the biggest challenges when it comes to planning isn’t just dealing with all of the decisions you’ll have to make – it’s paying for them! My fiancé and I are paying for our wedding entirely on our own, so budgeting is essential. Whether you have help for family or are self-financing, managing your wedding spending is critical. Here are my tips for saving money on your wedding and keeping that budget in check!
Keep Your Guest List Small to Save Money
You’ve probably heard this time and time again on every wedding blog you’ve read. But the fact is, the number of guests is the single biggest cost driver behind your big day. I know it’s hard, especially if you have a big family and a lot of friends, but some people will just have to deal with their own hurt feelings. Guest count drives up every element of your wedding, including size of the venue, how many rentals you’ll need, catering costs, and event staff. And don’t make the mistake of inviting people you assume won’t come just to be nice. They may surprise and that puts you at risk of throwing your budget and ending up over venue capacity. Which brings me to my next point . . .
Have a Destination Wedding
Depending on where you live, a destination wedding can save you thousands! We decided to hold ours in the French countryside instead of NY where are both from, just because NY is weddings are extraordinarily expensive. There is no way we’d be able to have the wedding of our dreams in NY. Everything costs more and our guest count would be way higher. And destination weddings don’t always have to be far flung international locations. If you are a beach bride think about California or Florida; Colorado or Arizona for gorgeous mountain views, and the always classic Las Vegas!
Choose an Unconventional Venue
Venues are usually a pretty big cost when it comes to wedding planning, so choosing carefully can save you thousands. Think about places other than traditional ball rooms or hotels. Scour your network of family and friends for anyone who may own a beautiful vacation home and be willing to host. If it’s Spring or Summer, think about public parks that allow weddings essentially for free. You can hold a small ceremony in some iconic places in NY, like Central Park or Brooklyn Bridge Park for a small permit fee. Then invite everyone out for a low key dinner afterwards!
Choose an Unusual Time or Day
This can be a bit controversial because it can be quite annoying for your guests. But the fact is a brunch wedding is cheaper than a dinner one, and a midweek wedding is way less than a Saturday! Couples can save thousands by having their wedding on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday, and even more if they switch to a Thursday. Plus, the schedule you choose may naturally help keep your guest count down!
Keep Your Bridal Party Small
Yes, it’s expensive to be a bridesmaid! But it can also get pricey for a couple to have a big bridal party. The main costs are gifts, bouquets/boutonnieres, hair and makeup if you decide to pay for it, and you may also need a bigger bridal suite day of to accommodate your group. I know people who have 12 people in their party and just paying for their florals alone can cost over $1000. If you can keep it small, but if you really need to have your whole squad with you on your big day, be prepared to cut back in other areas.
Thoroughly Negotiate Your Vendor Contracts
Some venues are all in one service providers, so once you book with them all of your vendors are included. There are pros and cons to this approach, but if you are choosing your own vendors be prepared to negotiate your terms. Examine every contract thoroughly. In your meetings prepare questions, review references that you like and also their actual work. Make sure everything you discuss in your meetings is recapped and noted in your contracts. For example, I gave my florist visual references and the first draft of the contract mentioned “white and flowers and greenery.” That is exactly how you end up with stupid stuff like carnations, or things that wouldn’t make sense for your venue or theme. Orchids are amazing, but would be completely inappropriate for my wedding. I had to redline that contract and specify that I wanted to know exactly which blooms would be included, and give examples of ones I like versus ones I hate. You can definitely leave room for your vendors to suggest things that are in season, or may give you the overall look and feel at a better price. But make sure you know what you are getting! Caterers may charge you an additional fee if your guest list drops below a certain amount and you may not be guaranteed to keep any unopen bottles of alcohol unless contractually specified. Take your time and do your due diligence to save yourself stress and money!
Do some DIYing
Wedding planners are nice but can be pretty pricey. I have to have one because of the destination, and most destination wedding packages include some planning services. International DIYing is wildly impractical and the cost of shipping or carrying items would cancel out any savings. But if you are getting married locally, think about what you can do yourself or with the help of family and friends. It may be décor and florals, or hiring friends or family as vendors at a discount. Just tread with caution on that front to avoid any drama or mishaps! Just remember – this only works if you actually enjoy DIY projects! That kind of stuff is not for everyone and will only make you stressed out and pissed off if it’s not your thing!
Hope these tips help and happy wedding planning!
