17 WAYS TO SAVE BIG BUCKS ON YOUR BIG-TIME WEDDING DAY,
Your big day doesn’t have to be a big financial headache
First comes love, then comes paying for the wedding.
Weddings cost an average of $35,329 nationally — excluding the honeymoon — according to The Knot’s 2016 Real Weddings Study. We asked experts how to set a budget and cut costs on some of the most expensive elements of your upcoming nuptials.
1 BE REALISTIC Don’t start your marriage in debt, says Anne Chertoff, a trend expert for Wedding Wire. “Most couples don’t anticipate how much a wedding is actually going to cost, so they end up underestimating what they’re going to spend and then going over their budget,” she says. Set realistic spending limits from the beginning that account for all areas of your wedding. If you overspend in one area, cut back in another.
2 USE A CREDIT CARD It can be smart to use a credit card for wedding-related purchases — as long as you’re not taking on more debt than you can afford to pay off. Chertoff recommends using accumulated points toward your honeymoon, particularly if you have travel rewards.
3 CONSIDER WINTER EVENT Look at Wedding Wire’s wedding date calendar to see if there’s more demand for a given date.
4 BOOK A SUNDAY Saturday is a popular day for weddings, but it’s also generally the most expensive day to get married. You can likely reserve your venue at a lower price if you hold your wedding on a Sunday, or even a weeknight.
5 PUT A TWIST ON “PLUS ONE” ETIQUETTE Instead of giving all guests a “plus one,” limit them to couples you socialize with regularly, says Sharon Naylor, author of 1,001 Ways to Save Money … and Still Have a Dazzling Wedding.
6 CHANGE UP INVITATIONS You’ll probably want to mail traditional invitations, says Stephanie Cain, an editor at The
Knot. But you can post wedding weekend itineraries on your wedding website and email save-the-date alerts. That’ll save you the cost of printing and postage.
7 CHECK OUT A PROM SHOP Brides aren’t finding dresses at just the bridal shop these days, Naylor says. You can pick up a white dress in the prom or party dress section of any department store. A simple Google search for white prom dresses pulls up inexpensive options.
8 BUDGET FOR YOUR ACCESSORIES There’s more to your dress budget than the dress. Cain suggests taking extras such as tailoring fees, shoes, jewelry and a clutch into account when setting a spending limit. To save on your veil, Chertoff recommends making it your “something borrowed” and wearing a family member’s.
9 NEGOTIATE Lots of unexpected expenses can pop up during planning, in-- cluding cake-cutting and corkage fees or power for your DJ and photo booth. Naylor says you don’t have to take them as they are. If a cost seems unreasonable, respectfully request to have it removed.
10 USE VENUE RESOURCES Some venues provide tables and linens, Cain says. If you opt for a backyard wedding, you’ll have to rent items like these. Always read a venue’s contract in its entirety before signing so you know what is and isn’t included. And keep an eye out for requirements. You might not want to be obligated to use the venue’s caterer, for instance.
11 COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR VENDORS Naylor says some floral designers have warehouses with excess inventory they’re willing to give away or lend out for free. Once you’ve placed an order, ask about expanding your options.
12 BORROW FROM OTHER NEWLYWEDS Ask friends who have recently gotten married if you can borrow centerpieces or other items they have left over.
13 STICK TO IN-SEASON BLOOMS You might have your heart set on pink flowers to accent your bridesmaids’ bouquets, but consider settling for a different shade or variety. Local blooms that are in season at the time of your wedding generally are less expensive. Also, “local flowers tend to look fresher because they didn’t have to travel for days,” Cain says.
14 GO FOR A SHORTER CAKE The more tiers on your cake, the more it’ll cost you. Cain suggests sticking to two tiers and having sheet cakes to serve. The cake you cut for your pictures doesn’t have to feed all of your guests.
15 GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FLOWERS A larger flower, such as a hydrangea, naturally looks fuller and takes up more space with fewer stems, Cain says. And you can repurpose ceremony flowers for the reception, instead of buying more. For instance, use a ceremony arch to adorn your sweetheart table at the reception.
16 LIMIT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER’S HOURS Save money by shaving off some of the time your photographer and videographer are present, Naylor and Cain suggest. You’ll likely want them there for the ceremony, but you might not need footage of the end-of-reception dancing.
17 CUT DRINK SIZES Arrange for the bartender to serve your signature drinks in smaller glasses. “Most people will go and try the signature drink, take a sip, put it down and go back to their regular drink,” Naylor says. Minimize the cost of your bar tab by opting for shooters.