Saving for every budget

Every wedding planner has a short list of savings. Here are a few suggestions:

Cut the guest list. Weddings are getting smaller, and it’s one of the easiest ways to cut expenses. The average number of guests fell to 141 in 2011 from 149 in 2010, and from 153 in 2007, according to TheKnot.com.

Make your own centrepieces. Use a flower designer for the bouquets the wedding party carries, but consider arranging the reception tables yourself, with modest smaller displays that won’t get in guests’ sightlines.

Forget the favours. Unless they are crafted to represent the couple in a unique way (the Mexican wedding cookies, or handmade chocolate wrappers with the guests’ names on them, for example), they are often a cost that can easily be eliminated.

“You think, ‘God, why do you spend so much on a wedding?’ But then you realize that once you have to feed all these people, you have to find solutions,” Colburn said.