WAYS I’M SAVING MONEY ON MY WEDDING

Who knew a one day affair could be so expensive?! Don’t get me wrong, a wedding is a HUGE deal and an amazing reason to celebrate - I mean come on, you’re about to marry the love of your life and join as one in the start of a beautiful marriage.

But wow, do things add up quickly. After the adrenaline and excitement of being newly engaged gets under control (if that’s even possible, haha), you and your S/O are now in full prep mode, counting down the days until THE day. You’re booking vendors, scoping out venues, making a list, and so on.

Being engaged now for eight months, I feel like I have come to a point where we are making the day the best it can be for ourselves, in a way that’s both meaningful and within our budget. And before you start to think, ‘Oh I don’t need to create a budget’ - yes, you do. Whether you have thousands of dollars to go crazy with, or the opposite - a budget is great to have because there are so many moving parts in the planning that could quickly steer you off course from the grand total.

Keep reading for some tips of how I am planning to make my day both beautiful and affordable!

GUEST LIST

Thinking this through could really save you a ton of money. Often we tend to think of everyone of our past that has been with us through the thick and thin - but in my opinion, you really want to consider who you see in your future. Who do you picture congratulating you at your first house warming party? Who do you see attending your first born’s one-year birthday party? This might sound too deep, but trust me. A wedding is not the time to play catch up with people that you haven’t seen in years or talked to in months. It’s a celebration of those around you that have stood by and supported you, and support your marriage.

THE FOOD

Depending on the venue and caterer you use, you may have the option to serve your guests with plated, buffet, or stations style. While plated does give the impression of a classy appeal, going with a buffet or stations will greatly reduce the cost. The guests will get served at a comparable rate to plated offerings, and in the end, the food all goes to the same place - so why not spare a few dollars per plate along the way?

DAY OF YOUR WEDDING

This could actually end up working out to your advantage if you are looking to have your wedding on a specific date! Maybe you realize your anniversary is coming up and you’d like to get married on that day, but it’s on a Thursday. I say, go for it!! Many venues offer discounted rates for off-seasons and off-peak days (Thursday, Friday, Sunday, week days). My fiance and I are getting married on a Friday this year; while it didn’t originally sit well with us knowing our guests may have to take off work or leave early to make it, we are looking forward to it. For us, it ended up being best case for what was available. We are getting married in the fall, and with cold weather coming earlier and earlier every year, we knew we didn’t want to push it too close to December. So, it was either have ours on a Friday, or risk choosing a Saturday later in the month that could potentially bring colder weather for the day of. BUT, we definitely didn’t complain about the discounted rate!

FAVORS

Unless it’s something guests can eat on their way out or shortly after, I don’t think you’ll find that guests having a use for any crafted trinket or souvenir-type favor you plan to hand out. Trust me, I know they’re cute. This one actually took me a little bit longer to warm up to the idea of opting-out of, but in the end it’s so true. Do you ever see someone sporting a couzy in the summer that looks like it was a gift? It’s possible, but not likely. To make it even more cringe, it’s been evident that most guests are likely to forget to take their favor on the way out, leaving you with dozens behind that even you and your S/O may not find a home for. If this is something you think you absolutely need, try to stick to $1 or less per guest - buy in bulk for cheap so you don’t feel guilty if you end up stuck with them at the end of the night.

DECORATIONS

I feel like a bride-to-be instantly develops a creative side once they’re engaged and planning for their wedding. This is great! Once you’ve determined what meaningful decorations you would like to have at your wedding, you can get to crafting. By crafting them yourself, you quickly realize and determine which pieces are absolutely necessary, versus what would be nice to have and it may help you eliminate. For instance, initially my fiance and I considered decorating each end aisle for our ceremony space. Now that the crafting has begun, we have since put those on the back burner, and focused more on our signage, our guest book, and our centerpieces. Working through it ourselves has helped to eliminate the extra fluff items we probably would’ve bought on our own at this point and been stuck with, had we not chose the DIY route.

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES

Your bridal party will absolutely love you and the honor even more if you do not sign them up to break the bank! There are so many affordable dresses online that could easily pass as bridal party attire. Lulus, Birdy Grey, and Azazie are very reputable sites to start with. Don’t forget that once your bridal party receives their dress, they have to alter it to their figure and preferences too - this will add up. If you start with a low base cost, it will be much more manageable for them altogether. PLUS, chances are they will never have a reason to wear this dress a second time; more of a reason to save a small fortune.

I hope these tips and conversation has sparked a new perspective! Let’s make it a memorable and cherished day without the ($$$$$) attached.

xo,

Ashley

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