Planning a wedding with your soon-to-be spouse is definitely exciting, but it can also be very overwhelming.
And when it comes to planning your wedding on a budget, there are some important tips you need to know so that you can avoid unnecessary costs and stress during the process.
You might feel more than a bit frustrated when you look up beautiful wedding venues and see their price points. But, after you read these ideas on how to save money on a wedding from real married couples, you’ll realize that your dream wedding might not be as expensive as you think!
You can plan your special day and take advantage of some serious savings by following these wedding budget tips. So, take notes!
They Stick to Their Budget
“Create a Google sheet or Excel or whatever with your estimated budget breakdown. In one column put all your vendors, catering, decor, stationery, etc, and then in the column next to it try to assign a number from your $10k to each thing, like venue – $1,000, stationery – $200. This really helped me stay on track. Once you’ve booked stuff immediately note it down! I did an “expected cost” versus “total cost”. Bonus points are the self satisfaction you feel when you come under your expected cost!” –
Couples who don’t want to go into debt over their wedding take control of their money. They consider the total budget of their big day before making any decisions, and stick to it during the planning process so that they can avoid overspending.
So set a number with your partner before deciding on everything you want, and make sure you stick to it. It really is one of the best ways to save money on your wedding day.
They Set Priorities
We’ve found that couples first identify their main wedding priorities (the things they want the most). So that could be their wedding dress and a beautiful ceremony site.
Then they purchase the extra things they had wanted if they had enough money left over.
Out in Nature
If you’re trying to figure out how to cut wedding costs, then this is probably the best tip.
Many couples found that they were able to save money by having their ceremony location not in a grand ballroom of a fancy hotel, but in the countryside and other nature locations.
Planning the Guest List Wisely
“Best tip is invite fewer people. Have a great wedding for less people, rather than an average wedding for a lot of people.” – Unknown Reddit User
Do you have a limited budget for your wedding? Then definitely try cutting your guest list down. The couples we interviewed say that half of their budget went to expenses around guests. And just eliminating one table of 10 people could even save you up to $1,000.
They Choose the Right Date and Time
When it comes to a wedding, even the time of year or day can differ in terms of the cost.
So for instance, an evening reception is usually more expensive than a morning or brunch reception. This is because people tend to drink more in the evenings, and dinner is the most expensive meal of the day.
So when you’re choosing your ceremony location and reception, look at how much they’re charging for the earlier times of the day so that you can save just a bit more money.
They Keep Their Menu Simple
Married couples say that instead of serving five individual courses, making three courses with seasonal foods will both save you money, and can increase the quality of your menu.
So when you’re planning out your own celebration and menus, this might be something to consider.
Borrowing or Renting Wedding Clothes
Unless you plan to keep them for sentimental reasons, some married couples say that you should rent or borrow your wedding clothes to save money.
So this could be the wedding gown itself or the groom’s tux. But you could also do the same for the bridesmaids and grooms.
They’re Careful About the Wedding Cake Extras
Some married couples say that they ordered a small but beautiful wedding cake for the ceremony. But they also ordered several other cakes that were cheaper and had a similar flavor.
When you’re getting married and planning things out, this a pretty creative and cost effective idea that you could do as well.
DIY & Hunting for Deals
When planning out the ultimate style or vision of a wedding, I think this tip is so important.
“One thing that saved me heaps was DIY-ing decorations. Hit up thrift stores for vases, frames, and more.” – Discipline-Devot
HorseGirl66 responded, “This is similar to my motto, which is, “I have more time than I have money.” I’ve found that I can directly associate cost savings with time spent. Wanna go cheaper with decor? DIY it, Goodwills, estate sales, etc. Need a more affordable dress? TONS of hunting around, rather than just the convenience of a few bridal boutiques.
Most of the time, hours internet research and in-person frugal shopping helped me save thousands of dollars. I find that this is the case with most things. The more time you spend, the cheaper you can get something. The more often you’re quickly trying to solve a problem, the more money you spend.”
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, Huffpost, & Apartment Therapy.