So, you've been engaged for a little while and you're now ready to get into the planning stage of your wedding. Before going through your numbers and the stress starts to set in, be sure to read these tips on simple ways to save up to thousands of dollars on your wedding!
1. Keep the guest list small- This is crucial and one of the BIGGEST ways to save money on your wedding. The majority of your wedding expense is going to be food and drinks for your guests and when you're paying per person, you may want to rethink inviting that one person... that you kinda know... but haven't seen or talked to in years....
2. Book in advance- Sometimes opting for a long engagement can be better for your budget. Wedding vendors usually gradually increase their prices each year and if you book your vendors in advanced, you'll usually be offered their current prices as opposed waiting until later to book and paying more. I am currently booking weddings at my 2016 pricing until January 8th, 2017 (you could save up to $400 on your wedding package). Click here to contact me for more information on my packages and pricing!
3. Get married on an off day or off season- Most venues will offer a discount on off days, meaning any day but Saturday (the most popular day to get married) or a discount for off season weddings, usually meaning any wedding in the months of December-April. Be sure to ask your wedding venue if they do offer any of these discounts, sometimes they won't tell you right off the bat.
4. DIY as much as possible- Are you a crafty person? Even if you're not, recruit your bridesmaid and start some DIY projects! You can save A LOT of money just by DIY-ing as much as possible; from your centerpieces, card box, favors (see #7), flower girl basket, you name it! Pinterest is a great resource for some really cute and easy DIY wedding projects. Also, save coupons for craft store such as Michaels & JoAnn Fabrics. They are always coming out with weekly coupons; you can slowly start to accumulate materials for your DIY projects each week.
5. Go to a sample sale for your dress- Call your local wedding dress shops to see if they have a sample sale and when it will be. I got my wedding dress for HALF OFF the original price from a sample sale at a local dress boutique and its my DREAM DRESS (not to mention it's brand new!). Don't believe all of the bad hype around sample sales (like, "Ew, I don't want a dress that other people have tried on"). Most likely these dresses have only been tried on a handful of times and if you're getting it from a reputable boutique, it will still be in pristine condition.
6. Go for wholesale flowers- Flowers can be very big expense on your wedding day. If you don't have it in your budget to go through a florist, but have your heart set on fresh flowers, you can still have them! If you order your flowers wholesale you will only be paying about a fraction of the cost that you would for a florist. Yes, it'll be more work, as you'll be making all of the bouquets and boutonnieres yourself (again, what are bridesmaids for?) but if it comes down to fake flowers or wholesale fresh flowers, I say wholesale is the way to go! There are many different websites for ordering your flowers wholesale including Global Rose and Fifty Flowers (I do not have experience with either company, check google for reviews). Tip: Choose flowers that are in season on your wedding date, they'll usually be priced lower. (Note: I'm not discrediting florists in any way. I highly recommend going with a professional florist, this tip is just for last resort)
7. Skip the corny wedding favors- You know what kind of favors I'm talking about, we've all gotten them... a personalized tin of generic stale mints... a keychain with your date on it... I'm sorry but what are people really going to do with these things, besides lose them in the bottom of their purse? Instead of wasting money on these corny unwanted wedding favors, why not opt for something that will attribute to your wedding. For example, you could have a dessert bar, with take home boxes, so guests can take their favorite sweet treat home with them. Not only are you killing two birds with one stone but most guests are too full after dinner to eat dessert anyway. So, instead of wasting your cake, it can double as your favor! (and I mean come on, who doesn't love a cupcake bar?!)
8. Reach out to friends and family- Does your great Aunt Sally bake great cakes? Does your cousin Jeff do some DJ'ing for fun? Get creative and reach out to friends and family. Most of your friends and family will be happy to contribute in some way, even if it's just by helping to set up on the day of!
Photos Copyright © 2017 Rebecca Sheets Photography
