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10 Areas for Wedding Savings!
A wedding budget is definitely an essential to planning your wedding. In fact, it should be one of the very first things you do. You can have a beautiful wedding without exceeding your budget if you do some research and are a smart planner! Here is a wedding budget worksheet for you to use.
Areas Where You Can Save...
1. Guest List: Each time a name is added to your guest list, you are increasing the cost of your wedding significantly. Each guest will add to the budget; catering, food, rentals, table centerpieces, invitations, postage, etc. Don't invite anyone you haven't spoken to in five years. Avoid feeling pressured to invite all your work colleagues. You can also decide to include categories such as relatives more distant than first cousins. This will also help to avoid hurt feelings.
2. Invitations: It is not necessary to use engraved invitations. There are many choices today to find invitations that will fit into your budget. Regular printed invites work just as well. For a casual wedding, you can consider printing your own invites from your home computer. Stationery stores now offer printed paper meant to be used at home as wedding invitations. Also, along these same lines, Save-the-Dates, though a popular item these days can definitely add extra costs. They can be a nice touch if you are planning a destination wedding but not a necessity. There are a variety of wedding invitations available on the internet as well. Find out more information about the many different types of invitations available on our Wedding Invitations blog.
3. Ceremony Decorations: For church weddings, consider having your wedding close to a holiday. The church will already be decorated saving money on flowers and other decorations. Other ways to save money is to look for simplicity. A candlelit ceremony can be romantic, gorgeous and inexpensive. Or use large ferns or greener instead of floral decorations. If there is a nursery you use in your area, they may be willing to rent ferns/plants at a discounted cost which could save on costs compared to purchasing the plants. Other ideas for saving money on decorations is to use a beautiful park, college campus or other lovely outdoor site. You would need to check on regulations for holding your ceremony but this could save on flowers and other decorations. My nephew and his wife chose the campus of the college that they had both attended. It made a lovely backdrop for their wedding and held very special memories for both of them as well as their familes.
4. Catering: Be honest with your caterer on your wedding budget. Ask them to provide different menu options for you to chose from for your reception that fit within your budget. The time of day for your reception will also affect your catering costs. If your reception is held at a regular meal hour, you will be expected to provide a heavier meal. If not, it is very acceptable to go with a lighter menu. In such case, a light buffet would be less expensive than a full meal. If you are planning on serving alcohol, ask the venue and/or caterer if you are allowed to purchase your own. You can also serve beer and wine rather than a full bar. Go to our Wedding Reception blog to find other types of receptions that also offers other money saving ideas.
5. Wedding Cake: Wedding cakes are anywhere from $2-$10 per slice. So one way to save money, if you are having more than 100 guests, ask for a display cake that will serve 75-100 guests. Then buy several different flavored cakes at a local bakery or from an individual to display. Or you can also use a sheet cake in the back of the reception area to feed the extra guests. With either choice, the guests will enjoy the sweet treat and there is still a wedding cake on display. There are also other non-tradional wedding cake ideas you may prefer to use instead of the traditional wedding cake that could be money savers. Also, if you are inviting less than 100 guests it is not necessary to order a large cake because it will look more impressive. If height is a priority, consider using separator sets so flowers or decorations can be added between the layers. You can find other cake ideas on our blog. At the last wedding we coordinated, the bride's aunt provided the wedding cake. In fact she had also made wedding cakes for all the other members of her family for their weddings. This was a great gift and saved the couple a lot of money.
6. Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: Remember each wedding attendant in your wedding adds additional costs. Even if you are not paying for the wedding party's attire, each attendant requires a bouquet or boutonniere, a thank you gift, and an invitation to the rehearsal dinner and other parties. With each attendant, you are adding additional expenses to your wedding. You can consider giving friends and loved ones different roles in your wedding. Ask them to read during the ceremony or give them a special role at the reception.
7. Help from Others: Think of a musician you know or a crafty friend who could help with some of the decorations. They will usually be honored to be a part of your special day. Look for money saving tips everywhere. Check websites such as www.wedfrugal.com and www.frugalbride.com. Ask friends and family ideas of how they saved money on their big day.
8. Flowers: Since flowers will need to be used for certain parts of your wedding such as bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, decorations, be sure to choose flowers that are in season to save on costs. If there is a certain color of flower you have in mind, discuss with the florist your options. Then choose the one that fits within your budget. It will still be beautiful, fit with your wedding style and colors, but it will not put you over your budget. You can also consider buying wholesale flowers. If you do, be careful because they may not be as fresh as from a local florist. You will also need to be able to put the flowers together or know of a friend or family member who is adept with this task and is willing to help.
9. Favors: Wedding favors can be a thoughtful way of saying thank you to your guests but chose wisely. They can be a nice touch but not a necessity or a requirement for your wedding. If you do decide to have favors, a nice idea is to make a donation to a charity or give food favors or a small keepsake from the city where you live or where the wedding is taking place. We have also coordinated weddings where the photographer offered with their package wallet size photos of the bridal portrait that were used as favors. Whatever favor you decide to give, be careful on the spending and make them something that has a meaning to you.
10. Mementos: The wedding industry loves to sell you items promising they will be necessary keepsakes. Having some mementos of your big day is a good thing, but you don't need many. It can easily hurt your budget if you go overboard. A wedding album and perhaps perserving your wedding dress are nice mementos. But do you really need a personalized pen to sign a guest book? And not every toasting glass, picture frame, guest book, and photo album needs to be monogrammed if it doesn't fit within your budget.
Spending less on your wedding and staying within your budget does not mean that you will not be able to have the wedding of your dreams. Chose the elements that are the most important to you as a couple to have for your wedding. Decide to spend on those areas and find ways to cut costs in other areas. Remember deciding on a budget before planning your wedding will help you save money in the long run.
I hope this money saving blog has helped with your wedding planning. If you have any comments or additional money saving tips, please post below to assist others with their big day!
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