How to Make Your Big Wedding Dreams Come True on a Smaller Budget

Many brides begin envisioning their wedding day well before they are engaged. Some brides are excited about having a small, intimate wedding, but you may have grand dreams about hosting a huge event. A big wedding often comes with a huge price tag, and you may be worried about executing your dreams on a shoestring budget. While you will need a reasonable budget to host a large event, you may be able to save a substantial amount of money by following a few tips.

Choose an Affordable Venue

One of the most significant aspects of a wedding budget is the venue. The most important aspect of a venue is its size. It should be large enough to accommodate the size of your event. You also want a venue that has a suitable style or ambiance for the event that you are planning. Even when you take these factors into consideration, there may be numerous venues in your area that are suitable for your plans. It may be helpful to be flexible about your event date so that you can book the most affordable venue available.

Find Affordable Catering Options

Serving drinks and food at a wedding reception is common and may be expected by your guests. However, there are many ways to accomplish this on a dime. For example, you may book event venue fine dining services for lunch rather than a more expensive dinner. Hosting a mid-afternoon reception and offering snacks rather than a full meal is another idea. A cash bar takes the expense of alcoholic drinks off of your shoulders for additional savings.

Make Your Own Decorations

Another way to keep the cost of a big wedding manageable is to make your own wedding decorations. This may include using silk floral arrangements rather than fresh flowers. You can also stretch your dollar by investing in ribbons, bows, and lace to decorate tables, chairs, pews and other areas. This may be much more affordable than hiring a floral company or another professional to do the work for you because it eliminates their surcharge or profit from the scenario.

While these tips may require more planning and effort, they are effective ways to potentially shave thousands of dollars off of your total wedding bill. You may also be able to scale down your guest list and make other modest changes to your plans and efforts to save even more money. Remember that you may be able to get an installment loan to pay for some of your wedding expenses if needed.