13 Brilliant Ways to Trim Wedding Expenses
Love may be priceless, but weddings can come with a hefty price tag. The costs can quickly add up from the venue to the dress to the catering. In fact, the average wedding budget in the United States hovers around $30,000!
Tying the Knot without Breaking the Bank
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If you’re looking for ways to keep your wedding costs in check, you’re in luck! Here are ten ingenious ways to save on your special day without sacrificing the magic and excitement.
1. Nix The Saturday Wedding Date
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Saturdays are for weddings. Well, that’s the usual thing, but yours doesn’t have to be. You can go offbeat by reserving a venue any day between Sunday and Friday.
Booking a wedding on a Saturday is usually in high demand because it spares guests from having to take the day off from work and gives guests the following Sunday off to unwind after a night of partying. So making reservations during off-peak periods will save you some money.
2. Make a Faux Cake
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The customary route to a wedding cake can set you back a staggering $500 on average. However, a savvy solution to trim a few hundred dollars off your budget without compromising on the grandeur of your cake is to request a talented baker to create adorned foam tiers that resemble a large wedding cake. And have them make a few sheet cakes for your guests to eat.
3. Talented Friends Can Help
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Couples with talented friends and family members can use their extensive network instead of paying expensive vendors. Including them in planning your wedding not only helps you save money but also makes the occasion more personal and memorable.
By all means, you can request to use a friend’s posh vehicle, and if he agrees, he can also serve as your chauffeur for the day. Friendors may also help with filming and photography.
4. The Time of The Year Matters
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The cost of wedding halls might vary significantly from season to season. For example, a wedding in the winter may be substantially less expensive than one in the late spring or summer, primarily if you reside in an area with colder winters. Due to high demand, those establishments can charge more during peak seasons, but you can save money by going during off-peak times.
5. Opt For Family-Style Service
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The cost of your wedding dinner may vary depending on the service style. The most costly options are French service and regular plate services. Family-style dining, where everyone shares the food given to the table, can save you money. Choosing affordable foods or ingredients is another savvy hack.
6. Opt for Readily Available Flowers
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Traditional bridal flowers like peonies and lilies of the valley, while still popular, can be challenging to locate and pricey when they’re not in season. Get the florist up to speed on your financial situation before you make any floral purchases, and stick to in-season flowers to manage costs.
7. Repurpose Wedding Flowers
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If there are enough of them, floral arrangements can double as reception centerpieces and decorations for seating charts, guest books, and favor tables. Similarly, you can use the bridesmaids‘ flowers to decorate the dessert table.
8. Use One Venue
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Having your ceremony and reception in the same venue offers certain advantages: logistics for setup may be easier, and guests will not have to travel. Ultimately, it may be a better financial decision.
9. Use Digital Invitations
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Nowadays, couples use digital wedding invitations and budget wedding websites to receive RSVPs, list their wedding registries, and more. Lovely stationery and handwritten notes are nice, but they make wedding invitations pricey.
10. Rent a Wedding Dress
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Renting makes expensive outfits affordable. You’re only borrowing the garment for a night or two; you may be able to wear a high-end designer outfit you’ve always wanted because renting reduces it from a four-figure wedding dress to three.
11. Have a friend officiate the wedding
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Rather than hiring a professional stranger to officiate your wedding, consider asking a friend or relative to perform your ceremony. Imagine how much more personal it will feel to have someone who knows you deeply perform the honor of marrying you and your love?
12. Skip the Wedding Favors
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Wedding favors are often cited as a waste of money by couples and wedding pros alike. Often, they’re left behind or thrown in the trash, so why bother spending your hard-earned money on them?
13. Nix the Limo
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Rather than hiring a limousine to take you and your new spouse away from your reception, you could opt to take a taxi or Uber to save some cash. Alternatively, you could rent a classic car or borrow one from a family member or friend to ride into the sunset in style!
Use these Smart Strategies for Wedding Savings
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These wedding savings secrets are meant to be shared. Send this post to a couple you know who is currently in the midst of wedding planning madness!
This story was inspired by Quora and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Budget Savvy Bride.
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