Surprising Things Married Couples Confess Were the Biggest Wedding Wastes of Money
Let’s face it: Weddings are expensive. With the average American wedding costing upwards of $25,000 and a wedding planning industry designed to take advantage of people’s ideas of what “dream” weddings should be, it’s easy to blow past your budget during the planning process quickly.
Biggest Wastes of Money at a Wedding
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Recently, brides and grooms met in an online discussion board to reveal everything that was a complete waste of money at their weddings. Read on for their top picks. Do you agree?
1. Party Favors
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According to countless brides and grooms, ensuring guests leave with party favors is unnecessary and a waste of time and energy. Whether you think custom matchbooks, pens, candy, shot glasses, or goodie bags are a good idea is irrelevant because most guests forget to grab them before they leave anyway!
2. Fancy Centerpieces
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When it comes to centerpieces, don’t feel pressure to go all-out with the fanciest ones you can think of for your wedding tables. “So pointless, but you have to have them for some reason,” one bride confesses.
“Hubby and I were fine with spending on a nice venue, good food and wine, and things people actually enjoy, but we went bare minimum for centerpieces. Seriously, has anyone ever left a wedding thinking, ‘Wow, those centerpieces were really something!'” I can answer this rhetorical question: No. No, they have not.
3. Formal Plated Meals
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Resist the urge to serve plated meals when planning your wedding. Trust me, guests worldwide are sick of the same bland, lukewarm salmon, filet mignon, and short rib dishes. Don’t be afraid to get creative; one of the most memorable weddings I ever attended had a taco bar. I can’t imagine how much money the happy couple saved by serving dinner this way.
4. An Ice Sculpture
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Not only are ice sculptures arguably the most pretentious thing a soon-to-be-married couple can have at their wedding, but they’re also illogical for one reason: They melt. Unless you plan to have your dream wedding in the dead of winter, any ice sculpture you bring to your wedding will be a melty mess within just a few hours.
5. Flowers
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While nobody denies that flowers are an essential part of any wedding, most couples experience sticker shock when they see how much they cost! However, one bride has a solution: To save money on flowers, consider marrying in a botanical garden.
6. A Harpist
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You don’t need to be a wedding planning expert to know that hiring a professional harpist is a waste of money. Nevertheless, I was shocked at how many brides and grooms admitted they paid big money for this needless amenity. Here’s a tip: Men, if you want to impress your wife (and save money) on your wedding day, learn how to play the harp yourself!
7. Hiring an Inexperienced Photographer
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We can all agree that a quality professional photographer should not be one of those things you can cut costs on for a wedding! “Our photographer sucked,” says one woman. “After the first year of marriage, I never looked at the pictures again.” I guarantee she left that exact review on her photographer’s Yelp page.
8. Too Many Cupcakes
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While you may not feel like there’s such a thing as “too many cupcakes,” one bride found out the hard way that there is. “I got white cupcakes from the grocery store instead of a cake,” she recalls.
“My husband insisted on having at least two for each guest. I told him most people wouldn’t even eat one. Ended up throwing a ton of cupcakes away the next day. Still cheaper than a wedding cake.” This is an essential lesson for everyone.
9. Inviting Too Many People
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I get it: A wedding is the party of a lifetime, and the more people who celebrate it with you, the better. However, nearly all married couples confess that they wish they invited far fewer people to their weddings, as it quickly became cost-prohibitive.
10. Over-the-Top Invitations
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In 2023, it’s surprising that the wedding invitation industry is still going strong. I welcome an electronic invitation where I can immediately RSVP and keep my refrigerator invitation-free! Countless couples can’t believe how expensive professional invitations are, making switching to electronic invitations an easy way to shave a few dollars off the wedding cost.
This story was inspired by Reddit and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Budget Savvy Bride.
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