How to cut 27K from your wedding expenses and
still make it the party of the year
Weddings
are infamous for the price tag that is attached to them. A lot of the cost is
dependent on what the wedding industry sprinkles into your mind with magazines
and advertising to make you think you need all of these things to have the
perfect day. But if you take a step back and break down what you really want,
you can easily find ways to plan the party of a lifetime without spending
thousands of dollars that you, or your family, don’t really have.
1. Abbreviate your cocktail hour
Instead
of splurging on passed apps, cut cocktail hour down from an hour to 30 minutes
and only offer one or two things for guests to munch on. You can even cut down
on the alcohol options here so that you’re not paying for an extra hour of open
bar.
Approximate
savings: $2,500
2. Skip the pre-wedding parties
It
may not seem like an obvious, but paying for an engagement party and even
sometimes your own bridal shower is something you’ll need to add to your
wedding budget. These parties alone can be a few thousand bucks, so skip them
and pour that extra cash into your big night.
Approximate
savings: $3,200
3. Don’t use wedding vendors
Vendors
always seem to charge more when they know they are providing a service for a
wedding. So instead of searching for wedding DJ’s or photographers, just look
up vendors in generals who work all different kinds of parties.
Approximate
savings: $1,500
4. Browse the clearance racks
It
may seem like a dream to spot your wedding dress on the rack of some tiny
designer boutique store in a fancy city like Paris or New York. But you can
save a ton of cash if you buy your dress from a wedding dress sample sale or
even buy it used. You’ll be wearing the thing for only eight hours, so it’s OK
to get something that’s second-hand.
Approximate
savings: $2,500
5. Go digital
Paper
will cost you a lot of paper! So shake your head at doing traditional wedding
save-the-dates and invitations that you stick in the mail and instead go
digital. Create your invites online and send them via email. You’ll save your
guests paper cuts and you’ll save your money so you can use it on more
important things, like a week-long honeymoon to Thailand.
Approximate
savings: $2,000
6. Never say "yes" right away
Even
if you find yourself sitting in front of a vendor who promises you they’ll help
make your wedding one for the record books, never sign on the dotted line until
you negotiate. Look over the contract and make sure everything you want is
included in the price and then bargain with them to get them to shave off a
couple of hundred or even a thousand bucks if you can.
Approximate
savings: $1,500
7. Skip the frills
Trust
me, nobody remembers what you had custom-printed on your napkins or whether or
how many different kinds of flowers you used for your centerpieces. So skip the
expensive frills and small details and splurge on what matters the most — good
food and music.
Approximate
savings: $450
8. Swap the flowers for something else
Flowers
are a waste, and an expensive one at that. Instead of using them for bouquets
and centerpieces, go with something more creative or homemade that you can pull
off with a trip or two to the craft store — and of course, a step-by-step
manual from Pinterest.
Approximate
savings: $4,200
9. Close your open bar
Not
for the whole night. No way! Keep it open for most of the night. But don’t pay
for an open bar for the last few hours of your reception. By then, most people
will have had enough to drink and if they want more, they can shell out their
own cash to pay for it. Limit the number of hours the bar is open, and you’ll
save big.
Approximate
savings: $1,150
10. Pick an off-season date
Get
married on a Friday or Sunday or during an off-season month at your venue or in
your city. Picking a popular date to get married will up your costs for not
only your venue, but also every single vendor you try to book.
Approximate
savings: $8,000
Numbers are based on average costs in wedding
contracts I've seen and dealt with.
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