Weddings can be expensive, but they don’t have to be! Believe it or not, there are small ways you can cut costs while planning without sacrificing style or aesthetic on your wedding day.
As a wedding photographer of 10 years, I’ve seen many couples choose budget-friendly options without sacrificing the parts of the wedding day that are most important to them.
Believe it or not… I photograph a lot of budget-friendly wedding days. When I was first getting started in wedding photography, I heard a big name photographer in the wedding industry mention that a good photographer can make a budget-friendly wedding look like a savvy soiree… and really, it’s true! If you invest your budget in the right places and in the right vendors, you can still have a beautiful wedding day without spending more than you want to!
So, without further ado, today I’m sharing some of the top ways I’ve seen my couples save $$$ while planning their wedding days!
1. Skip the matching PJ’s and robes.
These are definitely cute, but the cost for these can add up quickly!
2. Skip the boutonnieres.
Or, have your husband-to-be be the only one to wear one. Boutonnieres are nice, but not necessary, especially for groomsmen.
3. Go BIG for your bridal bouquet, but choose smaller bridesmaid bouquets.
Bridesmaid bouquets don’t have to be huge to add to your bridal party photos visually! Focus more on the bridal bouquet, which will be in more photos.
4. Instead of programs for the ceremony, use a big sign at the ceremony entrance.
One less thing to have to print! You can even thrift a mirror or piece of glass and write the program on there yourself. Most people throw these out anyways!
5. Instead of escort cards at the reception, use a large sign at the reception entrance to direct guests to their seats.
Escort cards are another small item that just get thrown away. Consider a large sign instead.
6. Choose a venue that only allows a certain number of guests (that way, you have to stick to it!)
If you choose a venue that only allows a certain number of guests, you have to stick to that number. Which means less meals to pay for than a venue that allows basically an unlimited number of guests!
7. Consider doing ALL of your wedding day festivities (getting ready, ceremony, photos, reception) at the same location.
This will MAJORLY cut transportation costs. Bonus points if guests from out of town can walk to your venue from their hotel, or if the hotel provides free transportation for guests to the venue! Also, investing in a limo/party bus for the bridal party to ride from place to place in can be a big expense.
8. Consider getting married in the “off season.”
If you’re in a state that has super cold winters or super hot summers, consider getting married during that timeframe where people don’t really want to leave their houses. You might be able to get some discounts from your vendors for having an off-season wedding.
9. Consider getting married on a week day.
You know what’s great for a wedding vendor? Getting to work during a week day! We work a lot of weekends, so when someone comes along and wants to get married on a random Tuesday, we are ALL FOR IT! For us, that means one more Saturday that we get to spend with our friends & family!
10. Have your guests RSVP via a wedding website.
Guests RSVP-ing online means = one less envelope, card, and stamp to include in your invitation suite!
11. Don’t wait until last minute for dress alterations.
Alterations can be expensive as is, but when you’re trying to get them done last minute? They can be even more expensive! Try to plan out your alterations in advance with enough time so your seamstress doesn’t have to charge a rush fee.
12. Ask your florist what flowers are in season during your wedding, and go with those.
Did you know that it costs more money to get flowers that are out of season than those that are in season? Tell your florist your vision if you have one, and then try to make that vision happen with flowers that are in season.
13. Borrow jewelry, hair pieces, shoes, and even your veil from a friend or family member.
Not only will this save you money, but it will make everything you’re wearing on your wedding day a bit more sentimental!
14. Consider going for a smaller cake, and having friends & family contribute cookies and other small desserts for a big dessert spread for guests!
If you happen to be from Pittsburgh, you know that we go BIG with cookie tables - so getting a small cake for you and your spouse to cut, then serving cookies and cupcakes to guests, can be a great way to go!
15. Skip the favors. Or, make it something simple (like taking home cookies from the cookie table!)
Favors can be hit or miss - if they’re not something people will actually use, they’ll usually just get left behind or thrown out anyways. Unless you live in Pittsburgh and make your favors boxes of cookies from your cookie table ;)
16. Choose your top three most important vendors to spend on, and go cheaper on the rest.
If you’re on a budget, you can’t spend big on everything - but you can certainly choose parts of the wedding day that are most important to you and spend on those! For me when I got married, we went bigger on the venue, photographer (surprise surprise! ;) ), and food. With everything else, we did the best we could, and did what we could!
17. When choosing packages from wedding vendors, start with a lower package, then upgrade later if necessary.
This is advice I actually give to my own couples that book with me! Sometimes, my couples aren’t sure if they need 8 hours or 10 hours of coverage, if they want an engagement session or not, or if they want an album or not. So I always tell them - go for the cheaper one, and upgrade later if you decide you need more coverage, want an engagement session, or want an album! That way, you’re spending less to begin with and can add on as-needed.
18. Have a lower-key rehearsal dinner.
This is another one that we used for our wedding day - we catered Chipotle for our rehearsal dinner and ate it at our church instead of eating out at a fancy restaurant or venue! The food was actually a huge hit with all of our families and bridal party!
19. Limit alcohol.
This one may not be for everyone… but it certainly does work! Limit the types of alcohol you serve on your wedding day to save a little bit of extra money.
20. Nix “wedding welcome” packages for guests.
I know, I know… but these are so fun and sweet! Wedding welcome packages often include small gifts and souvenirs from the town/city/area where the wedding is taking place.
These are always so cute, but are they completely necessary? Maybe for you, they’re a must have! But if you’re willing to part wit them, consider trying to go a more cost effective route. Consider writing your guests hand-written notes instead, paired with a small guide for things to do and places to see while they’re in town!
Is there anything else you would add to this list? Feel free to let me know in the comment section below!
