25 Smart Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding
Although the wedding is surely one of the most beautiful days in every person's life, you can agree with us when we say it's also one of the most priciest. Newlyweds often realize that when they start working on a list of things they want for that special day. The venue alone can break the budget, and there are a lot more things to consider when planning your special day. We have decided to help you and listed 25 tips on how to have your dream wedding without taking a loan from the bank.
Shine in our new wedding dress collection.
1.CHOOSE SEASONAL FLOWERS
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Buying seasonal flowers are one of the best ways to save your money. Your bill could be reduced by hundreds of dollars. Talk to your florist what flowers works best at what time of year, because if you pick an out-of-season flowers you could end up overpaying it.
For example, let's take peonies. At the peak of the season (between the months of April and June) they can cost you around $7 per stem, but off season the price per stem can cost from $10 to up to $30.
2. MAKE YOUR OWN FLOWERS
We all know that fresh flowers, sometimes can be really expensive, but you can be creative and make them yourself with coffee filters. Yes, you read it right! Not only they are so beautiful and realistic, they will last forever, and best of all, save your wallet.
We found amazing step by step tutorial by Two Shades Of Pink. It's by far the easiest and the quickest way to create the most beautiful and realistic coffee filter flowers. Check out the tutorial here!
Coffee filter flowers Two Shades Of Pink>
3. DON'T GET MARRIED IN THE SUMMER AND SKIP THE SATURDAY WEDDING
Saturday is the most popular day for weddings, but it's also the most expensive one. So it is a best way to skip it and opt for the least popular time. For example, if you opt for a wedding on a Sunday or a weekday you will likely reserve your venue at a much lower price.
Want to save more? Reserve your wedding in winter months, a lot of companies will offer you a discount.
4. CUT DOWN THE GUEST LIST
Wondering who to put and who to leave out the list can be so stressful, but this is the simplest and most effective way of saving your money. It will not only lower down your catering cost, but you will even save on invitations. When you create your guest list, it is best to start with people whom you are close and in regular contact, if you haven't seen or hear someone in a long time, then they probably can't be considered for your guest list.
5. DO YOUR OWN MAKE UP
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Trust us, if Kate Middleton could do it on her own, so can you. Choose the right shade of powder, but without the SPF. Accent your eyes with waterproof mascara (because tears of joy) and round it all up with lipstick. If you're not a red lipstick person, pick one out in a popular nude shade. Don't forget the fixing spray! In case you're not handy or too nervous to do makeup, you surely have a friend with a steady hand to do it for you.
6. EMAIL YOUR WEDDING INVITATIONS
What about sending email wedding invitations? Not only you will save time and your money, you will also save trees. Cool, right? If you think that email wedding invitations can't be a romantic and lovely affair, you are wrong. There are so many online services like Paperless Post, GLO, Evite, that offer gorgeous templates and customization options to create wedding invitation of your dreams. And best of all, you can track who has RSVPd.
7. SINGLE-PAGE INVITES
If the email wedding invitations isn't your thing, get a SINGLE-PAGE INVITES to save on postage. We found beautiful one on Etsy.
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8. OR YOU CAN MAKE THEM YOUR SELF
Here is a great tutorial on how to make your own wedding invitations. Check it out on the blog Create And Babble.
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9. RENT YOUR WEDDING DRESS
Every girl dreams about the perfect wedding dress, but often with that kind of dresses comes not-so-perfect price tag. With a wedding dress rental, you'll be spending a lot less money. Here are some rental sites, where you can find your dream dress:
10. OR BUY PRE-OWNED WEEDING DRESS
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If renting a wedding dress isn't your thing, you can buy a pre-owned wedding dress. Not only it is a great way to stay on budget, but you can get an A-list designer wedding dress with discounts ranging from 25-50% off and more! Great, isn't it?
One of our favorite websites where you can find pre-owned wedding dresses are PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com , OnceWed and NearlyNewlywed.com
11. DIY DECORATIONS
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Decor, decor, decor... nothing without it. A perfect wedding, as pictured by the newlyweds, is always complemented with flowers and other decorative elements. But, you guessed it, decor and decorators are expensive, but don't despair, you can achieve a perfect romantic atmosphere in a few simple, budget - friendly ways.
Opt for seasonal flowers and decorate tables with them, lift the mood up with a lot of candles and fairy lights. If you don't have a lot of vases, mason jars will be great for achieving that boho and rustic look that everyone loves. And if you want it to be more elegant, paint the jars gold to uplift them. If you're having a wedding in the open, decorate the trees with lamps and paper decorations, and put blankets on chairs or benches. Aside from looking really effective, it will offer warmth if the night gets cold.
12. ALCOHOL...
Don't offer endless alcohol options. Limit you bar to wine and beer. You can also bring your own champagne or offer a cocktail that you have created yourself. Your guests will love it!
13. SKIP THE CAKE
Fancy and lavish cakes have always had a special place at weddings. Newlyweds spend weeks, sometimes months searching for the perfect one. Picking out the right baker, taste, size, look and decor is always a long, time - consuming process which also costs a pretty penny. But, have you considered about the alternatives that will excite your guests as much as the cake?
In case you like pancakes, and we honestly don't know anyone that doesn't, you can opt for them. You can even make them into a cake. Donuts are an ideal treat, which is as much, if not more, fun than cake. One of the most favorite desserts in the last couple of years are cupcakes, they are so popular that they are starting to outshine the wedding cakes. Aside from being a modern way to avoid having a cake, it is a money saving solution.
14. WEDDING MENU
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To avoid the huge costs of the wedding dinner, you should take down the 6 course meal first, and then opt for more fun and tastier variations. Barbeque, for example, is a perfect choice. Buffet, along with keeping the food warm and fresh, will give your guests a lot of options, and they can choose what they like and how much they like.
15. HIRE A DJ
Having a band for your wedding is a traditional choice, but if you're looking to save money and not breaking your budget, hiring a DJ is a perfect choice. Because when hiring a band, you have to take into consideration that there are always more than 3 people in it and they have a lot of equipment, which requires a larger space, which in the end requires a larger budget. While hiring a DJ doesn't require that much space and you can be sure that your favorite songs will be played in their original form. And, you can guess, DJ is a lot lower priced option.
16. HIRE THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER TOGETHER
You will probably wish to capture all of your dear wedding moments on video or photos (or both), so we have a few tips to help your budget. First would definitely be to hire a young photographer and cameraman at the start of their careers because they always have lower prices than their more experienced colleagues. Check out their portfolios and give them a shot. If you have friends of acquaintances that are into photography/video, you can give them a chance, and the atmosphere would definitely be more relaxed.
Another interesting idea would be to put disposable cameras on each table and ask your guests to take shots of interesting details from the wedding. This fun idea will not only have your guests entertained, but will surely leave fond memories captured on film forever.
17. MAKE YOUR OWN PHOTO BOOTH
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Create your own photo booth and capture some truly memorable photos from your wedding day. All you need to do is buy a digital Polaroid and get some props on Etsy or Ebay. And we can't forget the backdrop, right? We found amazing step by step tutorial by My Life At Play Time on how make the coolest metallic fringe backdrop in just a few minutes. Full tutorial here!
18. OVERSEAS WEDDING
You have always been a fan of small weddings? So why not to have an overseas one?! We found the perfect location for your dream wedding, the city of the most famous couple Romeo and Juliet – Verona. The best of all, you can tie the knot on the exact balcony where Romeo declared his eternal love to his beloved Juliet.
The costs of this kind of wedding will be invariably lower because of the guest number, and you will save on flowers, decorations, food and everything else.
19. WAIT FOR SALE...
Another great way to save money is buying on sale. Most rental companies have them a few times a year. You can buy things like candles and decorations for a much cheaper rate.
20. GIFTS FOR GUESTS
In the last few years, newlyweds love to thank their guests for coming with a gift. Although those gifts are usually small and symbolic, their prices can be quite the opposite, especially if you have a big wedding.
A perfect way to save money and to thank your guests from the bottom of your heart would be DIY presents, especially if you have a creative side. You can find a lot of ideas on Pinterest, and one the most delightful would be: decorative bags filled with candy, pastry boxes, candles or DIY soaps.
21. BACHELORETTE PARTY
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You can have it in your house with the closest friends. Decorate your home with balloons and prepare your friend's favorite treats. Or, you can have a fun pizza night where you make your own pizzas. Find some really fun bachelorette party games and spend the night laughing in the comfort of your own home. Or you can pick a theme for the party, Hawaii, for example, where you will make flower necklaces and those famous Hawaiian grass string dresses. Pretty fun, right? Make sure to have a lot of cocktails and imagine you're enjoying them on a beach.
22. ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO HELP
Ask your family and friends to help out with anything they can contribute. Maybe one of your friends is a great baker, or an amazing photographer.
23. ONCE THE WEDDING IS OVER, SELL YOUR STUFF....
You can sell anything that is still in good condition, from your centerpieces, arch, to the wedding dress. The best place to sell it is eBay.
24. HAVE A MINI MOON
If the long-haul honeymoon doesn't line up with your budget, mini-moon could be just the break you need. Don't know what mini-moon is? It's a closer to home romantic vacation usually within driving distance or a short flight. Mini-moons are a great way of spending some romantic, quality time together without spending a fortune.
25. OR SET UP A HONEYMOON REGISTRY
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A honeymoon registry is an amazing alternative to traditional registries, that allow guests to donate money to help fund a couple's honeymoon. From paying your accommodation, surfing lessons, excursions or even cocktails.
The most popular honeymoon registry site is Honeyfund. And best of all, it's free.
Have you seen our flower girl collection? With a variety of styles and colors, we are sure you'll find the perfect one!
