Wedding Planning Money-Saving Tips!
Planning a wedding and looking to save money? Here are a few tips that can help you save big when planning your big day.
Budget & Plan Ahead
Once you’re engaged, it’s important (actually, vital!) to sit down as a couple to discuss your budget for your big day. Decide on a number that works for you, how much time you need to plan and save for that budget, and choose the types of vendors you want for wedding day. It’s not unusual for couples to book 1.5 to 2 years out from the day they got engaged because it will take them some time to save up for it. And that’s not a bad thing! Why rush it when you don’t need to? The last thing you want is to figure out you wanted something for wedding day but didn’t budget for it. Planning ahead is key!
Book a Friday or Sunday Wedding
Many venues offer deep discounts for booking a Friday or Sunday wedding. If you are not stuck on having a Saturday wedding, this could work to your advantage! You may need to work around a few things such as traffic on the roads at or around the start time of your wedding, schedules of guests coming from out of town, and room block rates at local hotels. But if you plan ahead, these should not dampen having a Sunday wedding at all!
Re-purpose Florals
I love this tip! Flowers are one of those things that make or break a couple’s budget, and it’s understandable why! One way to save your budget is to re-purpose florals from the ceremony to the reception. Many couples will reuse the large arrangement from their Ceremony Arch onto their Sweetheart Table in the Reception. Another way to re-purpose florals is to use one of your bridesmaids bouquets as the Toss Bouquet instead of purchasing a separate toss bouquet. Also, the other bridesmaid bouquets can be used as decor at other tables such as dessert table, cake table, seating chart/escort card table display, and more. The possibilities are endless with this tip!
DIY (Sparingly!)
Now, I am a big fan of DIY. In the right scenarios and when done the right way it can be a great way to save money. You can DIY parts of decor such as table numbers and escort cards, special tables such as Dessert and Candy stations, and a wide array of other parts of the wedding. However, when it comes to items such as large floral arrangements, wedding cake, and other major parts of the wedding, I would highly advise to hire a professional. It is simply not feasible (nor time and/or money saving) to do these on your own because of the nature of these items requires them to be fresh and/or be secured.
Borrowing Accessories (instead of purchasing)
Who says you can’t borrow a few things for wedding day? I am all for this! What to borrow exactly may vary from person to person based on your preference. But if purchasing accessories and having unique and brand-new things isn’t important to you, borrowing items such as a wedding veil, wedding jewelry, and other accessories is a great idea!
Hire a Wedding Planner
This may be the best money-saving tip for planning a wedding. Hiring a wedding planner can help you save a ton! Wedding planners many times have access to great deals and savings within their vendor network. Some even have complimentary rentals available, in-house printing and so much more (we do!).
Save money (and time!) and contact us today to schedule your consultation. Let us help you bring your dream wedding to life!