10 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding


by Nora Hudson - Date: 2007-03-05 - Word Count: 949 Share This!

Let's face it. Having a Wedding is not cheap. We want to cut corners but we also don't want to serve hot dogs on paper plates (unless of course that's part of your wedding theme). We offer some ideas below on ways you can save up to a few thousand dollars on your wedding that can possibly be used as a down payment towards a new home together. There are so many ways to save money on your wedding. You just have to start thinking about them! We start you off with ten money saving ideas below.

Keep Your Guest List Small
You know who your closest friends and family are and we suggest creating your guest list based these people. Having a small guest list does affect a few factors, however, such as the type of wedding reception you have and the total cost of the reception. If you want a big wedding bash, you may not get that with a small guest list, but you do save on the amount you spend for food and costs for renting out a location with a large reception area.

Serve Your Own Liquor/Alcohol
If you have tables set up, you may want to put a bottle or two of champagne or wine for guests to serve themselves. You may also be able to find an acquaintance who happens to be a bartender to help provide drinks to your guests. What you pay this person will be significantly less than hiring an actual bartender at your reception's location.

Turn Your Dinner Reception into Something Different
Have a wedding reception brunch or cocktail/dessert party will cut your food costs in half (or more). Or if you prefer to have your wedding around dinner time, heavy h'orderves buffet style is an excellent substitution to a dinner plate. Sometimes this option is more filling and guests have a variety of food from which to choose.

Get Married During Non-Traditional Wedding Months, Days and Hours
April through August and December are generally the busiest wedding months. If you decide that you want to get married during the wedding season, try booking ahead of time, up to a year if possible. Saturday is the most common day of the week to have a wedding; you will save money booking your wedding on any other day of the week. Dinner is also the most expensive time during the day to have your wedding reception. Again, depending on the type of wedding you want- all night partying or mid-day tea party and brunch, your choices are limited for times that your reception will take place.

Make Your Own Veil
Creating your own veil will cut your costs by at least $75. Depending on the type of veil you want to wear, with or without a dazzling headpiece, you can save even more. Making your own veil also adds some sentimental value to your wedding. The love of your life will be the one to left the veil(that you personally created) away from your face to give you your first kiss after being married.

Don't Purchase a Customized Wedding Gown
Bridal salons can customize their gowns to your exact shape and size, as well as your choice of wedding dress design and details. This comes with a price tag of course and usually a several thousand dollar price tag. You can save money by going to a warehouse or outlet to look for discontinued dresses or out of season wedding dresses from designers. Even if these gowns do not fit you just right, you can still take your dress to get it custom fitted and you still end up saving thousands of dollars. Another thing to remember is that many salons also have display dresses for sale (sizes are usually smaller) and if you fit in smaller size range, you may find the perfect gown ready to wear.

Limit the Photographer's Time
Save on photographers by hiring them only for certain times of the wedding and maybe only the first hour of the reception. Also, ask if they can provide you with the negatives or a copy of the memory card of the images for a fee. You will save on enlargements instead of going through the photographer to enlarge your wedding photos.

Make Your Own Invitations
This is your chance to show some creativity! Make a night or two or three of it with your husband-to-be or wife-to-be. This is definitely one way to spend some time together and make your invites a little more personal.

Use Artificial Flowers
Use fake flowers for all-over decor and flower girl baskets. Use fresh flowers for your own bouquet. Artificial flowers (especially high quality artificial flowers) can look even more brilliant and colorful than real flowers. You might also be able to find exotic flowers that would cost hundreds to import. Many craft stores like JoAnn or Michaels often have sales and a good variety to choose from. Not only will you save a lot of money, but you can use them afterwards to decorate your home.

Hold Your Reception in Your Parents' Beautiful Backyard (or Yours)
Not only will you save on reception location costs, you'll save on per head charges, cake cutting, food and this list goes on. Not only is this an excellent way to save money but it's an excellent way to make your wedding close and personal. You can invite more friends and family and make it a memorable affair for everyone. Just because it's held in your backyard, you can still have it anytime during the day especially at night. Just make sure you have proper lighting and create the right atmosphere for night-time backyard receptions. We can be very creative with this one idea so look for future articles on backyard weddings.

Related Tags: weddings, wedding favors, wedding ideas, wedding blog

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