Staying within your budget is one of the most difficult and important aspects of planning and executing your wedding. It’s so easy to get caught up in the moment and say ‘yes’ to everything and then when the credit card bills come a month later you scream ‘no!’ but of course it’s too late by then (probably You won’t have much luck coming back to a melted ice sculpture and a half-eaten shrimp cocktail!). With careful planning and a little self-discipline, you can have the wedding of your dreams without draining your savings account or draining your credit cards. Before you mortgage your future, read these helpful tips on how to stay within your budget.
1. Venue: Be practical in your choice of venue. There is no need to have your wedding in a glass palace or cathedral. A flashy venue will take up most of your budget, but it doesn’t have to be. A sensible venue filled with good people is all you need for a successful wedding.
Tip: Combine your wedding venue and reception venue to eliminate the cost of reserving two separate venues.
2. Reduce your guest list. Smaller venue, less food costs, less alcohol consumption, less drama! Imagine that your first attempt at a guest list is the normal party and you have to choose 60 people to be on the VIP list. Selecting only the most important people in your life will drastically reduce costs and also make your wedding ceremony cozy and intimate.
3. Do it yourself! Ever wonder why DIY invitations, favors, and decorations have become so popular recently? Because they are cheaper! Recruit help and get to work. Call it a shower or call it an arts and crafts party; you’d be surprised how much you can get done in an afternoon with a few helpful friends by your side.
4. Cut the cake! Serve a savory two-layer cake instead of a three- or four-layer cake. Even cupcakes could be a creative and inexpensive alternative to the conventional wedding cake experience, which tends to be overkill and unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. The important thing is that funny photo of you smashing a piece of cake into the unsuspecting face of your new husband – the quality of the cake used has no effect on the resulting photo.
5. Candlelight. Replace expensive centerpieces and floral decorations with candles, which are less expensive and also add to the ambience with mood lighting. If you like the fragrance of sweet-smelling flowers, scented candles are also a great option.
6. Cider toast. The most important part of any toast is the words that are spoken, not the brand of champagne in the glasses. An entire table can share a $2 bottle of sparkling cider as easily as they can share a $30 bottle of champagne. If you insist on having real bubbly for your guests, buy reasonably priced champagne at wholesale prices and don’t serve it until it’s time to toast; so you only need to buy one bottle per table.
7. Skip the limo. Instead of riding in an expensive rented limousine, borrow a friend’s luxury sedan or SUV (ie Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, Lincoln Navigator, Hummer) and cut your transportation costs to nothing. Return the car with a full tank of gas as a thank you and voila.
8. Double-duty favors. Instead of buying wedding favors, save-the-date cards, and reception table holders separately, buy one item that can serve as all three! Magnetic backed mini photo frames are perfect multi-function items that will save you time, money and energy.
9. Haggle with your vendors! Most wedding vendors anticipate some negotiation and have a little wiggle room built into the price they originally quote. Instead of going straight out and asking for a cheaper price, offer something in return. Most sellers will be happy to receive 10 or 15% in exchange for a prompt cash payment.
Keep these tips in mind as you plan your wedding and use any money you save for a down payment on your new home or a luxurious honeymoon vacation.