10 Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding
When people hear the word ‘wedding’ they automatically associate it with the word ‘expensive’. Let’s not be naive, weddings can be costly, but cheap doesn’t always have to mean nasty. Here are some creative ways to reduce your costs and achieve your ideal day.
1. CREATE A BUDGET
Saving money on your wedding begins with a strict, clearly defined budget. Use the following steps to create it.
Set a Hard Maximum – Look at the savings you and your fiancé have collectively and see how much you can actually afford to put towards your wedding. If your parents are contributing as well, add this to your budget and this will create your absolute.
Create a spreadsheet – Generate a list and add up all the expenses you can think of. For costs that are fixed (e.g venue, celebrants, DJ or band) obtain a quote to give you an idea of what you’re in for.
Make Educated Estimates for Other Expenses – This is for elements that are dependent on numbers such as: invitations, food & beverage etc. If you are self catering you will need to estimate how many people you plan to invite to your wedding and then work out the average cost per person. Hot Tip: Always OVER cater! If you’re at a venue your coordinator will be able to provide this for you.
Build a Buffer – There are often little things that come up last minute that you may not have catered for such as: additional decorations and numbers.
Arrive at Your Target Budget – If the sum of all these figures exceed your budget you may need to compromise on what you want to prioritise and that may not be essential to your vision. Alternatively, ask Envision Events to review it for you.
2. COCKTAIL STYLE WEDDING
The beautiful thing about weddings today is that anything goes. Gone are the days when meals were strictly sit down. Of course you can still do this, but communal feasting has topped the tradition. Guests love plates of food being placed on the table in front of them, to share whilst mingling with friends and family. Things to consider when planning a cocktail wedding; scattered seating for guests, ways to entertain guests (garden games, photo booth etc) and decorations. We LOVE this style of wedding and your guests will too!
3. LIMITED GUEST LIST
This is the part our couples find the hardest, choosing who to invite to their special day. Our recommendation is to write a list of all the family and friends you would like to invite if money wasn’t a limitation. Once you and your fiance have done this, start to go through and ask yourself these questions:
Are we CURRENTLY close with this person?
Do we foresee them being in our future?
Hopefully you were able to cut some numbers off your list. Now show this to your parents (if you feel it’s necessary) and ask if they feel you are missing anyone or if they have anyone they feel to invite (generally they would pay for their guests).
4. UTILISE YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY
You’d be surprised how much money you will save if you have any friends and family who are talented & creative and have access to transport (fancy cars) and decorations. My best friend makes stunning cakes and she offered to make our cake. We just covered the cost for the ingredients and it was DELICIOUS! One of our beautiful clients had her mum make the bridesmaids dresses, cake and wedding favours. That’s a lot of responsibility and not every mum can do that, but if you know someone who can help, don’t be afraid to ask. Family and friends are often willing to help the couple prepare for their wedding.
5. AVOID CUSTOMISATION
As soon as you ask a supplier for a customised wedding product they will bump up their prices and I mean BUMP! A good example of this are wedding invitations. If you find a template you like that has already been created then take advantage of it.
6. MID-WEEK WEDDING
Now this one can be controversial but surprisingly not uncommon – a mid-week wedding! Most venues have a cheaper rate for events throughout the week in comparison to a Friday or Saturday night. But what about my guests? You will find that friends & family are able to take the day off work to attend the ceremony with a few months notice.
7. VENUE SELECTION
Choose a venue that has natural beauty and one that does not need a crazy amount of decorations. This will save money on suppliers, manual labour and delivery costs.
8. FLORALS
Wedding flowers are expensive. If you decide on a color scheme for your wedding, you can reduce your floral budget by relying on seasonal, locally available flowers to match it. Some brides can go a little overboard with the amount of florals purchased for their wedding day. Be realistic as to what your budget allows for and what is essential for you. If you don’t want to compromise on the amount of floral arrangements you have, discuss with your florist about how to make your floral vision most affordable.
9. MUSICIANS VS DJ
The two basic wedding entertainment options we recommend are:
Hire a Band ($2,500 plus)
Hire a DJ ($500 – $1,000 spending on experience)
We all love a live band and the atmosphere that comes along with it, but you will find costs associated with a band are much greater than a DJ. The key is choosing the right DJ; something we definitely can do for you. Enquire today to find out our top selections.
10. WEDDING DRESS SALE
The greatest way to save money on your wedding dress is to purchase one on sale and altar accordingly. I saved $2,500 on my wedding dress because I did just that, allowing us to reallocate that money elsewhere. It was everything I wanted and I was ecstatic! Try it out. Visit multiple stores and see how you go.
These are just a few tips for you to save money on your dream wedding. To find out more please enquire with us today!