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Step 1
Have a smaller wedding; you don’t have to invite every single person you’ve met in the past seven years. Keeping your nuptials small and intimate will not only drastically reduce your costs but may be more enjoyable and relaxing for the bride and groom.
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Step 2
Avoid the high season if possible. Most couples get married between May and October so if you can have your wedding during the off season, you’ll save across the board, from the venue to catering costs to the photographer and more.
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Step 3
If you’re looking for a setting with a more casual ambiance, why not have the wedding in a backyard or a cheap (or even free) outdoor location? You’ll save a significant amount of money in just venue costs plus get a natural, picturesque backdrop for your wedding.
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Step 4
Reduce spending on flowers by cutting back on ceremony and reception flowers, not your bridal bouquet, which will be in all the pictures. You can also cut costs on flowers by using blooms that are in season and locally grown. Also, give your florist a color scheme to work with, not necessarily specific flowers; this will allow them flexibility to choose the most affordable blooms.
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Step 5
Do you really need a wedding cake that feeds 200 guests? Opt for a smaller, tiered version of the wedding cake you want and serve guests pieces of sheet cake.
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Step 6
Since reception halls and other venues charge the highest fees at night on the weekends, virtually any other time is guaranteed to be a bargain. Why not opt for a stylish luncheon or Sunday brunch? If you have relatively few guests from out-of-town, consider getting married Monday through Thursday.
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Step 7
Think twice before spending hundreds of dollars on over-the-top invitations. Skip the invitation liner, separate enclosure cards, and multiple sheets. It may seem like just a few cents savings per invitation, but it can really add up when you consider how many invitations you will be sending out. Also, choosing invitations that fit into standard envelopes (i.e. not square invites) will help you save on postage.
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Step 8
Compare the cost of a sit-down dinner with that of a buffet to find out which is the most economical; sit-down dinners require more servers so you may have to pay for additional labor but buffets require far more food. You may want to consider serving gourmet versions of your favorite comfort food – think barbecue, lasagna, or macaroni and cheese. You can also serve food family style (platters of food shared by the whole table) to cut costs.
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Step 9
Shop sample sales! You can score a beautiful designer wedding dress for literally hundreds less. Designer sample sales are most typically held during the summer and winter months.
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Step 10
Hard liquor and mixed drinks can make your costs skyrocket. So stick to wine, beer, and one or two signature drinks selected by you and your fiancé. You also don’t have to have an open bar all night; limit bar time by having a cocktail hour, followed by dinner served with a few select drinks. You can save even more on your alcohol tab by toasting with white wine instead of expensive bubbly.
