How to Cut Wedding Costs without Sacrificing Luxury

Trying to cut wedding costs but have recurring nightmares of guests munching on limp lettuce and chewy chicken? Try these easy (and discreet) tricks to cut costs without scrimping on all the lavish details.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. The wedding photography is one place most experts will tell you not to scrimp but it definitely takes a huge chunk of your overall budget. To ensure you get the beautiful photos you deserve without blowing your entire budget, hire the best wedding photographer you can afford and skip the prints and albums until you can afford them later. Paying for the skill and talent of a reputable wedding photographer is well worth the cost.

2. Consider getting married in the middle of the week (Monday through Thursday). Venues typically charge the highest fees on weekend evenings; getting married anytime in the middle of the week is guaranteed to be a bargain in comparison.

3. In the same vein, avoid getting married during busy holiday times during the year (e.g. Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc.). Vendors tend to charge more during holidays, so flowers, limos, and everything in between could potentially cost you far more.

4. Are guests really going to know which flowers are in season and which ones aren’t? For cheaper yet just as lovely flower arrangements, use in-season, locally-grown blooms accented with more greens.

5. If your heart is set on a (pricey) beautiful wedding cake, opt for a smaller version and have less expensive sheet cake cut in the back and served to guests – they’ll never know the difference.

6. Think twice before spending hundreds of dollars on elaborate, six-piece invitations. Omit the invitation liner and separate enclosure cards. If you can keep the invitation to a single sheet, you’ll save lots on both paper costs and postage.

7. Consider having a cocktail hour or elegant champagne toast instead of having an open bar all night. You can also stick to just beers and wines plus one or two signature cocktails chosen by you and your fiancé.

8. Price out both buffets and sit-down dinners with your caterer - the cost can vary. Sit-down dinners require more staff to serve, however buffets require more food.

Resources

• Salt Lake wedding photography

[flor2729]

on 10/31/2009 excellent article and awesome tips to save on a wedding.