Top 5 ways to save money on your wedding
If you are reading this post there is a pretty good chance you have said to yourself “why are weddings so expensive”. It’s something I hear from every single one of my couples at some point in their planning process. And there is a lot of truth to that statement. Weddings can be really costly. But, regardless of whether you are eloping or having a traditional wedding, there are steps you can take to help reduce the overall cost.
In my experience, these are typically the most expensive features of a wedding.
Venue
Caterer
Bar
Outfits
dessert
The best way to decide where you are willing to cut costs should align with your overall vision for your day. For example, if you are a foodie then cutting costs on catering may not be the best decision for you. Maybe you have been in love with a wedding dress designer and have dreamed of a particular dress then maybe consider cutting costs elsewhere. Or if you have a dream venue or location in mind then DON’T CUT COSTS THERE! It’s not worth it to cut costs everywhere if it is going to completely sacrifice your vision for your day. Everyone is different and everyone’s priorities are different so it’s important that your vision for your day is still driving these decisions.
Next ill break down some creative ways you can cut costs for each of these categories.
Venue
The Lodge at Trinity Tree Farm
If you are looking to save a little on your venue luckily there are tons of options for you. A popular option many couples consider for micro weddings and elopements is renting an Airbnb. This is a great option for a smaller wedding however you need to make sure that whatever Airbnb you chose allows events at that property. Some hosts do not allow events even if the house is large enough to host one. Another less conventional option would be to use a Peerspace. Peerspace has rentable spaces of all kinds. Think of it as Airbnb for studios, workspaces, and event spaces. I use Peerspace all the time and I am happy to help any of my couples navigate it! Check out my blog on my favorite Airbnb and Peerspace venues.
Another option is to focus on venues that cater to intimate/micro weddings. Because smaller weddings have drastically increased in popularity over the last few years many new venues are popping up and catering to this clientele. I have a list of venues that I love to work with that especially work with intimate weddings and elopements. You can also ask a traditional larger venue if they have an option to use only part of the venue or another area on their property to help save on costs a little bit. At the end of the day, they want to work with you and your budget so be transparent with them about your needs.
Caterer
Trinity Tree Farm
Food is likely to be your second largest cost and you may have been a little shocked to see that it can cost $70 to feed a single person at an event. It’s okay, I was shocked too! But don’t worry, there are still some options for you to save! Consider less conventional catering such as a food truck. They are increasingly popular but for a good reason. Food trucks are experts in feeding crowds for a really cost-effective price. You can also select less costly food options if a food truck is not for you. Think about what are good ways to feed a crowd. Pizza, pasta, salads, etc. are all really cost-effective foods and will help your budget. Pro-tip, I also suggest avoiding meat if you want to save even more, and it’s easier than you might think.
Another way to cut down on food costs is to reduce the number of people you are feeding. The smaller the guest list you have the fewer people you will have to pay to feed and you can see some significant cost savings. Plus smaller weddings are more fun anyways in my totally not biased opinion *wink wink*
Bar
Alcohol is EXPENSIVE. No matter what way you cut it alcohol is going to cost you a pretty penny. Typically if you chose to serve hard alcohol and mixed drinks you will see the steepest cost as it is purchased by the bottle by many vendors and there is an additional upcharge added. A great way to save on cost here is to just serve beer and wine at your event. I like to stick to more neutral beers like a lager or a hefeweizen and more neutral red and white wine like a red blend or a pinot grigio.
Some venues may also even let you bring your own alcohol and they will serve it for you. Hello Costco! You can buy wine and beer yourself in bulk from somewhere like Costco and save a ton of money. If you have a favorite brewery that you want to serve you can also purchase kegs from them for less than bottled products and have it served by the venue as well. Regardless of what you chose make sure to ask venues what their policy is on you bringing your own alcohol and how it would be served during your venue tours before you select one.
Outfits
Vashon Island Elopement
If you have looked online you have probably had some sticker shock when it comes to the cost of wedding dresses or suits. Another item that can be really EXPENSIVE! Are you sensing a theme yet? Weddings can be stupidly expensive. However, your outfit may be a great place to save thousands of dollars. Shopping at second-hand wedding dress shops like Brides for a Cause or Stillwhite allows you to get a gently used dress for a fraction of the cost. Many of these second-hand shops also sell the sample floor dresses from local bridal shops so you may even be able to get a dress or suit that was just released that season for a steal. Plus it’s way more environmentally friendly to go second-hand.
You also can think outside of the box when it comes to your wedding look to get something unique and save some money. Shorter dresses can be purchased from non-bridal retailers and be way more cost-effective and opting for a suit can also be cheaper than a dress. If you really want something unique you can also go for a colored outfit rather than the traditional white dress or black suit and save some money too because it’s not necessarily a “bridal look” so it won’t have the bridal price tag.
Whatever you do, just make sure you put in the time and money and have your outfit professionally cleaned and tailored. A tailor is a magician and I have seen them turn a $30 ASOS dress into one that looks like it came from a high-end boutique.
dessert
Crystal Mountain Resort Wedding
Now you may not think that you will see a significant amount of savings on deserts but you can if you consider a few different options for your dessert table you may be some savings. Personally, I am a big fan of a dessert table. I love that they give couples and their guests options to have as much variety as they want. Doughnuts are a super popular option for a dessert table and something I have had couples opt for in the past but if you want something different there are tons of other ‘dessert’ options you can consider. Brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and pastries are all great options that can be a fraction of the cost of a traditional cake for your guests. I recommend just walking into a local bakery and selecting 4-5 different things to go on your dessert table. Pretty much everyone will be able to find something they like if you go this route. Another benefit of going with deserts like I listed above is you avoid the dreaded cake cutting fee from your venue. Yes, you read that right. Venues charge to cut cake… per slice… so not only do you pay for the cake you have to pay for someone to cut each slice and it can be a few dollars a slice. This may not seem like a lot but it really adds up and is one of my least favorite hidden fees in the wedding industry.
Another thing to consider is the size of your wedding cake. The larger the cake the more time and material it’s going to take for your baker to make it. So really the larger the cake, the larger the cost. I recommend going with a single-tier cake like the image above. It’s going to be the most cost-effective option plus you won’t end up with a ton of leftovers.
However you decide to save money for your wedding you should make sure your decisions align with your overall vision and are decisions that you will look back on and feel confident in them. This is your day and you should spend your money how you want to spend it. If you get creative with it, have fun, and accept some compromises you will still have an amazing wedding day that won’t put you in debt!