Your wedding is one of the most prized days of your life, with cherished memories to last a lifetime.
However, nothing can kill your beautiful start to life together quicker than, once it’s all over, being hit with a bill that far exceeds your budget, causing you to become conflicted over your strained finances.
Therefore, experts recommend incorporating the following few tips to help keep your wedding costs more manageable and help maintain your newlywed bliss for years to come.
Begin With a Budget and a List of Must-Haves
When planning your wedding, first set a budget. This will help guide your choices throughout the process, as well as ensure you don’t spend more for your nuptial than you can afford.
Once your budget is set, write down a list of nonnegotiables for your wedding, such as the food, cake, and bar, etc. This way, the most important details are already factored into your budget, so you can cut costs with the rest and still be able to enjoy the ceremony of your dreams.
Select a Venue, and Then Book it Off-Season
Many event places and luxury hotels offer cheaper rates to rent their facilities during the off-season. So you may consider having your wedding during the winter or spring to help save money, as will booking your venue during the week as opposed to the weekend.
Some venues, such as the Rio Hondo by Wedgewood Weddings, also offer full-service packages that include everything from the food to the décor for one set price, which may be more budget-friendly than hiring each service separately.
Booking a venue outside the city can also help save costs.
Enlist Your Friends and Family to Help With the Professional Services
Perhaps you have a family member or friend who works in a profession that you need for your wedding, such as a photographer, videographer, or DJ, etc. You could simply ask them to help out for a discounted price or offer to barter your services in exchange for theirs to also help save costs.
Otherwise, when booking your professional services, stick to small, lesser-known businesses that tend to charge a bit less.
Keep Your Guest List Small
Having a small guest list helps you book a cheaper venue and also helps ensure you’ll have time to greet everyone after.
So start your list with immediate family and friends and then branch out from there to help keep your costs affordable.
Use E-Invites
Using e-invites to spread the news about your wedding helps save costs on printing, postage, and more. And your guests can simply download it themselves if they would like to save it as a keepsake.
Shop Consignment Stores
To prevent spending too much on wedding clothing or jewelry you’ll only wear once, consider shopping consignment shops for these gently used items.
In the end, your wedding day doesn’t have to break the bank to be effective, so consider using these tips to manage your wedding budget for the best of both worlds.