Getting Married on a Budget
Hearing wedding bells can also meaning hearing alarm bells when it’s time to pay for it all. More than 60% of brides spend much more than they anticipated on the wedding.
Flowers, dresses, the venue, the cake, the photographer, the invitations… it’s a lot and it can add up to big bucks.
All of those bigger, more obvious items you’ve probably already thought about, but don’t forget about the little details that will really make the difference. These smaller items can also cost quite a bit, but with some simple planning, you can save lots of money and time.
A backyard wedding is both intimate and budget friendly
1. Location
Weddings have changed quite a bit in the past twenty years. Everyone has realised how personal a wedding is.
Couples and their bridal parties are becoming more inventive. It’s not unusual to have a beach or garden wedding.
A backyard wedding is a great way to reduce the cost of your wedding and make it more personal and intimate. Don't have or can't borrow a suitable backyard?
Look around your city at some of the beautiful gardens and parks. Many state owned parks are free to hire...
If you have your heart set on a church wedding ask around amongst your family. many churches will do a free or very inexpensive service (including the celebrant) if a family member is a member of the church.
2. The Dress
The dress can easily cost thousands of dollars. Some bridal shops don't carry dresses below $2000 and will not so politely bow you out of the shop if you can't stretch your budget.
This is where research, patience and savvy shopping come in to play. Look around and decide what style you want and then research.
There are many places that you can buy a beautiful wedding dress for comparatively nothing. Start with Etsy or Asos and go from there.
Research, patience and savvy shopping can result in a beautiful wedding dress that doesn't break the budget
Can't find what you want from an online retailer?
Consider second hand or vintage. You could even see if your mother/ aunt/ grandmother still has their wedding dress and is willing for you to make it fit your vision with the help of a dressmaker.
3. Food, glorious food
Catering can be another pricey wedding necessity. But it doesn't have to be. The standard money saving tac is to say "no presents, just cover your meal".
Your loved ones will understand. But if you'd rather not do it this way, there are plenty of cheaper options. A food van or a wood fired pizza truck would cost you substantially less than a catered sit down dinner.
It's also a very trendy choice. Get creative with your wedding food, it is after-all, your wedding. As long as the two of you are happy, does it really matter what people think?
Ask for a contribution to your honeymoon fund instead of gifts
4. Honeymoon
This is a simple and increasingly common way to save money. No, you don't have to sacrifice on your dream destination, we promise! Instead you can ask your guests to help out.
In lieu of gifts ask for money towards your honeymoon.
Many travel agents will happily set up a gift registry or there are plenty of online wedding registry sites where you can set up a honeymoon fund.
5. Stationary
Another great way to save money on your wedding is to DIY any printing needs. You could do this by printing and assembling any invitations, place settings or seating charts. You could also bulk buy some nice card and take it to the printer yourself.
Not many people are going to hold on to your wedding invite, this is definitely a place where you can easily save some dollars.
Whatever corners you cut (or slightly trim!), we're sure that your wedding will be beautiful! Happy Wedding Planning and be sure to drop us a line if we can help out with your flowers or planning.