6 Ways To Make Your Wedding More Affordable Without Skimping On Style

6 Ways To Make Your Wedding More Affordable Without Skimping On Style

It’s almost here. Your wedding day. The day that perhaps you’ve dreamt of your whole life. There’s one problem though, you don’t have the budget for the wedding you wanted to have. Your dream was a glitzy and glamorous event with 400 guests at a luxury hotel. But your budget could barely cover the price of the hotel let alone the meals, the dress, the décor, and all the little details. It’s okay. Your day is not ruined and with some of these tips you can easily create a dream wedding without busting the budget.

Pare Down the Guest List

While it’s important to have everyone you love at your wedding, do you really need your third cousin there whom you’ve never met? Often engaged couples create guests lists with more people than are necessary to attend a wedding. While parental expectations might be that you invite the entire extended family, unless they are footing the bill, keep the guest list tight. This may mean not offering single family members a plus one or asking parents to find childcare for the event instead of having them come along. Choose your closest family and friends first, then go from there.

Get Married On A Weekday

Let’s face it, Friday nights and Saturdays are prime wedding days. If you get married on an off day like Tuesday or Wednesday, you could save tens of thousands of dollars. Photographers, florists, caterers, and venues often offer discounted rates for weddings on non-peak days. It may seem strange, but it can help you still get your dream location for a fraction of the cost.

DIY Favors

You can learn how to do just about anything on YouTube. Maybe you want to include gourmet chocolates as the wedding favor, but the chocolatier charges $10 per set. While yours may not be quite as beautiful and perfect, you can learn to make something like ganache or truffles and gift them to your guests for a fraction of the cost. Gather your wedding party together for a wine and chocolate making party and you have a great opportunity to DIY your wedding favors.

Go Digital

Digital invites can easily be part of an eco-friendly wedding theme or just a way for you to save money. The best wedding registry is also digital and now you can put things on your list from the comfort of home. You can even use technology to create the seating charts and help guests find their spots. This strategy is fun, high-tech, and can save you money.

Skip The Limousine

If you’re going to remove something from the budget, a limo is a good place to start. They can cost upwards of thousands of dollars for just a few hours of time. If you want to have a special car take you to the wedding, you’re better off in a high-end rental car that you can then drive off to the airport after the reception. You get the rental all day, they are cleaned and ready for you when you rent it. You can still drive up in style while you save a lot of money.

Get A Used Wedding Dress

This can sound weird, but a luxurious used wedding dress can save you big money. Since they are usually used only once, you can get a great deal on a gorgeous dress. They can also be easily fitted and customized just for you. Instead of having a custom dress made, find a dress you love and hire a dressmaker to alter it to your size and tastes. Additionally, shopping sample sales, looking for eco-friendly dresses, and more can all help you save money on your wedding dress. Pick something you love and makes you feel beautiful but keep your budget in mind.

It's easy to plan a dream wedding with a less than ideal budget. With so many options now, you don’t need to compete with anyone else. Get the stylish wedding you desire without spending a mortgage on it. Other ways to save include making the wedding over a non-mealtime, serving only snacks and drinks, having a cash bar instead of an open bar, and even asking family and friends to give to a wedding fund instead of buying gifts.