Save - spend life happy

spend life happy

Save 5 Tips for How to Save Money on a Wedding

5 Tips for How to Save Money on a Wedding

Use these tips to save money on a wedding to decrease expenses on your big day while still having fun. Learn how to save money on a wedding dress and more.

5 Tips for How to Save Money on a Wedding

Your wedding will be one of the most memorable events in your life. You’re making a major commitment to your true love, and that’s cause to celebrate!

What’s not so fun about wedding planning? Managing the budget. In 2021, the average cost of a wedding was $28,000, according to research by The Knot.

You can still create a magical day without overspending. These tips to save money on a wedding can help you design the event of your dreams without breaking the bank.

1. Schedule the big day on a weekday

One of the best ways to save money on a wedding starts with the day you schedule it. Weekday weddings really stand out among weekend ones, considering up to 95% of weddings take place on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, according to Zola. They can also save you a lot of money since there’s more competition for weekend bookings and prices go up to meet the demand.

Weekday weddings make perfect sense in certain situations. For example, if you and your partner (and many of your guests) work in a weekend industry like hospitality, your typical days off may already be a Monday or a Tuesday. Some couples choose a weekday wedding date because of its significance, such as the anniversary of a first date.

Moving your wedding from a Saturday to a weekday can save you significantly and give your guests something special to plan for during the week.

2. Go digital with itineraries

Save money – and the planet’s precious resources – by moving all your wedding details online. The Knot reports the average cost for save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, and RSVP cards average up to $530. There are also hidden risks with mailing important items like these, such as an invite getting lost in the mail or one of your guests misplacing what they need to send back to you altogether.

You can move save-the-dates, invites, and RSVPs online to your wedding website. This makes it easier for you and your guests to keep track of everything. 

Plus, you can explain that you’re minimizing your carbon footprint by saving on all the resources it takes to print and mail invites, which is a win-win for both your wallet and sustainability.

3. Shop consignment

Wondering how to save money on a wedding dress? Consider buying a gown that’s been worn before. Think about what you’ll do with your wedding dress after the big day. Will you ever wear it again? Will it sit in your closet for years? 

While a wedding dress can be a huge component of wedding planning, when you know you’ll only wear it once, it could be worth getting a used design to save more than 50% off the sticker price.

Pre-loved wedding dresses are an especially great option when you want a gown by a high-end designer. Wedding dress consignment shops verify the quality of a gown before putting it up for sale. You can find your perfect fit and save hundreds (or thousands) of dollars by getting one secondhand.

If you'll be wearing a tuxedo or suit, you can also save by shopping pre-owned or by simply renting your outfit. Trust us: most of your guests won't know the difference. 

4. DIY as much as possible

From floral centerpieces to a DJ, a little elbow grease can go a long way in saving you money on your wedding. Some ideas:

  • Create a unique music playlist. Fill it with your favorite songs as a couple and play it on your own device to save around $1,400 on hiring a DJ. If you want a live musical group, look into groups like graduate student bands, which can be less expensive than a full-time wedding band. 
  • Design your own centerpieces. Use inexpensive plastic vases and fill them with low-cost florals and greenery. You can even find centerpiece material in your own backyard or in your neighborhood. Potted plants and fresh fruit could also add color and flair for a lower price than fancy flowers.
  • Set up a custom photo background. Make your wedding festivities Instagram-worthy by creating your own custom photo background for guests to take snaps in front of. It could be as simple as hanging some stringed twinkly lights down along a rustic wall or tying balloons to an arch.

You can also get crafty with place cards for seating arrangements, a wedding book for guests to sign, and party favors like bubbles or poppers to send you off as a couple. 

Focus on creating enjoyable moments that build camaraderie among your guests. That’s what they’ll remember, not how expensive the décor was.

5. Save on photography and videography

Wedding photographers and videographers can cost up to $10,000 or more to capture your festivities, according to “Brides”. In today’s social media-driven world, where most everyone has a high-end camera in their pocket, you could save a lot by cutting down on professional photographer costs.

If you’re committed to hiring a professional, you can save by hiring them for an hour or two to shoot your actual wedding and some shots of you as a couple and with your wedding party before or after the event. You can save by shortening the timeframe they’re shooting, as well as by cutting down on how many shots you want edited and delivered to you post-nuptials.

You can also save considerably by hiring a photographer or videographer with less professional experience. Up-and-coming photographers and videographers want to build up their portfolios, so they may offer a discounted rate. You could even approach the photography department at a local college to see if any students would be interested in shooting your wedding.

Another cost-saving idea is to tell guests to upload their own photos and videos to your wedding website. You’ll have lots of shots to choose from if you want to edit your own wedding video or create a digital scrapbook of the event.

Remember: your wedding is all about YOU

Your wedding doesn’t have to be expensive to be a special day for you and your guests. Think about what really matters to you and what costs you could lower or do without. The most important thing is that you enjoy each moment and get to revel in your love for your soon-to-be spouse and for your guests.

Want to get crafty or test out some wedding day recipes in your kitchen? Check out your Save.com mailer for coupons.