Smart Ways to Save on Your Wedding Budget
Planning for a wedding can be wonderfully fun, and filled with bonding memories with your partner, family, and friends. But as any married couple can tell you, it can also be expensive. And while the prospect of crunching numbers and budget sheets doesn’t exactly smack of romance, it is a very important aspect of your preparations. That’s why we have put together these few key areas where you can start making some helpful savings!
The first piece of advice we can offer you while you layout your wedding budget is to think about value rather than cost. What means the most to you and your partner? If fashion and design are your things, then the clothes and décor should be where you splurge. If you are both real foodies, then catering should take priority. Or perhaps you are both passionate about music, and so top-class entertainment is most important. Having a clear idea of what areas are absolute musts, and places, where you are just going with the flow, will help determine where to allocate the lion’s share of your budget, and where to start making those savings.
The venue you choose will always consume a substantial chunk of your wedding budget, so it pays to be clever about your choice. Ideally, you should book a venue where the style and atmosphere closely mirror your own personality. This way, you won’t need such complex decorations to kit it out to your liking. You should also bear in mind that most venues offer better deals for midweek and off-season weddings. A non-traditional date should be no problem for your guests, provided they have ample notice.
On the topic of guests, it is worth noting that the most effective way to make serious savings on your celebration is to cut down the guest list. The cost of food and drink per head is a huge portion of your wedding budget, so it’s worth considering who you just couldn’t imagine having your big day without. You need not feel guilty about this; most people, especially nowadays, are completely understanding of the cost involved in planning a wedding. You can always invite more guests to the informal celebrations of the evening after, or even the next day!
As well as the big stuff, there are plenty of little ways to trim the fat off of your wedding budget. Rather than printing your invitations, why not handwrite them for a personal touch? Or better yet, simply send your guests an email? Are your flowers and menu items being imported from afar, or sourced locally and seasonally? These changes will not only help with your savings, but they’re also more environmentally friendly, too.
As we mentioned at the beginning, planning a wedding can be a unique bonding experience with friends and family. The people around you would love to help out, so let them! Maybe one of your friends has serious baking skills and could provide a wedding cake for a much better deal than hiring a stranger. No doubt your family or future inlaws have some heirloom jewelry pieces to accessorise your outfit. Instead of hiring a car for transport, why not borrow that flashy convertible your dad’s friend is always so keen to show off? More importantly than saving on your wedding budget, getting everyone involved provides so many heartfelt little stories that make your special day truly memorable.
