In these trying economic times, couples planning to tie the knot may have to closely look at the wedding costs. Working your wedding ceremony costs around a modest budget will be less challenging if you figure out where you can save and what services you can do without. Read through this list to understand how you can have a cost effective wedding.
1. Have an Off Season Wedding
2. Get Married Early in the Day
3. Pick a Low Cost Location
4. Avoid a Designer Wedding Gown
5. Decorate Economically
6. Choose Seasonal Flowers
7. Theme Your Wedding
8. Rope in Family and Friends
9. Strategize Your Guest List
10. Help Yourself
Around 70% of weddings take place between May and October, making them peak wedding months. Florists, decorators, local dress designers, caterers and bands are all in high demand during this period. It is obvious that the greater the demand, the higher the prices charged by such wedding services and entertainers. For a budget wedding, it is best to avoid the peak wedding season and get married during an off season month such as January, February or March. Also avoid setting your wedding date close to New Years’ or Valentines’ Day because caterers, hotels and florists will be busy and their service rates will be high.
2. Get Married Early in the Day
Conducting the wedding ceremony during the day will help you cut food costs. Your guests can be provided with brunch, which is a much more economical option than arranging for a wedding dinner. Also, they will be more likely to consume a larger amount of alcohol during dinner than mid noon, saving beverage costs.
Wedding ceremonies are held at churches, hotels and beach-side locations to name a few. Renting a hotel or having a beach wedding can cost you big bucks. To save on the wedding venue related expenses, you can get married at a friend’s large house or at the church where your parents are members. You can also do a little research to find halls in the city that can be rented for low rates. If you have a small guest list, you can consider having the wedding at your home or your parents’ home. But factor in prices for seating, lighting and other facilities if you are planning to have the wedding at home.
4. Avoid a Designer Wedding Gown
Avoid the expensive stores which sell you designer gowns and exclusive wedding dresses. Go to stores that are known to have beautiful and well designed yet economical dresses. You can also talk to a local dress designer to tailor a reasonably priced wedding gown for you. If there is a wedding dress in the family that you like and is offered to you, you can wear it and it could be your ‘something old’ or ‘something borrowed’ for the wedding. Elegant and understated formal wear dresses can be a classy option for your wedding dress.
Spend only on those decoration items that your guests will notice and remember. Decorations on the backs of guest chairs, church pews etc are a waste of money. Guests will pay attention to the flowers and bouquets placed on their tables and around the room. Pay special attention to the centerpieces on the guest tables, the boutonnières and candles. Placing candles in strategic places around the room will give it a dramatic and warm look. If you have chosen a venue that is beautiful in itself, then you will not have to decorate it extensively.
Talk to your florist about finding the best flowers to decorate at your wedding, but at a low cost. You can choose flowers that are in-season to save on costs. While having exotic flowers at your wedding can make it all the more special, you should choose flowers that are grown locally, as this way you will not have to spend money on transporting flowers from a different place. Even though roses and orchids may be available in plenty, avoid choosing them as they are expensive throughout the year. White blossoms too should be avoided because they bruise easily and cost more because the florist has to look through huge numbers of these flowers before he can find the right one for you.
A well-thought out wedding theme can help you cut costs on food and beverages. For an informal wedding ceremony, you can replace expensive wine with beer and prime rib with grilled chicken. A theme wedding is a great way to hide what you cannot afford to include and yet add excitement and flavor.
Involve your family and friends in the planning process as much as possible. See if a relative with impressive culinary skills can whip up a great meal for your guests. Entrust a tech-savvy cousin or nephew to be your ‘official’ wedding videographer or photographer. All these tactics will not just help you cut costs but also make the ceremony all the more memorable for you and keep the family members involved. Such weddings also tend to be much warmer and have a welcoming feel to them.
Instead of having a huge guest list, you should consider inviting people who really matter and mean the most to you. You cannot possibly have an economical wedding with a huge number of guest invites. You can also request guests to confirm whether they will be attending the ceremony in advance and based on this, communicate your catering requirements to your wedding caterer.
If you plan to have a small wedding, then you will not need the services of a wedding planner or a decorator. Discuss the wedding plan with your to-be wife or husband as well as your parents. Ask for inputs, make notes and delegate tasks like hiring the caterer, florist or musical band to family members. Devote enough time to plan and read up on more budget planning tips from magazines and on the internet.
You can have a fairy-tale wedding without throwing a lot of cash. Be smart when it comes to cutting costs and plan the wedding details well in advance.
