Wedding budgets can quickly get out of hand. You start off with a budget in mind and once you begin ordering supplies and booking suppliers, that budget can be blown and is soon a tiny figure in the rear view mirror of your hired wedding car. This is the most special day of our life for sure, one of the days you will remember for the rest of your life. However you don't have to have a day that will mean you begin your married life in debt. Finances can be hard enough without lumbering yourself with mountains of debt as you begin your life together. Let's have a look at 10 ways to save money on wedding days which will ensure you have an amazing day, without paying out so much cash!
Your Day Of The Week
The day of the week you get married on is so important. Typically weddings days take place on Saturdays, so that is when the venues charge the most money. If you can swap your wedding day to a Friday, or even mid week, you'll be able to make some big savings straight away! You might even be able to afford the dream venue you had your eye on, but was out of your budget. Simply change the day and you'll notice a huge difference in price! Maybe a Tuesday, perhaps a Sunday! It might even help you keep the numbers you invite down to a minimum, meaning less money spent on wedding food per head, as some people might not be able to make a midweek celebration.
Invitation Thickness
When you order your invitations, think about the thickness of the card you are using. Thicker card stock means higher prices. It's amazing how quickly the price of wedding stationery can add up. By using a slightly thinner card stock you'll save lots of money across the board. Be sure to order everything you need stationery-wise at the same time. You'll likely get a better deal from the printer and have to pay less postage too!
New Wedding Photographers
You'll be looking at your wedding photographs for years to come, so capturing those important moments is so essential. Wedding photography can be extremely expensive though, so consider looking for someone who's work you love but who is just starting out in the world of weddings. You can even decide to hire them for a reduced number of hours, but making sure you utilise them to the max during that time. Everyone has a camera phone in their pocket these days, so make sure that you open up some cloud storage for everyone to share their snaps to, but ensure you get a photographer you love who can capture those key moments.
Embrace Minimal
Next on our list of ways to save money on wedding days is to embrace the minimal. You don't need to have huge bouquets of wedding flowers, massive centrepieces and flamboyant decorations to make an impact. You can create atmosphere with simple things too. Use a couple of larger blooms which work well as a mini bouquet. If you want you can add some greenery which is inexpensive but brings texture and size. Think simply and you'll create a simple but elegant vibe.
Pocket Squares Over Button Holes
Extra flowers for button holes can add up in terms of cost as they are fiddly to create. Why not just get some handkerchiefs or squares of fabric and make your own pocket squares. Perfect for the big day and they can be kept forever too! Think about areas where you can save on things like this and you'll discover even more ways to save money on wedding days! The savings will add up!
Your Transport Choices
You might be thinking about hiring cars and buses and maybe even other forms of transport to get you to and from your wedding venue. However what are you paying for? Do you need to put a bus on for your guests when they would usually manage to get themselves to where they need to be? Do you need to hire a car to get you to the church when you probably know someone with a nice looking vehicle and they'd be honoured to drive for you?
Make Your Own Photobooth
Lots of brides and grooms love the idea of a photobooth but they can be extremely expensive. You'll be paying a big chunk of change for a machine to take funny photos of your guests. Think thrifty! By making your own photobooth area, having your own props and creating you own personalised photo frame for friends an family to pose behind is perfect! Then they can just take photos with their smart phones. The savings will be huge!
Skip The Free Bar
Lots of people stick some money behind the bar for guests to enjoy drinks throughout the wedding day and evening. However, this can soon escalate into big money! Drinks at wedding receptions are generally expensive anyway and if you have 80 people each having 5 drinks, that's 400 drinks to pay for! Of course, there will be people who take the mick and just chain drink double whiskeys throughout the night, or some smart cousin will order shots! Rather than have a free bar, maybe just put a couple of bottles of wine on each table, with some jugs of tap water with lemon slices. You could even pay some sparkling wine (cheaper than Champagne!) for a toast and then let your guests buy their own drinks.
Do Yourself Some Favours
Do you need to put favours on the table where everyone sits? Who really likes sugared almonds anyway? Whilst people can get creative with wedding favours, isn't being part of your special day enough? Having the experience, photographs and memories of being with loved ones during this time is amazing. If you do want to do something, why not donate something to charity? That way your wedding is making a difference to an organisation close to your heart? Simply print out a little something and put it on the table to let everyone know. It can be a lovely gesture and do a lot more good than sweets or singular chocolates.
Your Wedding, Your Way
You will get loads of advice, from different family members and friends. At the end of it all though, this is your wedding day. It needs to be how you want it to be. Invite who you want to invite, don't be pressurised into asking people you don't want to. Have the cake you want. Chose the venue you want on the day you want. This is your wedding day, one you will remember forever, but you don't need to be paying it off forever! Find ways to save money on wedding purchases and ensure this is the day you want. Happy wedding planning!
