Planning a wedding on a budget is hard, but totally not impossible. Just like marriage, planning on a budget is all about compromise.
Try finding a few places where you can trim a couple of hundred euros from and that designer dress or destination wedding seem a lot less out of reach. It’s a lot more easy than everyone thinks to stretch out your budget without giving up the things you love.
Wedding planners are there to make your wedding easier, so in that spirit here a are a view ideas that help planning on a budget easier.
1. DIY
DIY, or Do It Yourself, is no stranger to the wedding industry. It’s and easy and fun way to save costs. Grab some friends or family and start making your own invitations, seating plan, table numbers or for the more creative ones, your own wedding dress!
2. Go digital
Instead of making your own invites or letting someone make it, save on paper costs and go digital! Design your own website or wedding app and let guests RSVP through there. It’s also a lot easier and less time consuming for your guests.
3. Please stand for the bride
If you’re going with an outdoor wedding, save costs on chair rentals. It’s a cheap and fun way to get married. Take into account that your guests are standing, so you can’t have a very long ceremony. Heels aren’t very comfortable to stand in for a couple of hours. Also, make sure there are some chairs for elderly and guests who might be unable to remain on their feet.
4. Polaroids are the new photobooths
Polaroids are quick and fun. Get a nice background in a corner. Place a view probs and ask your guests to make pictures of each other. Place it in your guestbook with a cute little message and voila! You just saved money on a photobooth or photographer.
5. Favours. Don’t overdo it
Favours at weddings are always nice to get, but buying them for your own wedding is another story. When you buy favours, buy something small that can be shared, like a little bottle of champage to every couple or a snack in a cute wrapper.
6. Effective dress shopping
For most brides, the wedding dress is the most expensive thing in their wedding. Looking great for your wedding day is very important, but that doesn’t mean it has to cost a lot of money!
Go to sample sales, designer dresses will be available for great discounts. Also, consider the option of buying off-the-rack. The dress can always be tailored, so it looks custom-made withhout you spending a fortune.
7. Think smaller
Go for a smaller wedding cake, instead of a 7 tiered super expensive wedding cake. You can get a single tiered cake for every table or have a little cake buffet with different flavours for your guests. You can still have your cake cutting moment, but with less costs.
Tip: if you have a lot of leftover desserts, give them to your guests. Nobody minds a little late night snack.
8. Go creative
If you don’t like cake, there are like a thousand different and cheaper options. Go for a candy buffet. You can buy candy in bulk at any wholesale warehouse. Or have a bakeoff between relatives and serve the end results at your wedding.
9. Stick to the budget!!
This is probably the most important tip. Stick to your budget and be clear about it to vendors. If they know about your budget and how much you are willing to spend, they are less likely to overcharge you. They will also only show you options that you actually can afford, so you can’t fall in love with options out of your price range.
