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Hacks To Save Money On Your DREAM Wedding
Posted on 20th February 2019
Hacks To Save Money On Your DREAM Wedding

Hacks To Save Money On Your DREAM Wedding

Hacks to Save money on Your Dream Wedding
From Happy Wife Happy Life 

 
 

Everyone has their dream wedding, but not everyone has the dream budget. The good news is, that you can do extraordinary things for little to no money. You just need a bit of creativity, and a little help from us at Happy Wife Happy Life!

Here is a list of hacks to save money on your big day: 

Invitations and Guest List
  1. Print your invitations double sided. This will save money by not having to order all the extra stationary that gets lost once the guests open it anyways.
  2. Set up a wedding email address. It’s 2019 so why waste money on postage to have RSVPs sent back to you.
  3. Reduce the amount of “Plus ones”. Instead of giving everyone over the age of 18 a plus one, limit them to couples that you socialize with regularly.
  4. Reduce your guest list. Big guest list = more money. Haven’t spoken to them in over a year? Off the list. Your mom’s friend that you’ve never even met? Off the list – They will understand!!
Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
  1. Stay close to home. This will save on gas and flights for you and the friends attending.
  2. Book an Airbnb and stay in one place with the whole gang instead of multiple hotel rooms. This can also help save on food expenses since the Airbnb will have a kitchen!
  3. Skip the fancy-expensive-dinner-night. You know everyone hates paying for that.
Flowers and Décor
  1. Use Pinterest for DIY projects like signs, table numbers, décor, seating and chart menu cards. Using empty frames, string, clothespins, cardstock ect.
  2. Find decorations on sites like Buy and Sell pages on facebook. Contact recently married friends and acquaintances and ask if you can use their decorations after they are done with them – perhaps they would sell, rent or lend them to you for free!
  3. Use flowers that are in season. Flowers can be the most expensive part of a wedding. Try to keep it simple. They die anyway, right?
  4. Use more greenery than flowers.
  5. Keep your bridesmaids’ bouquets and groomsmen boutonnieres simple with lots of greenery or baby’s breath (both more affordable options). This will leave a little extra in the budget to doll up the bride’s bouquet.
  6. Don’t pay for an extra bouquet to toss. Grab one of your bridesmaid’s bouquets. She won’t mind, I promise.
Attire
  1. Have your bridesmaids pick their own dresses (with your approval first, of course). It lets them spend what they’re comfortable with on a dress that suits their body type.
  2. Shop designer or sample sales for your wedding dress. Often bridal expos/shows in your area will offer “off the rack” sales. (Don’t forget to include the cost of alterations in your dress budget)
  3. Have your jewelry be your something borrowed. Borrow jewelry from your mom, sister, aunt, friend, or mother-in-law! They would be more than willing to help out and be honored to see you wearing their jewelry on your special day.
Venue
  1. Have your ceremony and reception in the same place. This will ensure you aren’t paying twice for a site fee.
  2. Use the venue’s resources – tables, chairs, linens, basic decorations.
  3. Use the venues preferred vendors list – as sometimes a discount may be extended to you if your using someone they have a positive working relationship with.
Food and Drink
  1. Go with beer and wine instead of a full bar. Don’t let the vendor talk you into 2 different whites, 2 different reds, etc..You just need one white, one red, and a few beer options.
  2. Find a venue that will let you bring your own alcohol (be careful of corkage fees though!). This can save you so much money.
  3. Skip the passed Champagne before the ceremony. This can save you up to $600 by avoiding the setup fee, corkage fee, price per bottle, and waitstaff to serve your guests.
  4. Skip the Champagne toast. Your guests will already have a drink in their hand. Toast with that.
  5. Do heavily passed appetizers instead of a full dinner.
  6. Serve buffet style instead of a sit-down meal. By significantly reducing the amount of wait staff needed to serve dinner, you can significantly reduce your bill for catering.
  7. Opt for a family-style meal. This is not only a fun way for all your guests to interact, but this option eliminates the need for you to invest in response, escort, and place cards. As an added bonus, you won’t need – or even have room for! – elaborate Centrepieces. Win-win!
  8. Serve donuts or cupcakes instead of a cake. With wedding cakes costing as much as $1,200 for 100 people. Plus being a little unconventional is in these days!
Ceremony and Reception
  1. Have a close friend or family member perform the ceremony to avoid the fee that an officiant would charge.
  2. Get married in the off-season. Spring and fall are the most popular wedding seasons, with June and September being peak wedding months.
  3. Get married on a Friday or Sunday. Basically any other day than Saturday.
  4. Keep your Centrepieces simple. Who can see over those huge, tall ones anyways?
  5. Make your own favours. Homemade anything is always very meaningful.
  6. Or skip the favours altogether and invest in a photo booth which will provide not only a take home keepsake for your guests but provide entertainment for those who may not enjoy dancing. (Add some sort of link for info on our photo booths?!?)
Photographer/Videographer/Entertainment
  1. Have a photographer in mind that you absolutely love but can’t afford? Ask if they have an assistant that you can hire that might be a little more affordable.
  2. Ask if there is anything that can help drive the price down. Do you need them to stay the entire reception? Maybe you don’t need them to come right when you start getting ready. Will you require a second shooter? These are all questions to ask your photographer that may help drive down the price.
  3. When it comes to booking your DJ services remember that the guests will keep talking about how much fun the dance was for years to come. Make sure you chose someone you trust and who you know is reliable. (Keep in mind if you aren’t booking in high season prices may be less expensive).
  4. Try to find a videographer who is just starting out or possibly still in school. They may charge lower prices to build up their portfolio.

Happy Wife Happy Life opinion on this topic: This area I don’t recommend skimping on. Don’t hire photographers/videographers/DJ services just because they’re the cheapest. These people will be responsible for capturing your big day and making your day memorable for years to come. You will not regret the money you spend for a good photographer, videographer or DJ services.

 

Miscellaneous:
  1. Write down your budget for each wedding category, review with your fiancé, and stick to it.

     

  2. Don’t pay for something that will go unnoticed. Ask yourself this question first: “will the majority of the guests notice it?” If the answer is no, then you don’t need it.
  3. Listen to your fiancé. My husband had great ideas and was usually the voice of reason.
  4. Order your online items in advance. This goes without saying, but order anything in a rush, and you’ll end up paying a hefty fee
  5. ASK FOR HELP!!! Don’t be shy
  6. Be willing to compromise. Dedicate the biggest parts of your budget to the areas that are most important to you and your fiancé. Compromise on the rest.

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