What are some tips on how to save money for my wedding?

Answer 1

Don't invite anyone

Answer 2

You probably should indicate where you live because that's going to make a huge difference in advice. However, assuming you live in a large city, you should have no shortage of reception venues to choose from. Check out an all inclusive type venue which will provide you music, food, decorations, bar, cake, etc. for one price. Think about a Friday evening wedding with a cocktail party type of reception. I'm from the south and nobody here has sit down dinners. Most of our wedding receptions last about 3 hours and include a full bar, passed h'oerderves and maybe a small buffet. Use a DJ instead of a band (this may come included with your venue). Get married in your own parish church instead of going outside your parish and that will cost less. Buy a wedding gown off the rack. Don't order one. Buy a gown and have it altered. You'll get a better deal. Don't use real flowers, use artificial ones. It's easy to have a wedding for under $10k if you budget well and use your money where it really matters to you. When my best buddy got married, they had a budget of $10k and spent it on their honeymoon and on the reception. She got her gown for less than $600 and their flowers ended up being like $750. See if your folks will chip in for the photographer because a wedding is a great place to take a lot of family photos. They will benefit from the photographer as well as you.

Answer 3

Cut the guest list! And then cut it again! Seriously, half of your expenses are going to go to hosting your guests at the reception.

Make as many things as you can. I made the centerpieces, invitations, favors, and programs.

Keep the bridal party small (less gifts to buy them), and keep the gifts simple. We bought each attendant a book that matches their interests, and then we wrote personal notes to the person on one of the blank pages near the front. The bridal party loved getting something so personalized and so practical, rather than an expensive engraved thing that they really won't use.

Think about what YOU need/want and not what you think weddings are "supposed" to be. Do you have to have a fancy wedding at a banquet hall, or would you be happy with a more casual reception in someone's backyard or semiformal at a restaurant? Consider also having a champaign and cake reception, at which the guests mingle around for about two hours, instead of a full course dinner reception.

Answer 4

Make your own Invites. We have saved over $400 (Australian) making our own.

Find family to do whatever they can (make the wedding cake, take the photos, film the wedding)

Have a cocktail type wedding instead of a sit down dinner one.
Look into hiring the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses. Only have one bridesmaid and best man.

Also sometimes silk flowers can be more expansive than real so ask the florist what they suggest. Another good way to save on flowers is find a family friend who have a beautiful garden and make your own bouquets out of wild flowers. These are beautifully and meaningfully because someone you know loved and cared for them.

Good Luck and its not about the moeny that is spend. Its about the love the 2 people share and how much thought is put into the day that makes it special.

Answer 5

1. Don't feel like you have to invite everyone...only family or really important friends.
2. I have been to a couple wedding where the couple had a small wedding cake for show (and for the bridal party and parents) and less expensive and still good tasting sheet cakes were brought in and were cut up for the rest of the wedding guests. This saved them over $800
3. I have been to one wedding where the couple didn't hire a dj (which in WI runs about $1,200) and they programmed their music on an IPOD and ran that the entire night. Of course you will need someone to MC a few things.
4. Only host soda or soda and beer.
5. Skip hor'deourves (sp?) why get full before a good meal.
6. Definetely use silk flowers!!! My budget for flowers is already in the $3,000 range.
7. Hire a photographer that will take pictures and then give them to you on a high resolution cd-rom. My cousin had a beautiful wedding and instead of spending $5,000 on photography she paid $1,200 and the lady took pictures for 10 hours and gave her the disk. Walgreens worked for my cousin to get copies.

Answer 6

Only invite people you REALLY want to be there. Get silk flowers instead of real flowers to save money and be able to keep the flowers as long as you like for house decorations once you get a home. Try not to have an expensive meal, or ask that everyone bring a dish to your wedding and have a big intimate buffet. Use tealights and candles for lighting, and buy christmas lights after christmas while they're on sale to use for lighting as well. Buy some of your bridal things on ebay, like the tiara or veil (you'll save hundreds of dollars that way).

Answer 7

Do you mean saving on stuff for your wedding? If you haven't found a place for the reception, check out your local citizen center or community center. They don't charge much at all, I paid something like $250 for 8 hours. Recruit all the help you can, family, friends, friends of friends, you would be amazed at the people that will step up to help. And be creative. I had an awesome wedding for $3000.

Answer 8

A friend recently told me about her table centrepieces. Instead of spending a fortune on flowers that are going to die, she got some cheap tall vases, put a pretty bow around them, and hired goldfish from the pet shop. I don't know how much money this will save you (probably not much) but I thought it was a great idea

Answer 9

Say you're paying $6 per slice for 200 guests.

Instead of getting a large cake to feed everyone - cost $1,200
Get a smaller cake to feed half your guests and a sheet cake - ($6*100)+($160 - full sheet) cost $760

Answer 10

I found my dress and veil at a consignment shop and they are gorgeous as well as inexpensive! To save money on the cake, have them make small 1 tier cake to cut at the reception and have a sheet cake in the back to cut for everyone to eat.

Answer 11

Use silk flowers for everyone except yourself. Call a funeral home for limo service, not a hertz, but the family car! Get a friend to use a Ipod or computer for your reception music.