Cost Saving Wedding Planning Tips

• The most important thing to do in the beginning is to create the budget and guest list so you know what you can allocate to each area.
• When you are hiring vendors and buying wedding items stay within your financial parameters.
• Acquire vendor referrals that are within your budget from your wedding coordinator.
• Give yourself plenty of time to decide on who you hire and what you buy.  Any rush decisions at times leaves you spending more than you are prepared for.
• Get married during an off-peak time such as Fall, Winter and early Spring.
• Have your wedding during a time that’s not in high demand, such as a Sunday or Friday.
• Have a smaller guest list and do not include coworkers you do not associate with outside of work, children and those haven’t seen in five years or more.
• Buy flowers that are in season and simplify the number of flowers in bouquets and centerpieces (I have seen bridesmaids carry one cal lily or one rose).
• When buying flowers, avoid peak-times such as Valentines, Mother’s Day and Easter.
• If you have a church ceremony, make your own pew decorations or do not have pew decorations.
• Hire a DJ that will cover both the ceremony and the reception to save on ceremony music costs.
• Ask a friend to sing during your ceremony.
• Have a smaller bridal party – this saves on money for flowers, transportation etc.
• Attend bridal fairs where you are able to talk to multiple vendors and take advantage of bridal fair discounts and promotions.
• If you want to have a second photographer, do so only at the wedding ceremony.
• Instead of a plated dinner reception, have a breakfast, brunch, lunch, cocktail, or h’orderves reception.
• Know your guests – not everyone eats desert so only order wedding cake for the amount of guests who will have cake and keep in mind some guests will leave before the cake cutting.
• Have a smaller decorative wedding cake and have sheet cake served to the guests.
• Place one favor for every two chairs rather than every chair.
• Use place cards or centerpieces that double as favors.
• Purchase less expensive cake cutting items and toasting goblets or use the ones provided by the venue
• Order less programs – for example if you have 100 guests, order 40-50 because not everyone will pick up a program
• Create your own save the dates.
• Stick with smaller wedding invitations which are less expensive and will require less postage.
• Wear a less formal gown or a white bridesmaid dress.
• Hire a wedding planner. They usually have access to industry discounts that you don’t.   (They also have cost saving tips and can keep you on track on referring vendors within your budget.  A wedding planner saves you money in more than one way! )

Please visit my webpage at www.atyoursideplanning.com.

All photos provided by Miguel Pola Photography.

Diana Romero – Owner/Principal Coordinator

At Your Side Planning Main Website

Contact us!

619-322-7084