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
619-322-7084
