Planning your wedding on a budget

Weddings are important chapters in any couple’s life, but it can also be stressful with the amount of time, money, and energy put into planning one. Weddings don’t need to be expensive, and they don’t need to be stressful. Here are some of our favorite tips for saving money on your big day:

• Don’t get married on Saturday. Because Saturdays are the busiest for events, they tend to be the most expensive days for renting venues. Having a wedding out of season (not June – September) and on Friday or Sunday (or even a weekday) can significantly cut down on expenses.
• Find your own caterer. Catering through venues can quickly become expensive, so be careful of finding a venue where they require you to order food and beverages through them.
• Host the ceremony and reception in the same place. This will save you time and money by not having to reserve separate venues for these two parts of your wedding. It will also save you the hassle of needing to leave the location of the ceremony and will make it simpler for guests.
• Consider hosting the reception at a restaurant. By hosting it at a restaurant, you’ll only need to buy food and beverages. The decorations, silverware, and everything else that goes into serving a meal is already provided by the restaurant at no cost.
• Get married at the courthouse. While it may not be your first choice, it is a cost-efficient option that is well-equipped for weddings. The perk of courthouse weddings is that they can also keep your guest count to a minimum.
• Avoid the sit-down meal and spring for hors d'oeuvres or punch and cake. Your wedding guests won’t be heartbroken over you not serving a pricey meal. They are happy for your wedding and making a new chapter in your life.
• Fake it till you make it. At least with wedding cake. You will pay much less for a cake that has a real top layer and additional styrofoam layers. A cheaper sheet cake is then cut and served to your guests.
• Be wary of alcohol. Alcohol can get expensive, especially if you provide an open bar. To save money, offer limited options or cut the liquor overall!
• Flowers get expensive. Using artificial flowers is okay and can save a lot of money. Even crepe-paper flowers can be a great addition to any wedding.
• Have a friend DJ your wedding. DJs can cost up to $1000 and your friend can do just as great of a job – especially since they already know what type of music you like.