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  • March 22, 2018

Money saving tips for your wedding

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Many of us have been fantasising about our dream wedding for a long time, but that doesn’t magically make us all millionaires. How do you save money but still get the wedding you’ve been planning in your head all these years? We’re here to help you with some tips on cutting costs for the big day.

 

Look at a sample wedding budget, then tailor it

There is nothing wrong with taking a look at a sample wedding budget but don’t follow it blindly. Personalise a sample budget by doing the following:

Agree on a total amount with your partner (and whoever else is financially contributing to the wedding)

  • Consider what is most important to you and your fiancé and borrow from one part of the wedding to give to your priorities (e.g. you may want to ride in a friend’s car to your ceremony in order to afford a premium photography package)
  • Create a document to plan and keep track of all spending
  • Research, research, research! (before you buy).

 

Enquire about price first, fall in love later

It’s easy to scroll Pinterest and have your fairytale wedding planned out before you’ve even gotten home from the proposal, but the realities of making a wedding happen are a little more complicated. Avoid disappointment by following a few basic rules:

  • Ask about cost first (online or on the phone) and don’t waste time viewing venues or trying on dresses outside your price range
  • When viewing a venue/product, be upfront about your budget so they won’t show you packages that you can never have
  • Tell yourself, ‘There’s plenty of fish in the sea’ and don’t get your heart too set on one venue/dress before knowing the price
  • Give vendors like your cake maker and florist a set budget and a mood board and get them to work within it, rather than waiting for a quote you may not be able to afford
  • Find start-up business looking to promote their brand that are going to be more affordable than established wedding vendors (you’ll find they also tend to be more flexible and eager to please)
  • Get an itemised list from your vendor to cut out things that aren’t important to you or tailor the package to your needs.

 

On peak, off peak

It’s a well known fact that getting married at certain times means you will pay top dollar. Consider getting married at a cheaper time of year, week or day. Some cheaper wedding options include:

  • Off peak (April to September in Australia)
  • Sunday and mid-week
  • Winter time
  • Afternoon tea or morning/breakfast receptions.

You can also save money by opting for a cocktail and finger food reception rather than a full sit-down meal.

 

Get your DIY on

One of the reasons that premium venues charge so much is because they do everything for you. You pay for convenience, but if you and your loved ones are willing to get your hands dirty, you will save on loads of money on your wedding day. Some options include:

  • Find a venue that doesn’t require you to use their preferred vendors
  • Make your own favours/thank you gifts
  • Have a friend build an arbour for you
  • Reuse things from friends’ weddings
  • Use things you already have (don’t buy special signing pens, cake knives etc. just for the day)
  • Do your own flowers or decorations
  • Have a homemade cake, or a cake not made specifically for weddings (and choose either a cake or dessert, not both).

 

Count the cost by counting your guests

The biggest way to reduce the cost of your wedding is to cut down on the number of guests. As a rough guide, here are some people who may not need to be invited:

  • People who used to be in your life, who you’re inviting for ‘old times’ sake’
  • Relatives you aren’t close to (as long as your parents are okay with it, if they are contributing financially)
  • Every single work colleague or college classmate (just invite the ones you are closest to)
  • Friends of friends (people in the same large social group, but who you never spend one-on-one time with)
  • People you are only inviting because you feel obligated to
  • New partners of long-time friends
  • Kids.

Most people understand that it’s difficult to keep a guest list under control, and won’t be offended to be left out. You can also consider inviting everyone to the wedding ceremony and limiting the guest list for the reception to allow everyone to participate in some part of your day without the cost getting out of control.

 

Beware of hidden costs

Start by making a list of all the categories of your wedding and then smaller lists under those headings. Read through wedding articles and magazines and ask friends to see if there is anything you’ve missed.

The most common costs for people to overlook are:

  • Marriage license
  • Thank you gifts for bridal party etc
  • Hens party
  • Gratuities (an alternative is an amazing review to help promote their business)
  • Cake cutting/serving fee
  • Hotel room/suite for bridal party to get ready on the morning of wedding
  • Over-time costs at reception venue (including last minute liquor license extension) and wait staff meals
  • Weather-related expenses
  • Extra fees and taxes

Remember to have some money set aside in your wedding budget to cover last-minute miscellaneous costs so that you’re not left in a tight spot right before your big day.

By planning ahead and making good decisions to stay within your budget, you can make sure your wedding leaves you with all of the wonderful memories and none of the financial headache.

This article was written by Lil Williams from Paperlust.