Right after your excitement of the engagement wears off, here comes the fear of the wedding cost. Costs for extravagant wedding details can quickly overwhelm wallets and loom over couples’ heads. The average wedding now rings in at $30,000 – $40,000. These days, more couples are going the modern route and footing the bill, with 30% paying for wedding costs out-of-pocket. Planning an affordable wedding doesn’t mean it has to be cheap. It’s all about how to keep the costs under control, insured, and still have a great day. Here are some practical solutions for brides who say “I do” to saving a buck or two, whether it’s on your entire wedding or certain aspects of it.
Photographer: Abi Lewis
How and Where to Save?
Beauty & Dress:
- Dress down the gown
- Consider used or rented gowns
- Consider custom made dresses instead of big brands
- Do your own makeup touch-up
- Borrow accessories (veil, earrings, necklace, etc)
Planning & DIY:
- Hire a wedding planner to save yourself some mind struggles and get connected with more affordable vendors
- Consider an intimate affair, elopement, or destination wedding with less guests
- DIY your wedding decor and details
- Lose the Limo, decorate your own car
Flowers:
- Use more greenery than flowers
- Use just 1 or 2 kinds of flowers
- Consider flowers that are in season
- Include non-floral decor (lanterns, balloons, paper goods, etc)
- Skip costly picks (eg. peonies can be many times more expensive than roses)
- Use smaller bud vases instead of centerpieces with big blooms
Stationery & Favors:
- Get single-page invites
- One favor per couple/family
- E-mail your online wedding invitations
- Use a combination of online and traditional invites
Photos (from the top left): Tatyana Chaiko / Monica Wang / Sixpence / Moire Photography
Reception:
- Cut the guest list
- Choose off-peak season
- Hold your ceremony and reception in one spot
- Skip the Saturday wedding
- Have bigger tables to reduce the need of centerpieces and tablecloths
- Brunch, cocktail party, or a luncheon
- Say Yes to all-inclusives.
- Choosing a venue that comes with extras built in
- Offer beer, wine, and cocktail instead of a full bar
- Serve comfort food
- Skip the champagne toast
- Specialty over quantity – try creative cuisine
- Order a small or 2-tiered cake, then get a supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (not presented at cake cutting)
- DIY cupcakes or other creative cake alternatives
Media:
- Opt for a small band
- Hire a band or DJ who can do both the ceremony and reception
- Find a venue with built-in media system (sound, video, etc)
- Hook up your iPod
Photos (from the top): India Earl / Ali Bonomo Photography
Wedding Insurance
Unfortunately, you can’t plan everything and unforeseen occurrences like extreme weather, accidents, or illness could very well leave you in an uncomfortable position. Protect yourself against financial loss that could result from forced cancellation, wedding mishap or vendor incident. A trusted event insurance provider like Markel Event Insurance offers affordable prices on both event liability coverage and event cancellation coverage to protect your investment.
Photos: Anna Peklova / Tinted Photography
