Answers to Everyday Questions : What are some easy ways to save money when planning your wedding?

What are some easy ways to save money when planning your wedding?

15 Responses to “What are some easy ways to save money when planning your wedding?”

1. Jeff W said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 9:47 am

   Elope.
2. Travel Woman said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 10:01 am

   This question gets asked a lot, so search the answers for more responses.

   Try:
   -Making your own invites, decorations, buying things in bulk when you can
   -Having a pot-luck style meal
   -If you know of any photographers/bakers etc ask them for their skills in place of a gift
   -use a public place like a park vs venue
   -get married in a courthouse

   You can get married for pretty cheap these days.
3. Mrs Wilkins said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 10:28 am

   Have a light snack for your reception instead of a meal

   Buy your wedding dress on sale or second hand

   Skip the party favors, everyone loses them

   For the bouquets: the bride has a dozen flowers, the bridesmaids have a single flower (as long as it’s not a daisy or something really small) and choose in season flowers that are reasonably priced

   Research your venue carefully and check for random charges, like set up fees, take down fees and other junk like that

   Don’t have the wedding video taped, just photos

   See if you have any friends that are good at photography that can do a good job at your wedding, but I don’t recommend going cheap on the photos, they last forever and are worth the extra money

   That’s all I can think of right now, Good Luck and Congrats!
4. best_wedding_dress_guide said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 11:15 am

   CHeck out prices for the reception menus which can range from buffets, light wedding breakfasts, and afternoon teas, to elaborate sit down meals.

   choosing a reception venue

   there are many choice where to hold your reception. you can start with the traditional church halls to private homes, hotels, and countless of unusually locations like museums, galleries, and theme parks. now that there are so many approved wedding premises, it may be possible to combine your ceremony and party at the same venue.

   the Reception Venues tip list and wedding reception places

   start by going to visit anywhere you are considering

   make sure they can accommodate your specific plans and requirements

   book at least 9 t0 12 months in advance depending on location

   look at menus if catering is part of the package

   look at costs

   do not pay a deposit until you are sure your money is unlikely to be refunded if you change your mind.
5. sweetpea said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 12:15 pm

   You can make your own centerpieces, have smaller bouquets, make the reception adult only. You could have the baker of the wedding cake make a smaller cake to have on display in the reception area but have sheet cakes in the kitchen to serve and that will drasticaly drop the cost of the cake for you and no one will even notice.
6. Godsdoll said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 12:49 pm

   Be creative. Don’t have a huge reception, have a light buffet following ceremony. Google “Creative, affordable photographer” for your area. Search clearance racks for invitations, etc. Simple is okay… and second hand wedding dresses are brilliant – after all, it’s only worn once! If you do, you can resell it also
7. Mel said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 1:17 pm

   you can save alot of money by picking ideas and then goin to the craft store and buying the items to make yourself. there are alot of creative ideas online and you can also go to the book store and they have alot of books on ideas you can do yourself like ivitations places like target and micheals have great invitaions that all you have to do is write what you want and it included instructions on how to make them on the computer and they will mean so much more to your family!. you could make you own boquet with books they have and it will be cheaper then goin to a florist. try to find a place that is free that you can have the ceramony at and see if you can utilize someone backyard or a place you could just have a big gathering like a party and have a picnic style reception, it will be fun as long as you are with family!!. also just try to save as much as you can out of each paycheck and that adds up after a while.
8. coltqueen said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 2:07 pm

   Elope! Seriously, give it some thought – use all the wedding money for a much nicer honeymoon. If I had known ahead of time that our ceremony would last less than 20 minutes, the reception less than 2 hours I think we would have just went on our honeymoon and married at our destination. (not a huge destination wedding though..) That’s the best way I know of not to spend a fortune!
9. My thoughts said :
   March 14th, 2011 at 2:20 pm

   As much as possible, keep things simple. Think about what is really NEEDED. You don’t NEED matching everything or a lot of decoration stuff.

   Stick to the basics – friendship and decent food. You don’t need fancy food, just food people will eat and enough of it.
10. needanswers said :
    March 14th, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    Now I believe you asked how you can save money now for your wedding. I think you can start by not buying expensive stuff at the store. for example if you need new shoes instead of expending 50 try to spend 25 and have an account open just for the wedding and put the other 25 in the account. Sit down and figure out your monthly income along with his and see what your expenses are and then after your expenses what ever you have left start using it to buy things for the wedding and to pay for the reception place. I hope this helps. I know that this is what i would do.
11. iloveweddings said :
    March 14th, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    Hi and congratulations:

    1. Keep things as simple as you can.

    2. Have a small wedding party.

    3. Have a small guest list.

    4. If you can’t have a small guest list, then possibly do a cake, punch and coffee reception.

    5. Enlist HELP! If someone offers to make the cake, let them.
    If someone knows how to arrange flowers….let them.

    6. Print your own invitations using “boxed sets” that you can buy at Michaels, Walmart, Target and other discount or craft stores.

    7. Do everything simply…….a bowl with floating candles for centerpieces is one idea. No one is going to remember your decorations, invitations, or centerpieces….so, again, keep it simple.

    8. Another idea for simplicity is to have the bride carry just a few nicely arranged flowers – tied with a nice satin ribbon. The same for the bridesmaids….have them carry 1 or 2 flowers instead of a big huge bouquet….you can save tons by doing that.

    9. Look at discount places like David’s Bridal or JCPenney for a dress and bridesmaids dresses. There are many on David’s Bridal that are $200 or less! Ebay and second hand stores are another idea.

    10. Don’t waste money on any “extras” that the bridal industry says you “have to have.” Such as: favors; limos; videographer; unity candle.

    11. Go “outside the box” when it comes to a reception venue. Banquet halls and hotels can be expensive. Look around at other options….VFW halls, church halls. Because the reception is the biggest chunk of a wedding budget, this could be a substantial savings.

    Good luck!
12. Constellation said :
    March 14th, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    You can DIY most of it…just give yourself a lot of time to get things done. For the stationary, just print them using your home printer, and decorate simple paper with a really beautiful stamp and perhaps a shimmery ink color. You can repeat this stamp image on everything from the place cards to the programs.
    For the centerpieces, keep it simple-a nice candle in a simple hurricane lamp that has a ribbon tied around it, and toss some silver or gold confetti on the tables (it will catch and reflect the candlelight).
    For the dress, shop sales and you can potentially find a really fancy bridesmaid’s dress in white and that can save you money too.
    Keep the flowers seasonal and regional…lots of websites can give you that kind of information.
    Don’t worry about favors: no one notices/misses them.
    When looking at reception sites, don’t forget to look into places like local museums, park district buildings, little art galleries and even little family-owned restaurants. Sometimes you can get a really interesting venue for a reception for a really good price if you keep your eyes open to the possibilities of a space.
    Also, space out your purchases….weddingchannel.com has some REALLY good sales on things, as does some Ebay wedding stores, so buy things when they go on sale and hold on to them. It also gives you time to pace yourself and save the money.
    For the honeymoon, consider spending a few days at the nearest large city-it will save you money on airfare, and if you tell each place you are going to that you are on your honeymoon you usually get upgrades and free things.
13. Gabby said :
    March 14th, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    Many this year rising trends have carried over into new one, including tightened budgets, internet purchases, simplified weddings, popularity of all‐inclusive wedding packages, do‐it‐yourself decorations and services, and the use of inexperienced photographers. Couples are spending less on their weddings!
    Many couples that had originally planned 2008 weddings have pushed back their weddings to 2009 or 2010 in order to save more money while they wait. Vendors are seeing brides shopping around more and for longer periods of time before making a purchase. More couples are choosing to have their wedding take place on Fridays and Sundays, or even weekdays, in order to obtain vendor discounts. Couples are planning smaller or less formal weddings, mostly inviting close family and friends.
    Brides are searching for deals and choosing less expensive wedding gowns. Those that purchase expensive dresses are trying to sell them through wedding website forums after their wedding. Some bridal shop owners are offering discounts or giving away gowns to women who are on active duty or engaged to military personnel currently deployed.
    Brides are also cutting costs by going without extra items and services, or they choose smaller packages. For instance, hiring a photographer for a couple of hours as opposed to the entire day. Also, when couples do hire wedding planners, it is usually just for day‐of‐the‐wedding coordination. Couples are creating their own invitations instead of ordering them specially made. In addition, they are relying on family members to help with decorations, floral arrangements and photography, or they are purchasing lower end packages from vendors. Others are spending more on high‐end details, while paring down their guest lists.

    Recommendations:
    You could save:
    % -is out of budget for each wedding budget item/section, not the total budget
    5-25% 5% just by cutting down meals from 5 to 3 courses even more by choosing the buffet reception over sit down meals (sit‐down dinners break the flow and social fun of the wedding since everyone is forced to socialize solely with those at their table while waiting for each course, also buffets include the variety of foods available for picky guests or those with food allergies, as well as the increased ability for guests to move around and mingle)
    10%by picking Friday or Sunday date – please see the choosing date pr
    15%by choosing out of wedding season date – please see the choosing date pr
    20%by specifying house brands for the mixed drinks
    40%by making only the bottom tier of the cake real
    45%by buying invitations and favours on-line ( or no favours at all – Favours are viewed as unnecessary, and they are one of the first things couples go without when they’re on a tight budget.
    Up to 50%by buying the gown on truck show/on sale (note: the need for alterations has increased requests for altering services!)
    55%by DIY or in-season flowers
    Up to 65%by hiring DJ instead of band, even more if you creating your own play list using Ipod, mp3players, laptops – new trend as well
14. Diet Guru said :
    March 14th, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    One easy way to save money is to buy a wedding dress online. My wife did it and it was so much better quality than the bridal gowns she was trying on at the bridal shop. The dress is actually handmade with beads and silk. It only cost a few hundred dollars on the website. We saved about $600 dollars. They had a money back return policy and the favorite thing my wife liked is that no other woman had worn the dress. The website is http://www.bridalonlinestore.com She used a coupon and saved 5% off the total order but I do not know if it would still work but it is worth trying. The coupon was VIP. If your in the military you can save even more.
15. Amy M said :
    March 14th, 2011 at 5:23 pm

    I bought my invitations that included the rsvp cards and innner and outer envelopes at JoAnne’s. For the center pieces we bought vases from the dollar store and got cheap spray paint and painted them the color we wanted. We got our glasses and cake topper that matched at Wal-Mart. We cut out things that weren’t truly important. We went with a small florist for the bouquets instead of a larger more well known florist and I was more than happy with the out come. We spent a total of 3,500 and some people thought we spent up to 10,000….

    Good Luck