Some items that are needed for a wedding come at an expensive price. However, couples who are concerned with the amount of money they are spending can do certain things to save money on these big ticket wedding items.
The highest cost of any wedding is the rental of the venue, especially if a couple chooses one venue for their ceremony and a different one for their reception. Getting married on a holiday weekend is something couples need to avoid if they want or need to save money. Most venues will charge more on and around holidays, especially Valentine’s Day.
Less is more when it comes to decorating the venues for the ceremony and reception. In fact, the more decorations are present the more it detracts attention from the bride. Venues can be decorated with nothing more than candles and some flowers and still look elegant.
Though many brides will change out of the dress they wear for the wedding ceremony just in time to enjoy their reception, purchasing a second dress for the reception is an expensive idea that is often unnecessary. A simple white sundress or even a pantsuit is an acceptable change of clothes for the bride to make between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception and cost a lot less than an additional wedding dress.
Professional photographers can be expensive. The further they have to travel for a wedding the more they are going to charge the couple. The best way to save money on the wedding photographer is to book one that lives near the chosen venues. Local photographers charge less for their services because they don’t have the expense of traveling.
Planning the music for the wedding reception and cocktail hour can also be an expensive part of the process. It is best to choose either a live band or a DJ, as hiring both can become quite expensive. This is especially true when it is necessary to travel between the ceremony venue and the reception venue.
Though treating guests to a brunch the morning after the wedding has become a trend, it adds up to a huge expense that not all couples find necessary, especially in the case of a destination wedding. In most cases, guests are either leaving the morning after the wedding and/or get a free breakfast from the hotel they are staying in anyway. This is one expense that is generally not worth it unless a couple has money left over after paying for everything else.
Wedding favors can be a massive expense if you’re not careful, so it’s important to keep them as affordable as possible. You can pick up some very inexpensive wedding sparklers for a few cents each to give your guests a fun gift that will make your reception better.
Wedding cakes can become very expensive as well so many couples are choosing to have a friend or family member bake their wedding cake for them. Others choose cupcakes instead of a wedding cake, as bakeries generally charge less for cupcakes, even enough of them to equal a typical wedding cake.
These are the best ways couples can save on big ticket items for their wedding without having to sacrifice quality. By using creativity, you won’t have to compromise on your wedding expectations while trying to save money.
