How to Afford Your Dream Wedding

If you’ve had to delay your wedding this year, then you might be dreaming of a blow-out dream day instead, as soon as you can have all the guests that you want. The problem with a wedding like this that it comes with a hefty price tag. If you’re worried about how you can afford the wedding of your dreams, then you could try some of these ideas to help you save money, find deals, and afford the wedding you want.

Prioritize What’s Important To You

Before you start any of your planning, sit down and make a list of your top priorities for your wedding. These priorities will be different for every couple, so there’s no right or wrong answer. You and your partner should pick one thing each from this list. This means that you both get a say in something, and you don’t have to skimp on your budget for the things that matter most. For example, your top priority might be hiring a professional makeup artist to make you feel beautiful and glamorous. For your partner, it might be having a vintage car for your wedding car.

The rest of your list are ordered priorities. Spend most on the things that matter to you, whether that’s the dress, a photographer, or the venue, and save on the things that you care about least.

Use Your Connections To Keep Costs Low

Everyone knows someone, so use your connections to your benefit. Maybe you have friends that play in a band who would be willing to do a special offer, or a friend who has beautiful handwriting who would be willing to help you make place cards.

Perhaps you have family members who would be willing to lend you money for your wedding, or at least be the guarantor for a loan. If you don’t have anyone like this, you then you could look into non-guarantor loans.

If you can, hire local vendors. You’ll be supporting local business.

Pick The Right Day

The most expensive days of the week to get married are a Friday or a Saturday. This is because they’re the most popular days. You might have to sacrifice on being able to have everyone come, but if you can manage it, it’s much cheaper to get married on a weekday or even on a Sunday. Most of your guests will likely be willing to take time off to attend your wedding.

Don’t Rent A Venue

If you have a dream venue and don’t want to settle for something else, then you should go for it. However, if you don’t have a dream venue in mind, and are still comparing prices, then you could look into some alternative options. If you love the great outdoors, you could book somewhere cheap but still beautiful, like a local village hall, or pretty gardens.

Keep The Ceremony Small

A small, intimate, ceremony with a limited guest list is much more affordable. You can still invite more people to your reception afterwards. Sharing your vows in front of a small group is more intimate and means you can hire a smaller venue too and save on costs like hiring chairs. You can have other family and friends join you afterwards and still show them what an important part of your life they are.

Think about Video Invitations

It can be really time-consuming reaching out to all your guests to get their addresses. Instead, why not do something unique and fun like making a video invitation? Make a Facebook page to put the video on, and everyone that you want to attend the wedding.

This will save you time, paper, and a lot of money. You should also get more immediate responses than you would if you had to wait for people to mail back RSVPs, and you’ll save time chasing people for responses. For those not on Facebook, a quick phone call to those few people is still personal and not too time-consuming.

If you really want paper invites, skip the save-the-dates. Chances are, most of your guests already know when you’re getting married, and you can send your invites with enough time for people to book time off and arrange transport and accommodation. Just skipping these will make a big difference to your costs.

DIY The Decor

If you’re good at crafts, turn to Pinterest and YouTube for some ideas for DIY wedding decor. You can find ideas and tips for just about every wedding decor you can think of, from arranging your flowers to making your own cake. Creating your own decor saves you money, and it can be fun too, especially if you have friends and family willing to help you with your crafts.

Do Your Own Wedding Catering

Who says you have to have an expensive catered meal? Do something like a pizza bar, and it could be a huge hit. Pizza is a good choice, as you can easily offer different options for meat-eaters, vegetarians, and even those who have to eat gluten-free. There’s something for everyone. You can feed your guests for a fraction of the cost of a multi-course menu.

A catering alternative means you don’t have to pay for catering staff either. Save even more with a serve-yourself bar. This is cheaper and more social.

If you’re not big cake eaters, why spend on a wedding cake? Choose cupcakes, doughnuts, or even a tower of cheese instead for something cheaper, and more you.