How And Where To Cut Wedding Costs
If you aren’t making conscious and smart decisions, you will max out on your wedding budget before you even have time to blink. One thing that any bride to be should know right off the bat is that every single thing adds up and it adds up very quickly. Here are a few ways to cut cost without sacrificing the wedding of your dreams.
The Guest List
Ah yes, the infamous wedding guest list. Let me give it to you straight, the people on your guest list might as well have a fat price tag stamped across their forehead. One of the biggest places to cut cost for your big day starts with trimming down your guest list. Cutting your list by 20 to 50 people can save you up to $5,000. So really take the time and energy in curating a guest list that best reflects your relationships as well as your budget. For ways to handle guest list dilemmas dive into this article.
The Invitations
The quality of paper, the type of font, embellishments, pocket, shape etc. all come with a hefty price. Know that there are ways to create a beautiful invitation without going over budget! I would suggest sticking to one beautifully detailed element and leave the remaining elements quiet simple. Also, I don’t mean to be a massive Debbie Downer but keep in mind that many people open the invitation and then put it directly in the * dun dun dun * trash can. OH THE HORROR!
The Cake
Want to know a secret? Most wedding guests don’t even eat the cake. Having an over the top 7 layer tiered cake is not a suggested place to swipe the credit card if you’re trying to cut cost. There are many ways to have a bakery make a beautiful cake without running your bank account dry. Also know that many brides and grooms are staying away from serving cake all together at their wedding. For instance, Robby and I had a cake for “formalities.” One layer of the cake was real and the other two tiers were fake. Yup, totally fake. The one real cake layer was actually made from the Publix bakery (side note: it was mouthwatering delicious) however, we did not serve any at the wedding. Our guests enjoyed a frozen yogurt ice cream bar instead!
Flowers
Don’t panic. I am not going to suggest that you cut out flowers entirely because that would be an awful idea! But I will suggest that you are do your research and make budget friendly decisions. For instance, there is substitute for almost every single flower known to man and the best part is, you can hardly tell the difference! Ask your florist to recommend substitutions for the expensive blooms and you’ll be surprised how much you save per stem.
The Food
Think quality over quantity. You’d rather have a 3 course meal full of insanely good food then be served a 5 course meal of mediocre tasting food, am I right? Food is a massive component of a successful wedding but does it not mean that you can’t cut some corners to save money! Also, if your venue allows it, bringing in and buying your own alcohol is a HUGE cost saver. If you have any questions on how the venue handles alcohol make a note to ask them!
cover photo taken by Valorie Darling
