101 Ways to Save on Weddings

Due to numerous requests from our readers, we are reprinting our article “101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding”  in its complete form.  Thank you for asking…

With the cost of weddings spiraling upwards s of $27,000 (depending on where you plan to have your wedding), and the unstable economy, many engaged couples are looking for ways to save money on their wedding. We, at Completely Weddings, have listed 101 ways to cut your wedding cost and thereby saving you money to use somewhere else such as your honeymoon or savings for your first home.

Planning

1. Set a budget. Before you begin shopping and planning, set a goal for yourself of how much you want to spend. Make an effort to keep your costs in your budget, and remember that any additional money you save can go towards your honeymoon or your first home together.

2. Determine your priorities. Sit down with your fiancé and determine which area are most important to you. Do you both value traditions or could you do without a lot of them? Is a DJ the most important thing to have at your reception, or is it a full meal? Chose where you want to cut costs and what things are too important to you to skimp on.

3. Make your own traditions and ditch the old ones. If there are certain traditions that you don’t enjoy, such as throwing the garter and the bouquet (especially difficult if you have a very small wedding), don’t feel obligated to include them. You can create traditions all your own.

4. Don’t hire a wedding planner. If you are planning a small event especially, you don’t need a wedding planner. Invest in an accordion file and a wedding planning book from a bookstore and do it yourself.

5. Keep your eye out for bridal shows. Bridal shows are a great place to get freebies, gather information, and enter contests. The least you’ll walk away with is a better idea of what you want in your wedding, so find your next local bridal show and mark your calendar!

6. Order online. For everything from dresses to flowers to favors, you can get some great deals when you shop online. Do your homework before you make a purchase at any store and see if you can’t find the same thing cheaper on Amazon, EBay, or Overstock.com.

7. Take your time. Don’t rush into decision making. You may fall in love with all of the first things you see because you’re so excited just to be planning a wedding. Take time to make sure you’re getting the right wedding and reception items for your personal taste, and look into getting the best deal for each item.

8. Accept offers from friends and family. If you have particularly talented or crafty people in your family, chances are they will be jumping at the chance to offer their services. If you know that they’re good at what they do, take them up on their offers and enlist their help with DIY wedding projects.

9. Speak up and negotiate. Negotiation is not a lost art. Stand up for yourself and try to get the best deal possible with all of your vendors.

10. Befriend your local librarian. Before you go spending all your money on bridal magazines and books, go to your local library. Here you can browse etiquette and wedding planning books and magazines to your heart’s content without spending a dime.

11. Shop wholesale online. Search for wholesale retailers for everything from flowers to ribbon, and you can get a great deal online.

Invitations and Announcements

12. Skip engagement announcements and save the dates. These extra touches are cute, but no longer completely necessary. Take the time to make a personal phone call to the most important people in your life and let work of mouth do the rest. Or, if you must get the word out, use an email instead.

13. Cut down your guest list. The quickest and easiest way to save money on your wedding is to cut down your guest list. Have a small wedding with only family, or only invite very close friends. Cut the people you never talk to, or all of your coworkers from the list. If anyone is offended explain that it was a very small and intimate affair.

14. Design and print your invitations at home. You can buy blank invitations at any craft store, Target, or Wal Mart. If you or someone you know is handy with Photoshop or graphic design you can even create a very personal picture or logo for all of your wedding correspondence.

15. Print your own announcements. If you did this with your invitations as well, it will be especially easy to make them match. Invitations only need to be one simple card.

16. Eliminate the RSVP card. Have your guests RSVP by phone or online. This will save you the expense of printing the response card and including the extra envelope as well as on postage for the return envelope.

17. Opt out of an inner envelope and tissue paper. The inner envelope and tissue paper are sometimes considered an outdated inclusion. You can easily get by without one or both.

18. Include only the basics. Save on your invitations by only including the very basics on the paper invitation. Put ceremony and reception information on the same invitation.

19. Get an inexpensive personal wedding website. Provide the web page address and include the invitation and all the details online. To get more information on choosing the personal wedding website for you, read our blog “Creating A Wedding Website“.

Flowers

20. Make your own bouquets. You can purchase a wide variety of silk flowers at any craft store. These won’t wilt so you can take your time creating the perfect bouquets.

21. Know what’s seasonal and local. Choose flowers that are in season at the time are your wedding, and that can be locally grown. You can save a lot by avoiding exotic flowers out of season.

22. Incorporate greenery and ivy. You can fill out your bouquets with greenery and ivy. These are cheaper than using flowers only in your bouquet. This will work especially well if you are planning an “eco-friendly wedding” or to include green in your wedding colors.

23. Reuse your flowers. Consider using some of the same flowers decorating your ceremony to decorate your reception. Assign a few helpful friends to transport the flowers after the ceremony and set them up for the reception.

24. Don’t decorate the head table. Instead of decorating the head table with flowers, use the bridesmaids’ bouquets, set in vases along the table.

Food and Drink

25. Go for the buffet. By selecting a buffet instead of a plated meal, you’ll save not only on the meal but on the servers as well. This is also a bonus for your guests who don’t have to decide ahead of time what they’ll want to eat that day, and can fill their plate however they want.

26. Skip the filet mignon. Chose chicken, fish, and pasta as your options. Consider including pork of beef. Steak may seem like a very formal option but it will run up your bill more than it’s worth.

27. Serve fewer courses. You can serve a higher quality three course meal for the same price as a five course meal. There’s no need to over complicate things.

28. Skip the bar. Don’t feel obligated to provide your guests with a bar. Soda, tea, and water will often do just fine. If you have your reception at a hotel there is often a bar nearby that your guests can get drinks from on their own that won’t cost you a cent. Having a reception earlier in the day – during brunch or lunch is often a good excuse to have a dry party.

29. Have friends and family cater. If you don’t mind going for a less formal affair, you can have friends and family cater the reception. If this isn’t quite in line with your reception plans you can also consider doing this for the rehearsal dinner.

30. Have an informal rehearsal dinner. You can save a bundle by having a casual rehearsal dinner. Plan a cookout, potluck, or barbecue. Your guests will still have a great time, and probably enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.

31. It doesn’t have to be dinner. If you move your wedding to an earlier time, you can have the reception at brunch of lunch time. This will allow you to go for cheaper menu options, like fruit and tea sandwiches. If you want a buffet, consider setting up an omelet bar!

32. Save champagne for the toast. There’s no need to keep the champagne flowing all night. You can serve one glass to each guest for the toast, and serve other beverages the rest of the time. For a non-alcoholic toast, consider serving Martinelli’s sparkling cider. It looks like champagne, tastes good and it’s way cheaper.

33. Serve a limited bar. If you don’t want a dry wedding but aren’t ready to spring for a full bar, just serve wine, beer, and soft drinks to cut your costs.

34. Shorten your cocktail hour. Though it is called the cocktail “hour” you can limit the time during which you serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres to save a little money, and prevent your guests from filling up before the meal!

35. Bring your own alcohol. Many locations do not allow this, but if you do your research you may be able to have your reception in a place where you can bring your own alcohol. Wine and liquor can be purchased much cheaper by the case.

36. Select a seasonal menu. Try to include items in your menu that are both locally grown and in season. You can really work down the meal price if you select your fruits and vegetables carefully.

37. Use smaller plates. If you serve your meal on 8 inch plates instead of 10 inch plates, you can serve less food while still providing a plate that looks full.

38. Go for the keg. For large groups it will be much cheaper to buy beer buy the keg – not the bottle.

39. Cut down on servers. Only hire the minimum number of servers needed. Other than serving the meal, they won’t be doing much besides racking up your bill.

Location and time

40. Book a block of hotel rooms. If you will have guests coming from far away to attend your wedding, find a hotel near your wedding that will negotiate a discounted rate for a block of rooms. Advise your family and friends to make their reservations there. If you and your new spouse stay here before or after the wedding this will not only save money for your guests, but for you as well.

41. Choose your day carefully. The most popular, and expensive, time to have your wedding is on a Saturday. Friday and Sunday will be cheaper, and Monday through Thursday is your best deal.

42. Avoid the peak season. The busiest wedding season is May through September. If you avoid these months, you can save a lot of money, and get better services for a lower price. There are also lots of great themes you can incorporate for an autumn or winter wedding!

43. Use the same location. Have your wedding and reception at the same location. This is often available in hotels and country clubs where you can have the wedding in their garden, and reception in a banquet facility. You can negotiate a great deal by having both in the same place, as well as saving your guests some travel.

44. Have a garden wedding. If you choose a garden location for your wedding, you can save on decorations. You may not need any! Let the beauty of the location do it all for you.

45. Use your church. If you belong to a church, they will often provide function halls, some with complete kitchens, free of charge to their members.

46. Have it at home. Getting married at home may seem like an outdated tradition, but if you or your family has a large house or yard, it can often be the perfect location. You will have the freedom to decorate however you want, and your wedding will be a very private affair.

Cake

47. Skip the bakery. Any place that specializes only in wedding place is going to be expensive. Go to your local grocery store, culinary school, or even your favorite restaurant to negotiate a better deal.

48. Serve the entire cake. Saving the top layer of the cake is often considered a dead tradition. You can save a lot of money by serving your entire cake.

49. Use a fake cake. Instead of ordering an expensive wedding cake, why not opt for a “fake wedding cake”? These cakes are made of styrofoam and are beautifully decorated. They can stay on display all day long, even outdoors with no worries about bugs or humidity. They look so real, your guests won’t even have a clue it is fake.

50. Use cupcakes. Cupcakes for wedding cake are getting popular these days. They costs way less than the “wedding” cake and you can have them in different flavors that your guests can choose from.

51. Order extra sheet cake. If you want an elaborately decorated cake but can’t afford one big enough to feed everyone, go for a smaller cake on display, and have sheet cake in back for cutting and serving. If the icing matched, your guests will never know the difference.

Attire

52. Wear an heirloom or vintage dress. Vintage wedding gowns are in for 2009. See if any of your female relatives have a wedding dress they want to pass down to you. Ask your fiancé to do the same. His mother or grandmother may be thrilled to see you in their gown, especially if he doesn’t have sisters.

53. Rent tux’s from the same bridal shop you got your dress from. Many bridal shops will offer a discount on the men’s tuxes if you rent them from their location.

54. Let them wear suits. Instead of tuxes, you can save money for your groom and groomsmen by letting them wear suits instead.

55. Casual groomsmen attire. If you are planing an outdoor wedding, especially, you have a lot of options for the men’s attire. Consider a colored button down shirt and black pants or khakis. Ties are optional.

56. DIY jewelry. You and your bridesmaids can make some of your jewelry yourselves. Buy the thread, beads, and clasps and get all the girls together to craft their own jewelry. This way you will match, while still allowing each girl to have their own personal touch.

57. Go barefoot. If you’re planning a beach wedding you can ditch the shoes altogether! Have the girls go barefoot and consider making barefoot sandals instead.

58. Get a tiara at the mall or online. Avoid bridal shops and fancy jewelry stores. You can find a great tiara at department stores or online at Bridal ‘N Beauty.

59. Rent a wedding dress. You can save hundreds or even thousands by renting a wedding dress instead of buying one. Your wedding dress can be a very sentimental item, so not everyone will want to go this route, but if you’re able to it’s a surefire way to save.

60. Let the bridesmaids choose their own dresses. Many people will now simply choose a color and let their bridesmaids run with it. This works especially well if you have a color like black that’s easy for everyone to match.

61. Borrow your jewelry. You need something borrowed anyway, why not make it one of the more expensive accessories? Ask friends and family members if you can look through their jewelry for your “something borrowed”. They will likely be flattered and you can find some great pieces!

62. Don’t limit yourself to bridal shops. You can find wedding dresses now in most department stores and even online at places like Target! These dresses are a lot less expensive and often look just the same.

63. Choose a non-traditional dress – Your wedding gown can really be any dress that you love and feel beautiful in. If you love vintage clothing, consider any lacy vintage dress for your wedding gown. If you’re getting married outdoors or at the beach, you can even wear a more casual dress.

Hair and Makeup

64. Have a friend do hair and make up – Instead of hiring a professional to do your hair and make up, you can take a more DIY approach. Many people are often best at putting on their own makeup and know exactly how they like it. Or consider having a friend help with the task.

65. Go to a local cosmetology school – Consider getting your hair and makeup done at a cosmetology school instead of a licensed professional. These students are often just as good and will put extra effort into their work to impress their instructors.

66. Get a group mani/pedi’s – Make an appointment to get manicures and pedicures together with your bridesmaids. Let the salon know you are a bridal party. You can often negotiate a discount for the group of you, or get the bride’s free.

Rings

67. Shop for your rings online – Purchasing rings online, especially from a place like Amazon.com can save you a bundle.

68. Opt for simpler rings – If you and your fiancé are on a tight budget, skip the giant diamonds. Get small, simple rings for each other. If you’re a girl who secretly longs for that perfect diamond, you can agree to get new, custom designed rings on your 1, 5, or 10 year anniversary when you may be more secure financially.

69. Use an heirloom – Many families have heirloom rings that they want to pass on. Your only expense may be resizing it.

70. Reuse stones – If you don’t want to use an heirloom ring, consider using the stones from an inherited ring to create your own.

Music/Entertainment

71. Put together your own music – Skip the DJ and play music from a CD you’ve burned for the occasion, or hook up your iPod and set it to a special wedding playlist.

72. Have a friend or family member announce you – If you’re playing your own music, enlist a friend or family member to announce the wedding party as they enter.

73. Make your own short video – Rent a projector (or borrow one from work if you can!) and put together a short video of the bride and groom together. Set it to music and play your video after dinner.

74. Set up a slideshow – Rent or borrow a projector and set up a slideshow or pictures of you and your husband. Set it to loop so guests can catch all your pictures throughout the reception.

75. Enlist a local band – If you know of a good local band, or are friends with any musicians, enlist them to play for the ceremony or reception.

76. Hire student musicians – If you want live music for your ceremony, you can often find a beautiful rendition of traditional of classical music by looking for talented students. Many high schoolers are much better than they get credit for. Contact a high school band director and ask him to see if any of his best students are interested. They will likely do it for a very affordable price. Make sure you get to hear them play your selected piece a couple times before you hire them.

Photography/Videography

77. Hire a student photographer – Many people will urge you not to skimp on your photos. While this is true, hiring a student photographer or even a talented family or friend isn’t a bad idea if you look at samples of their work first and know that they are good at what they do. Students often do better work because they are anxious to build up an impressive portfolio and impress instructors and future employers.

78. Get pictures from your guests – Encourage your guests, especially close friends and family, to take lots of pictures and send you copies or burn them to a CD. Oftentimes, it’s these people who get the best candid shots. Look through their pictures before you purchase everything from the photographer.

79. Use disposable cameras – Don’t hire a photographer for the reception and instead set out disposable cameras on all of the tables. Your guests will have a great time capturing your special moments. You can also enlist one special friend or family member with a digital camera to catch specific moments that are important to you.

80. Purchase the negatives – Negotiate a deal with your photographer where you can purchase the negatives. This way you can make as many prints as you want in a variety of sizes.

81. Get a picture CD – Purchase a CD from your photographer with all of your pictures on it. You can edit the pictures on your own computer, or take the CD to a drug store and use their software. This way you can print the pictures at your convenience and get reprints at any time. Wait for your CVS or Walgreens to run a special and take advantage of their great deals.

82. Enlist friends and family – For video of the wedding and especially the reception, compiling several videos from guests can often be more fun and personal than paying someone else to do it.

Decorations

83. Print your own place cards – You can easily print your own place cards at home and print decorations on them, or decorate them with ribbons.

84. Skip the place card holders – Use place cards that fold in half and stand on their own in place of fancy place card holders

85. Arrange your own centerpieces – You can arrange the flowers yourself for the centerpieces at your reception. Buy silk flowers so you can take your time putting them together.

86. Get creative with your decorations – Instead of flowers, you can decorate with candles, Christmas lights, fruit, seashells, or any number of creative items. Go to a craft store and browse around for inspiration. One way to start is with a fishbowl or shallow dish on a mirror. You can fill the bowl with water and floating candles, or sand and seashells.

87. Have your wedding near a holiday – If you have your wedding near a major holiday like Christmas or Easter you can often save on decorations because the church, or other venue, will already be decorated beautifully. Choose wedding colors that will complement the seasonal decorations.

88. Share your decorations – If there are other weddings taking place in the same venue on the day of your wedding get in touch with those couples and see if you can arrange to split the cost of some decorations and share them for the day. If you want to keep any of these items, be sure to make this clear ahead of time.

89. Decorate with pictures – Instead of flowers or candles, incorporate artistic pictures of the happy couple into the decorations. These can be edited at home on your computer and printed out at your local drugstore.

Favors

90. Make your own favors – Many craft stores sell a variety of small bags, ribbons, and candies. You can save a bundle by filling the bags yourself with chocolates or mints and adding cute ribbons in your wedding colors.

91. Have decorations double as favors – This route is a perfect two-for-one money saver. Place candles at each place setting in a holder with your wedding date engraved on it. Set candies in small decorative glass bowls. You can even make a floral centerpiece out of several small potted plants set together. All of these decorations can become your favors at the end of the night and go home with your guests.

Attendants

92. Buy your attendant gifts online – Shop online at theknot.com or other online bridal stores to find great deals on attendant gifs. Most offer free personalization

93. Have a small wedding party – Opt for only asking your two or three closest friends to be in the wedding party. The fewer attendants you have, the more personal your experience will be.

The Ceremony

94. Print your own programs – Your wedding programs can be a simple trifold, or several pages tied with a pretty ribbon. Any way you do them, these are simple to print at home and put together yourself. Invite your bridesmaids over and make a party of it. If you’re having a small, nontraditional wedding you can go without programs entirely.

95. Give them bubbles – Instead of rice or flower petals, give your guests bubbles. You can buy small bubbles for just this purpose at craft stores or Wal-Mart. Many come with wedding bells or doves already crafted onto the lid. You can decorate them further with ribbons or paint.

96. DIY Guestbook – Buy a guestbook at any craft store and make it your own. Add ribbons or lace to the cover, and decorate the front page. A guestbook that doesn’t specify that it’s for weddings will probably be cheaper, and exactly the same in every other way.

97. Make your own ring bearer’s pillow – If you have a ring bearer, don’t spend a lot of money on the perfect pillow. This is the perfect item to make and decorate yourself. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or complicated.

Extras

98. Skip the limo – You can hire town cars instead of a limo for your transportation.

99. Have a friend drive – Enlist a friend with a nice car to be your driver for the event, and save on a limo.

100. Buy simple thank you cards – If you want a personal touch, print your own thank you cards. For an even easier approach, simply buy a box of simple thank you cards from a craft store. Even stores like Target and Wal-Mart carry these.

101. And lastly, but not least, avoid anything labeled “wedding” from gowns to shoes to cakes, the word “wedding” adds extra costs and usually without added benefits.