Lets be honest, everyone has a budget when planning a wedding. Some budgets are larger than others but most couples are looking for ways to be able to save a little here and there. One of our most popular sections is our Rustic Budget Weddings area where you can see some amazing real budget weddings all planned with a budget in mind. Make sure you check out this post on a wedding planned for under $7,000 and our post on how to have a low cost wedding bar.
1. Location Location Location
The wedding venue cost can really eat up a budget so one great way to save money is to select a venue that is not a full service type of wedding location. Wedding locations like parks, camps, and gardens might be able to be rented for as little as $150.00 to secure the location. We featured this amazing couple who hosted their wedding at a public park and it looks as elegant as a more traditional wedding venue would be. Ever think about having your wedding in your backyard – its free and can be made to look beautiful. Read our post on 10 Reasons To Have A Backyard Wedding to get good tips and tricks. Want to see a full list of alternative wedding venues – check out our Rustic Wedding Guide
2. Guests List
The number one way to save money when planning a wedding is to trim the guest list. The less people you have at your wedding means the less you have to spend on things like invitations, food and rentals. Its simple math, the more people you have the more cost there will be. Get your guest list down to a reasonable number and you will see some major savings.
3. DIY…But Only A Little
I know many brides think that if you DIY your entire wedding you will be saving money but in the end DIY’ing does not always mean a large savings is coming your way. My best advice is to pick only a select few items to DIY and turn the rest over to the professionals. We have a great post on What To DIY At Your Wedding And What To Leave To The Pros which I encourage everyone to read. You really are not going to save money by trying to cook your own food for you day since you will probably either over feed or under feed your guests and you will not be getting the discounts that many catering companies are entitled to. If you really want to DIY a few key items at your wedding think about taking on just the centerpieces, the ceremony decor or the flowers – beyond that you are better working with the pros.
4. Timing Is Everything
Afternoon weddings and evening weddings cost the most without question so if you are looking for a good way to save you might want to think about hosting a morning or brunch wedding. Not only will many locations offer you a better price for a wedding at these times but since it is not at night you might be able to get a better rate.
Let these tips save you money for your honeymoon!