How to plan a wedding on a budget seems like something out of a fantasy. Is it even possible to have a wedding that doesn’t break the bank but checks off all the boxes? Weddings are important ceremonies hence why the average wedding will cost between $30,000 and $40,000. That’s a lot of money to spend on one day for just a few hours.
There are many moving parts in making a wedding successful and this post we will go over how you can plan a wedding on a budget that’s reasonable. I think that short of eloping it is difficult to plan a cheap wedding but it is possible so fear not.
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How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget
Here is a step by step guide on how to achieve this goal and still have a dream wedding. The goal is to stay within a reasonable budget but not to end up having a tacky-cheap looking wedding.
1. Have a budget
Budgets are critical because they set up the framework of the wedding. The first question after the engagement should be, “how much do we want to spend?” What type of wedding are you aiming to have and what are the must haves? This will give you an idea or a ballpark number of how much your dream wedding should cost.
With this in mind you can create a base budget and start moving and eliminating things as you go. To achieve this lofty goal there will be some sacrifice involved because honestly weddings are expensive and if the intent is to save money some things will need to be eliminated.
Sort out where the money will come from. Are your parents paying for some of it or are you covering the whole wedding? This will be key in determining your overall budget amount.
Don’t deplete your savings for this one day when you can use that money for your future.
2. Food & Drinks
Food and drinks are usually high-ticket items on a budget. For most weddings now feeding your guests will cost upwards of $75 per plate. That got expensive fast. This is where the guest list plays into the budget.
How many people are you planning to have at your wedding? I see people who have 500 people on their guest lists and I wonder, “Who knows 500 people intimately?” A wedding is an intimate affair and most people lose sight of that in the planning stages.
Sure, you are happy to be getting married and you want EVERYONE to celebrate your union but is it necessary? At 500 people the cost is already at $37,500 just to feed them and you haven’t paid for cocktail hour, entertainment and the venue.
Keep this in the forefront of your mind as you plan the wedding. Invite close friends and relatives usually around 40 people which is a much better number to feed. Also remember the fewer the people the better the food you can afford to feed them. You will have enough left for cocktails and hopefully your guests aren’t big drinkers.
3. Don’t spend too much on invitations
By now we all know that no one pays attention to paper invitations. I receive these gorgeous expensive looking invitations and then promptly forget about them. With technology you can automate the whole process by creating and sending invitations online.
With this style you also save on postage and electronic invitations are easier to save the date because calendars can be automatically updated. Alternatively, if your heart is set on sending paper invitations you can create them yourself. There are so many sites like Canva that make this process extremely easy. Buy the paper and envelopes and mail them yourself.
4. Venue
The venue is one of the most over romanticized locations I have ever seen. People book venues years in advance because their hearts are set on the décor, location etc. I personally think that if the location is quaint, clean and unique I wouldn’t worry about bragging rights. I don’t think people really care either way where you get married as long as they can get to it.
Scout around for venues depending on the type of wedding you want. If you want an outdoor wedding it may be free to have the ceremony outside and the party indoors later. While I don’t think you should be supercheap with the venue you should not go overboard either. If you have a church wedding for example you can find a local hall that would require some decoration and creativity on your part but would probably cost around $500 verses the $10,000 price tag on popular wedding venues.
Also avoid the destination wedding craze. It’s expensive and really serves no purpose. Sure, you’ll have great photos but you’ll also have a huge credit card bill to pay.
5. Day of wedding
Another great way to save on the wedding if you do decide to pick a popular venue is to play around with the day of the wedding. I have seen my friends get married on Thursday and Friday to save money. If you are concerned about your guests let them know ahead of time and then set the wedding time to evening to allow them to take care of prior commitments. The people who care about you will prioritize your wedding day regardless of when you set it.
Contact venues early and ask for different quotes. Don’t set your heart on just one. Shop around to ensure that you get a good deal for the day that you end up picking. Try to avoid wedding season and plan for a shoulder wedding when most vendors and venues aren’t fully booked and will probably offer better prices.
6. Photographer & Video
This in my opinion is one of your splurges even as we explore how to plan a wedding on a budget. That’s because these will be your memories of the wedding. There isn’t any point to planning a beautiful wedding and then not documenting it properly. A good photographer and videographer don’t have to be expensive.
Shop around for people who are just starting out and want to create a name for themselves. Always review their portfolios and the reviews their customers leave them. That’s the best gauge that you can use in terms of the quality of their work.
I would estimate that a good up and coming photographer should not cost more than $750 for the whole wedding ceremony. Remember if you set the wedding to start in the afternoon you will only have to pay for a few hours verses the whole day.
7. Wedding Dress
If you watch any of those wedding shows on TV, then you know that a wedding dress can get very expensive. Designer wedding dresses will cost $10,000 without batting an eye. I don’t think the wedding dress needs to be that expensive. You only wear it once for a couple of hours. Even as you consider these steps on how to plan a wedding on a budget don’t get carried away with the numbers. Enjoy the process.
Shop online for dresses that are on sale. A quick search will show you dresses that are anywhere between $99 and $500 even at David’s Bridal’s. If there is a location near you, you can stop by to shop. Off the rack dresses will always be cheaper. If your parents pay for it even better!
If you need to make alterations, then find a local tailor who may be cheaper than the store. Always try to find savings where possible.
8. DIY Decorations
One of the key steps in how to plan a wedding on a budget is to DIY the decorations. There are so many sources of inspiration for DIY decorations that aren’t tacky. Take your time with this to ensure you get the supplies that you need and set enough time to make the decorations. Don’t rush this because a rushed job will not look good on the day of. Most supplies can be found at local craft stores or on Amazon.
Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for DIY projects and I have used it so many times for other things. Keep it simple and elegant
9. Flowers
I’m not sure I could handle making the flowers myself for the wedding but you can find a local flower shop and select flowers that are within your budget. The centerpiece and the bride bouquet should be the stars. If any more flowers are needed, consider using artificial ones that are much cheaper.
If you aren’t all that concerned about how the flowers look it wouldn’t be difficult to find a video on YouTube and make them yourself. The grocery store always has flowers that you can use to prepare a nice arrangement if you are confident and crafty enough.
10. Entertainment
You can set up an automatic playlist and have one of your friends or family members MC the wedding. Make sure that the playlist selection is a fun one to keep your guests entertained.
Alternatively, you can shop for a DJ or a band. Craigslist always has listings of people offering their services. With a DJ you can send them the playlist and just have them there for extra support. Local bands are fun if they have good material and they make a wedding more authentic in some cases.
In this instance consider the options that you have, and the money left over to decide which option suits you the best.
11. Honeymoon
This is my personal favorite because after all the stressful planning you finally have a chance to get away from it all and celebrate your union privately. This is something I would save for slowly and probably doesn’t fit into the wedding budget but if you can squeeze it in why not.
One of the popular trends that I see now is to have people gift you the honeymoon instead of buying wedding presents. It saves you money and avoids getting gifts that you aren’t really interested in.
These tips are there to serve as a guide to save money on your wedding day. All wedding budgets are not created equal and where one couple may choose to spend $5,000 another couple may triple that. The trick here is to work with what you have to get the best outcome!
