Get Your Dream Wedding Without Breaking The Bank

The average wedding costs $17,000 so you might need to break the bank anyway.

Author Photo of Wayne Bean By: Wayne Bean / Twitter @BeanWayne
Contributing Writer
Published: 6/8/11 | Updated: 11/7/17

Laying out the paperwork with a calculator to evaluate some budget possibilities.

Laying out the paperwork with a calculator to evaluate some budget possibilities. |Image provided by Pexels

Your wedding is perhaps one of the most important days of your life. The momentous occasion signals a new chapter that you will be creating with your sweetheart, so it only makes sense that you celebrate the event with a bang. Unfortunately, throwing a party fit for a wedding means spending a lot of cash, and for many, especially those who are still being affected by the current economic conditions in the U.S., careful planning needs to be done to ensure that they stay within budget and don't start their new lives as husband and wife in debt.

Wedding Planner

There are many ways to still have an amazing wedding day without breaking the bank, and the first decision that you have to decide on is whether or not to hire a wedding planner. Wedding planners are there to organize the whole event from the dress to the details on the napkins. It's up to you and your sweetheart's discretion to weigh the pros and cons of hiring a planner and whether you'll be saving in the long run. Understand that you will undoubtedly have to pay for their services, but these individuals can also save you on many deals including finding the best and cheapest florists or caterers. Additionally, having that extra helping hand will prevent you from stressing out.

Wedding Dress

If you're thinking of a simpler kind of wedding without the need for an event planner, there are other ways that you can do to save on that special day - starting with the dress. Have you considered wearing a hand-me-down from your relatives? Okay, hear us out! We're not saying you walk down the aisle wearing your mom's 80s polyester dress with puffed up sleeves! But if the dress is presentable - perhaps a classic and elegant gown with laced detailing - then you might have the perfect option for your wedding. With an open mind, you could also have it altered and customized to your liking - you could remove the laced long-sleeves for a spring wedding that will showcase your arms.

Invitation Cards

Another way to save cash on that special day is through your invitations. Many couples splurge up to thousands of dollars just to get the perfect invitation card with the right paper thickness, font, and embossing - but are these options really necessary? If you're on a budget, perhaps a simpler design will do - you can even check out a Rexcraft Coupon Code and get further savings when you order your invites. If you're the DIY type, then you could print the cards yourself! All you need are blank invitations available in many specialty shops. You can create your template on a computer and print it yourself or have it sent to a professional print shop. If you consider yourself eco-friendly, you can even skip the physical invitations altogether and opt for an e-vite. Several websites offer this service wherein you can easily choose a template and have the company send the invites digitally. Not only are you saving a ton by not purchasing customized paper, but you are also saving the environment.

Location

Booking a venue for your wedding can be costly but you can still save a lot with the right location. If you have a beautiful backyard, then why not have the event right there? This is, perhaps, the most practical way to celebrate your commitment with your loved one without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, not everyone has a backyard that can comfortably fit a few of their closest friends and family. If you're in the hunt for that perfect venue, have you considered parks as an option for your special day? Public recreational facilities like the beach or a state park will charge you a lower cost as opposed to a private venue like a hotel or resort. Additionally, sharing your first toast as a married couple may be even more romantic under the shade of trees as opposed to inside a hotel recreation hall.

Decorations

Purchasing the perfect decorations for one's special day is perhaps where the budget gets out of control. It just starts adding up - you end up choosing white roses as opposed to simple daisies - and next thing you know, you just dropped a few thousand dollars on flower arrangements alone. So when it comes to décor, try and be practical - do you need gold-plated napkin holders for the reception or is it fine to just have them folded without the need for any fuss? Additionally, you can check out The Knot Wedding Shop Promotion Code and perhaps save on a few of your purchases. Minimizing on your decoration purchases also ties in with the venue that you're going to pick. Having your wedding in a gorgeous state park amongst giant trees and flowering bushes will allow you to skip over the many decorative knickknacks - why decorate when you're surrounded by a beautiful landscape?

Food

Food is where couples normally spend a majority of their wedding budget especially if you have a huge guest list. So besides being smart about who to invite, getting the right caterer and serving the right food will also ensure that you stay within your spending limits. A buffet dinner, for example, is surprisingly cheaper than a multi-course plated meal, so consider that. Additionally, if you're a budding cook yourself, why not do some of the catering to cut costs? Many couples these days are opting for cupcake wedding cakes as opposed to those extremely expensive varieties covered in fondant. If you are on a tight budget, why not bake the cupcakes yourself and arrange them in a tier for a truly personalized wedding cake that your guests will love?

Wayne Bean, Contributing Writer

Wayne is a personal finance expert and former financial planner. He contributes knowledge gleaned from his time at AMB and a lifetime of frugal living. Not much of a Twitter user.