Planning any wedding is incredibly stressful, and it gets even more difficult when you’re working with a particularly tight budget. Usually, wedding rings will occupy a large part of the budget, tungsten carbide rings are the great choice of many people when the budget is tight. The average amount spent on a traditional American wedding is $35,329, but not everyone has that much money to spend to start off a marriage, and few couples want to begin their lives together with debt. Instead, many choose to plan budget weddings that cost little but feel luxurious and expensive. If you want to say “I do” on a dime, check out these wedding planning tips that can help you save money.
Look At Alternative Venues
Just because many people get married in a place of worship or a big event hall doesn’t mean you have to as well. Traditional wedding venues will generally charge some of their highest rates for weddings compared to other types of events. This is because they know people are expecting to spend large amounts of money on their wedding, meaning they’re less likely to question a high venue rental price. Booking your wedding at a unique venue like a national park, restaurant, or even a zoo can help you save money while also giving you a great venue that people will be talking about for ages. These venues don’t often book weddings, meaning prices will often be more affordable.
Cut Corners Where You Can
Obviously, you’re not necessarily going to want to go with the cheapest catering available; in this case, higher prices usually are associated with quality. The cheapest catering option is, after all, often the cheapest for a reason. However, there are plenty of places where you can cut corners to save on your wedding costs. For example, do you really need to send out physical invitations to all of your guests? Printing costs might not seem like a concern at first, but they can add up fast. Instead, try customizing some digital invitations and sending them out via e-mail. You should be able to reach almost everyone on your guest list; according to the Pew Research Center, nine out of 10 American adults use the Internet. There are many small expenses you can avoid through creative methods like this during your wedding planning: try DIYing your floral arrangements, decorations, and more.
Avoid High Honeymoon Costs
As nice as honeymoons can be, they’re often incredibly expensive. Many couples dream of going on extravagant honeymoons to tropical destinations, but unfortunately these come at a cost. While it might not seem ideal, it’s totally okay to wait on your honeymoon if you need to – you could wait and have your honeymoon during your anniversary. Alternatively, if you’re set on having a honeymoon immediately following your wedding, look at domestic destinations instead of somewhere far off. There are over 19,000 airports, heliports, seaplane bases, and other landing facilities in the United States and its territories, meaning there are plenty of locations you’ll be able to access on a smaller budget. You won’t need to update your passport either, making them even more convenient.
Think Outside The Box
According to WeddingWire’s 2017 Newlywed Report, 63% of brides say that they feel a lot of pressure to have the perfect wedding. From gifts to entrees, this can be difficult to achieve and can lead to many couples spending far more than they realistically should to try to achieve what they see as a “perfect” wedding. Remember that at the end of the day, your wedding is a celebration of you and your spouse. It doesn’t have to live up to anyone else’s expectations, including your family’s. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the traditional concept of a big fancy wedding in order to save money, as long as you and your partner will be happy with your special day.
Weddings are often big and expensive occasions, but they don’t have to cost you a fortune. Careful planning and spending can help you have a gorgeous dream wedding for a fraction of the cost.
