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Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful events in a young couple’s life. This is especially true if you’re trying to have a budget-friendly ceremony.
But planning a wedding doesn’t have to be a pain. There are so many creative ways to organize the wedding of your dreams without going broke. You just have to look in the right places.
This article gives you a list of strategies that will undoubtedly make the wedding planning process an absolute breeze. And it’ll save you thousands of dollars in the process.
Read on to find out more!
Buy at the end of the wedding season
The best time to do your wedding shopping is as soon as the wedding season is over. Think about it. At this point, vendors and shop owners will have tons of extra stock that they will want to get rid of before the next wedding season starts.
Therefore, this is the perfect time to haggle for cheap prices. You’ll also find the best deals at this time too.
Buy new chairs, cutlery, table linens, and vases at very cheap prices. You should also consider buying your wedding dress at this time, because this is when you’ll find the best deals on those too.
Book your venue during the week
Wedding venues normally prefer to stay booked up all week. However, most people prefer weekend weddings. This means that from Monday to Thursday, most venues will be free.
This is your cue to swoop in and get your venue. Obviously, a weekend wedding would be the most ideal, however, you’ll save a ton of extra bucks if you go for a weekday wedding.
Venue owners will be more willing to give you a cheaper deal, and because they’ll be less busy, you’ll also get better service during the wedding.
Another tip for venue booking is to have your wedding in unconventional places. Like a public park, for instance. This will most likely be free, however, because the arrangement will have to be done from scratch, you might have to bear some extra cost.
Create your own wedding invites
According to The Knot, wedding invites typically cost around $590. That’s a lot. Especially for something that won’t even make it to the actual venue. You could spend this money on food, decor, and so much more.
Instead of getting expensive wedding invites, make your own. You can personalize them according to your preferences, and you won’t even have to worry about the designer getting them wrong.
The best part is, you don’t even have to make the invites from scratch. Sites like PosterMyWall have tons of wedding invitation templates that you can customize to make your own, unique invite.
Digital invites are not only a cheaper alternative to traditional invitations, they’re also a lot more environmentally friendly. And they save you the hassle of collecting RSVPs. People can simply RSVP online.
Get flowers that are in season
Do some research on what flowers are in season at the time of your wedding and get those for decoration. Flowers that are out of season are not only a lot more expensive, but they also don’t even look as nice as fresh flowers.
Here’s a small guide on seasonal flowers:
Summer:
- Hydrangeas
- Sunflowers
- Gardenias
- Zinnias
- Daisies
- Peonies
Spring:
- Roses
- Tulips
- Lilacs
- Daffodils
- Daisies
- Orchids
- Violets
- Pansies
- Irises
Fall:
- Chrysanthemums
- Crotons
- Asters
- Pansies
- Celosias
- Magnolias
- Camellias
Winter:
- French Tulips
- Gardenias
- Hollies
- Jasmines
- Orchids
- Roses
- Paperwhites
- Forget-me-nots
- Casablanca Lilies
Hire student groups for music and photography
Music and photography are both essential for any good wedding party. However, they can both cost you thousands of dollars.
Save money on both these things by looking up your local high schools and universities, and contacting their music and photography societies. Students are always looking for experience to build their portfolio, and so, many will do your work for free or at a low cost.
Of course, you need to vet them and make sure they’re good beforehand. Ask to see their previous work before you make any hiring decisions.
Keep your guest list small
The most costly element of any wedding is the guests. You need to feed them, seat them, and provide them with adequate entertainment. And half the time, you don’t even like everyone who’s at your wedding.
The perfect solution here is to trim your guest list. Here’s how you can go about it successfully. Make a list of all the people you want to invite, then slash it by 20 percent. Once you’ve done that, slash it by another 20 percent. That should be your finalized guest list.
Now of course, it’s not always easy to have a small guest list. But think about the upsides – you’ll have to spend less on food, you can get a smaller venue, and you can relax and have a good time with your closest friends and family members. That’s definitely a win.
Scrap the open bar
An open bar is nothing but a money pit. If there’s access to alcohol, chances are people will keep drinking it.
So why not keep a cap on the drinks you serve? This way, you’ll spend a fixed, lower amount on alcohol, and you’ll reduce the chances of people getting drunk and disrupting your party as well.
You can save a lot of money if you buy beer and wine in bulk beforehand. Once you’ve finalized your guest list, you’ll have a better idea of the amount of alcohol you’ll need.
Buying in bulk is also a lot more convenient. Simply find a place online like Total Wine, give them your quantity and the date you need them by, and have them deliver it straight to the venue.
Final thoughts
So you see, planning a budget-friendly wedding doesn’t have to be a total nightmare. In fact, it can be a lot more fun to keep things small and intimate because that way, you know the only people who are at your wedding are people you genuinely care about.
Remember to get a small venue and do a weekday wedding, get your supplies as soon as the wedding season ends, save up on flowers, invites, and entertainment, and put a cap on drinks.
Cutting some corners in these areas will allow you to have a fun wedding without dipping into your savings.
By Rimsha Imran
– I write blog posts related to lifestyle, marketing, and design for PosterMyWall. I’ve been writing since 2014 and in my spare time, I like to read, draw, and swim.
Member since August, 2021
View all the articles of Rimsha Imran.
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