Simple Ways to Save on Your Wedding {Without Sacrificing Your Vendors!}

Let’s get real. Weddings are expensive.

It’s no secret. It’s probably why your wedding budget is treated like another awful four letter word. However, whether you want to admit it or not, your wedding budget is the necessary evil that doesn’t make our bank account cry too much. You may have started planning your wedding wondering how you’re going to stick to it. (Or you may be wondering how you’ll get your dream wedding on your budget!)

What if I told you I am a firm believer that every bride deserves their best day ever and can bring that to life with any budget?

I should also probably start off by saying this. I am not recommending that you sacrifice the quality of your vendors for the cost. I’m actually stating the opposite. Sacrificing some little details can possibly allow you to afford those dream vendors to bring your dream day to life.

Second of all, it’s important to realize that most amazing wedding vendors are expensive. (Spoiler alert: They’re expensive for a reason!) You’re paying for their experience, their time, and their effort to make your wedding day the most perfect day in the world. With that being said, keep in mind these simple ideas on how to save and where to cut back so that you can splurge on an amazing vendor team (and that dream photographer you follow on Instagram!)

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Scale Down the Guest List

This alone is going to save you so. much. money. I can guarantee it. Scaling down your guest list could probably save you the most money, to be honest. By inviting only close friends and family, you’re saving money on invitations, catering, favors, rentals, and space needed when picking out your wedding venue. It is really all like a snowball effect, and it all originates with your guest count. (Fewer Guests = Less Cost)

Don’t get me wrong. Having a more intimate wedding doesn’t mean it can’t be extravagant! It just means you can spend that extra money you saved on X number of guests in the details listed above on something else. Plus, how nice would it be actually knowing everyone in attendance at your wedding? By having a more intimate wedding, you can scale down your costs and splurge on an amazing vendor team who are passionate about making your day the best. (Like that amazing photographer who will give you tangible memories of your wedding that last a lifetime!)

Have a Smaller Bridal Party

It’s super hard as it is to choose who should stand by you on your wedding. You want everyone to feel included, and you can’t have Susie in your wedding without Angela. Sound familiar?

As you may be figuring out right now, it’s often the case that more bridesmaids equals more drama. It also equals more plus-ones (aka. higher guest count), more bouquets and boutonnieres to order, more gifts, and over-all more cost. Cut down on drama and your cost by only selecting your closest friends to be in your bridal party. Like I tell brides time and time again, it’s about quality over quantity when it comes to your bridal party. Just because you don’t include them in your bridal party doesn’t mean you can’t include them in on all your parties and gatherings along the way. There may be some hard feelings at first, but if they’re really you’re friend they’ll definitely understand.

Get Married on a Friday or Sunday

I’m sure you already knew that Saturdays are the most popular day for weddings. Because of this, it’s often true that booking some venues on a Friday or Sunday is cheaper than booking it for a Saturday.  This can also be true during their off season for weddings. If you’re in love with a particular venue, ask them about booking in the off-season and Friday/Sunday prices! You could get your dream venue at a lower cost.

Get Married Mid-Day

If you get married in the middle of the day on a Saturday or Sunday, say 2:00, you could have the option of serving heavy hors d’oeuvres to your wedding guests rather than a full meal. Most people will probably eat before they come, and if you’re having a shorter reception, they’ll most likely make dinner reservations afterwards. You’ll still have some amazing food that your guests will love, but you’ll still be saving some money in the end. Plus, you may also end up saving  on alcohol in the end as well if your guests aren’t that much of day-drinkers. (Please note this may not be the case with college students getting married. HAHA!)

Get Married in a Naturally Beautiful Venue

What I mean by choosing a venue that is naturally beautiful is choosing a venue that won’t need a lot of decorations to make it beautiful. Thus, choosing a venue that is naturally beautiful will save you a lot of money on decorations you’d otherwise need to dress up the space. For example, getting married outside in nature with a lot of greenery can easily be dressed up with flowers and an arch while getting married in a elegant ballroom with a lot of character can be enhanced with smaller details while letting the venue itself do the talking.

Skip on Printed Menus

Beautifully printed menus that match your stationary suite are a beautiful little touch on a wedding day. However, they aren’t mandatory. By skipping on menus, you’re saving that much more on stationary for the possibly pretty large guest list. Plus, they’ve already chosen their meal option if you opted for a plated dinner. Use that money instead by splurging on that calligrapher to address your wedding envelopes or make some lovely signs for you.

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It’s no secret that weddings are expensive, but I’m here to tell you it’s possible to have your dream wedding on a budget without having to sacrifice the quality of your vendors. While it may be hard, cutting back on little things like these simple ideas will allow you to splurge on what truly matters to you in the end. Send me a comment below! What simple ways are you saving on your wedding?