7 Of the Best Ways to Control Wedding Costs

No matter what you feel your budget for your wedding will be, you’ll still want to do everything you can to conserve your costs and minimize expense. These 7 easy-to-execute ideas are where you’ll find unexpected cost-cutting measures to help you make your wedding expenses more manageable.

1. Cut the Guest List

The fastest and most effective way to lower your wedding costs is to have less invitees. We know it’s a tough decision to make but if you are having trouble deciding which guests to cut, make some rules and stick to them. You can learn more about the importance of guest list and controlling wedding costs in the section ‘Guest Count Counts!’

2. Consider the Cost to Print and Send

Wedding invitations are the first part of any wedding that guests see. Usually they show off the style and colors the couple has selected. However, there are some very easy cost-saving actions  couples can take to control their costs in this area. By using one shade of ink versus two, massive printing costs can be avoided. Additionally, bear in mind that square invitations or especially heavy invitation sets will require additional money for postage. More so than that, don’t forget about postage! Typically when creating an initial budget for a wedding couples will forget to include the cost to send the invitations they have budgeted for.

3. Stick with the Seasons and Substitute Floral

Choose flowers that are in season and locally available. When ordering centerpieces and bouquets, selecting floral that is in season locally and doesn’t face additional charges to be ordered or shipped will instantly help you reduce costs. Seasonal floral changes can help you save as much as $4 per stem.

4. Stay in One Place

How much is your time worth? What about the time of your vendors? On the day of your wedding comfort your budget by hosting both the ceremony and reception in one space. Not only will your guests thank you for not having to drive from one side of town to another, they will be able to enjoy themselves more. More so, you can get more from your vendors by eliminating any drive time they might incur by having to take time to travel from one location to another.

5. Make Your Bar Do Double Duty

Couples today are constantly looking for new ways to make their wedding ceremony and reception entirely unique, representing the couple. The quickest way to add a personal touch is usually by adding a signature drink. However, to help this personal touch stay affordable, consider offering a signature drink that already uses bar products offered in the bar package you have selected for your guests.

© Nyk + Cali, Wedding Photographers

6. Reconsider Your Date and Time

Saturdays are prime real estate in the wedding world, especially those Saturday in the warmer spring, summer, and fall months. With only 52 Saturdays throughout the entire year, peak seasons will have peak pricing. Control more of your wedding costs by considering alternate dates and times. Hosting a wedding on either a Friday or a Sunday has a real benefit when it comes to budgets.

7. Research Your Vendors and Weigh Your Options

Make smart decisions as you hire your vendors. Photography, music, floral, décor. Do your research. A live band is at least twice as much as a DJ in most cases. Photographers can cost anywhere from $800 to $8,000. Some of those decisions will need to be made earlier in the planning process, but others such as what to spend on floral, can wait until you have a better idea of your overall budget. It might also make you think twice about some of those must-haves you thought you had to have.

Regardless, always remember to stick to your budget.

If you are making a budget, it’s for a reason. If you want to know how to save money while planning your wedding, it is so you don’t go over your budget. Don’t waste your time doing the initial groundwork to have a budget to work off of if you aren’t going to put forth the effort to stick to it. Create your budget based on what is realistic to what you can afford and work within your means from there. The best way to keep your wedding costs in line with what you can afford is by exploring options that won’t exceed the maximum you’re willing to spend for it. If you consider options for your wedding that you know go beyond what you wanted to or are able to spend, your wedding costs will quickly balloon and the budget you were hoping to stick to will be blown.