In all our years of planning, designing and coordinating weddings, never once has a bride come to us and said, "money is no object." It sounds great in the movies, but it never happens in real life. One of the biggest challenges that we face when working with a bride and helping her to establish a budget is combatting the images she sees on television in the wedding reality shows. A recent survey conducted by TheKnot.com found that the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is $27,800. Most of the weddings that you see on those TV shows cost well above $50,000.
So, if you want to have a beautiful day that looks like a $50,000 wedding but costs far less, here are some money saving tips:
RECEPTION
Cut the guest list. This will reduce your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces
Avoid "peak" wedding months: April, May, June and September, October, November
Hold your ceremony and reception in one location
Get married on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday
Have bigger tables so you need fewer centerpieces and tablecloths
Shop the off-season for extra decor -- buy twinkle lights the day after Christmas, get modern black vases on sale after Halloween and pretty pink ones after Valentine's Day
FOOD & DRINK
Serve beer, wine, and a signature cocktail instead of a full bar
Choose a venue that allows you to bring in your own alcohol rather than purchase from them - Their markup can be 200%-300%
Buffets are much less expensive than plated dinners
Skip the champagne toast - Hardly any of your guests will actually drink it anyway
FLOWERS
Use more greenery than flowers
Swap out costly flowers -- peonies can be five times more expensive than roses
Stick to just one or two kinds of flowers
Buy flowers that are in season
Include non-florals, like lanterns, candelabras, floating candles in water filled vases
Reuse ceremony flowers and bouquets for the cake table and centerpieces
CAKES
If you have 100 guests, you do not need 100 servings of cake - typically, only about half of your guests will actually eat cake
Order a small one or two-tiered cake and then supplement with a larger sheet cake hidden back in the kitchen
Skip exotic fillings like guava and mango
STATIONERY & FAVORS
Get single-page invites to save on postage
Give out one favor per couple
Have favors double as place cards
Email your save-the-dates
Make your own menu cards and place cards
PHOTO & MUSIC
If you know of a photographer that you want to hire but cannot quite afford, ask them if their second shooter is available for less
Skip the band, hire a DJ
