Ways To Save When Planning Your Wedding

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