Let’s face it. Weddings are expensive. The average couple drops about $30,000 on their big day. Between the venue, flowers, fancy outfits, food, and rentals, wedding expenses really add up. And that doesn’t even count the honeymoon!
If you are on a tight budget, you might feel like a fairytale wedding is out of reach for you. Luckily, there are ways to plan the wedding day you have always dreamed of without breaking the bank. Follow these tips for a happy celebration and a happy wallet!
Get Crafty
If you have any DIY talent, you can save a lot of money on your wedding by making things yourself. Creating your own bouquet, decorations, paper goods, and accessories is so much cheaper than buying them from traditional vendors! Just remember not to take on too much. Planning a wedding is already stressful enough without having a breakdown over a stray ink blot on a place card.
Use Secondhand Items
Most people buy lots of beautiful items for their wedding, use them that one day, and stuff them in storage until they get fed up and throw them out. Now, thanks to the internet, more and more brides and grooms are reselling their decorations, accessories, and even wedding clothing to other couples. Check out vintage and thrift stores and online market places before you buy new items for your wedding. Chances are you will find beautiful used-once items for a fraction of the price of buying them new.
Avoid Peak Wedding Times
Everyone wants to have their wedding on a sunny Saturday in summer. Because so many couples plan their weddings for weekends and warmer months or around the holidays, scheduling your big day away from these peak times can get you a major discount. Vendors need the business during off-times, so everything from venues to caterers to florists will probably give you a discount. Try January, March, April, or November and plan for a weekday if possible for the biggest savings.
Personal Loans
You only plan to get married once, so having to cut things out of your dream wedding day hurts. Why should your big day have to suffer just because you are on a budget? Make your celebration everything you have always wanted by taking out a personal loan, like those offered by SkyCap Financial and other providers.
Break Tradition
One of the main reasons that weddings cost so much is that traditional wedding vendors charge more for the bridal experience. You can save money by buying your wedding items from vendors that aren’t wedding-specific. For instance, buy your dress from a regular clothing store or your flowers from the farmer’s market. Have your favorite restaurant cater the big day. Not having the word “wedding” attached can bring the price of almost every wedding need way down.
Being on a tight budget doesn’t mean that you can’t have your dream wedding day. With a little creativity, money will be one stressor removed from the wedding planning process.
