Weddings are one of the most important days in many people’s lives, but they can also be very costly. Some people try to hold a budget wedding, others get into debt. Some might want to take out a personal loan to pay for the wedding. Others might use the money they’ve saved. Whichever option you choose, you’ll need help managing your finances – and with that, we’ve got you covered.
Find out which season (and day of the week) is the best, who to invite, and how to pick the proper venue. Read on, and make sure you get the wedding of your dreams without putting your budget at risk.
1 – Season and Day of the Week
The best time to get married is usually in the spring. March and April are the best months, while October and November are the worst ones.
This is because the weather in these months is warmer than usual, so you’ll be able to have an outdoor wedding without worrying about rainy or cold weather. You can also save money on flowers because they’re cheaper at this time of the year.
Another good option is to get married on a Thursday – you’ll find more open venues and less competition from other couples.
2 – Picking the Venue
When choosing a venue, make sure it’s one that can accommodate your guests’ needs. If you have a limited budget, ask around to find out whether anyone knows someone who owns a venue – they might give you a discount if you help them advertise it.
If your budget is tight, remember that you shouldn’t skimp on your venue. After all, this is where most of your guests will spend their time during the wedding day.
3 – The Dress – Money-Management Tips for Your Wedding
The dress is one of the most important aspects of your wedding, but it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. If you want to save money on it, go vintage shopping – there are many shops that sell old dresses that look brand new and remarkably similar to designer brands. You can also go through Facebook pages of local vintage sellers. You can also consider renting a dress instead of buying one.
4 – The Wedding Cake
Your cake is another essential item for your wedding menu. However, just because something is essential doesn’t mean it has to be expensive.
Try saving money by choosing a less elaborate design. Also, make sure to opt for buttercream frosting instead of fondant frosting. It is the less expensive option and, thus, bakeries don’t always like to promote it. Buttercream doesn’t look as smooth as fondant frosting, but it tastes great and can look very nice when used correctly.
Another cost-saving tip when it comes to the wedding cake is to use real flowers instead of sugar one. Sugar flowers require a lot of work from the baker, and they will charge you handsomely for it.
If you ask the wait staff to serve smaller slices, you can get away with buying a much smaller and less expensive cake than you might think. Also consider choosing one of the many alternatives to a wedding cake.
5 – Put the Wedding Party to Work
The wedding party is another important part of your wedding, and if you are looking to save money, consider asking them for help. You can get your bridesmaids to make the bouquets, and your groomsmen can serve the food and drinks, for example.
6 – Photography and Other Souvenirs
Many couples decide to skimp on their photo albums because they cost a lot of money. Also, in today’s digital age, the chances are that many (if not all) of your guests will be taking pictures of the event. You can create an event page on social media where the guests can upload the photos they took. Then, from that collection you can make your photo album to keep for generations.
While this option may not give you the professional look of a dedicated wedding photographer, it will give you something that is more organic – the event seen through the lenses of the participants. This is a modern trend that may very well put wedding photographers permanently out of business.
7 – Wedding Insurance Policy
Find out whether your venue has an insurance policy in case something happens to it during the event – this will save you money if you have to pay for any reparations or damages. Also, find out how much the wedding insurance costs; it should be priced somewhere between $100 and $500. If it’s more expensive than that, consider getting two separate insurance policies – one for the venue and one for everything else.
The Takeaway
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. However, that doesn’t mean you need to spend the following years after it in debt working to pay it off. Many of the more costly aspects of the wedding are steeped in tradition. If you give your wedding a contemporary feel to it, you will end up cutting your expenses in half (at least).
Money-Management Tips for Your Wedding is a feature post