Genius Wedding Hacks To Save Money On Your Big Day
Congratulations on your wedding! Planning a wedding can be an exhilarating yet daunting experience. From venue selection to décor, it’s a lot of planning and a lot of spending. Weddings are expensive, but there are ways to spend less.
I’ve put together some of the best wedding planning hacks that helped me save money on my big day from plenty of DIY tips to careful planning. You can have a beautiful wedding without breaking the bank, it’s the little details that make the big difference!
1. Create a Budget and Stick To It
Before planning anything, sit down with your partner and create a detailed budget. By having a budget and keeping track of expenses, you know exactly where your money is going, and where you can afford to spend. Fill in the budget form on our free digital wedding planner to keep to your budget easily.
2. DIY Invites
Nowadays, you don’t need to be a graphic designer to make a beautiful and classy wedding invitation. There are loads of easy tools like Canva which have plenty of templates that make it easy to create a professional-looking invitation. Save money on your wedding invitations by designing your own DIY version.
3. Go Paperless
Save on printing and postage costs by opting for digital invitations instead of traditional paper ones. Sending your invitation via email or social media is not only eco-friendly but also budget-friendly and to be honest, more practical too. Printed invitations tend to get lost- at least in my house, whereas, digital ones are at the tips of your palm.
4. Choose 3 Things That Are Most Important To You
Choose the 3 most important features in your wedding and allocate a bigger budget to them. Whether it’s your dress, the food, the flowers or something else, allowing a bigger budget for what you love means you can still get the wedding of your dreams.
5. Choose an Off-Peak Wedding Date
Weekday weddings are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason – venues and vendors often offer discounted rates for events held during the week. Consider hosting your wedding on a weekday to take advantage of these savings.
6. Choose a Non-Traditional Venue to Save Money
Know someone with a big backyard or empty land? Transform it into your unique outdoor wedding location, ideal for a summer wedding! This not only makes your wedding original, but it also helps you save money! Check out these gorgeous rustic wedding venues and decor ideas.
7. Host Ceremony and Reception In One Venue
Find a venue that can host both ceremony and reception to avoid doubling your decor costs.
8. Borrow or Rent When Possible
Instead of purchasing expensive items that you’ll only use once, consider borrowing or renting from friends, family, or rental companies. From table linens to centerpieces, you can find everything you need at a fraction of the cost.
9. Choose Items You Can Resell or Reuse
If renting and borrowing isn’t an option for you, use items that you can resell online, or reuse at other parties and events.
10. Upcycle Items to Use as Wedding Decor
Think out of the box and use items you already own. Pull out those white Christmas lights and use them to decorate your reception space.
11. Use Fake Flowers
Flowers are expensive, especially a lot of them. Instead of using real ones, use fake ones and chances are, no one will even notice the difference. There are so many fake flowers today that can pass as real. Alternatively, if you know someone who grows their own flowers, like hydrangeas, which is very common, ask if you can use those for your wedding.
12. Do DIY Decor
DIY decor is all the rage at the moment and there are so many tutorials online. An easy DIY decor is to give glass bottles, jars, or cans new life- coat them in spray paint to use as centerpiece vases. Pretty and cheap!
13. Book Your Wedding Photographer for A Few Hours
While it’s nice to have professional photos from the whole evening, an easy way to save a lot of money is to hire a photographer for the main parts, like the ceremony and the first dance.
14. Be Your Own DJ
Create your own playlists instead of hiring a DJ or band, with quality speakers, the music is just as good!
15. Use Credit Cards to Purchase Services and Get Rewards
Using credit cards to get points on all your purchases and services, gives loads of rewards which can be put towards other bills or even your honeymoon.
16. Create a Free Wedding Website to Keep Guests Up To Date
Creating a website to keep guests up to date is especially useful if you have international guests coming in for the wedding. You can put all the information on it, including how to get around, places to eat and shopping and outing ideas.
17. Skip Cocktails and Go Straight Into Dinner
Avoid a higher bar tab by going straight from the ceremony into the dinner. Guests can begin the first course while the bride and groom have photos.
18. Close The Bar Early
You don’t need to leave the bar open the whole evening. Let everyone sober up with coffee and tea or a sweet treat. It’s a nice and calming way to end the evening celebration.
19. Set a Drink Limit
Only purchase the number of drinks that you can afford. Once it’s gone, it’s gone and you won’t go over your budget!
20. Skip the Champagne Toast
While a champagne toast may seem like a wedding staple, it’s not a necessity. Save money by skipping the champagne toast altogether or offering a budget-friendly sparkling wine or prosecco instead.
21. Get Your Wedding Cake From a Grocery Store’s Bakery
An amazing cost-cutting wedding tip is to skip buying a wedding cake from a bakery. Instead, buy a basic cake from your grocery, and decorate it yourself. It may sound challenging, but there are loads of easy wedding cake tutorials on YouTube that are surprisingly easier than you think. Check out these stunning wedding cake ideas for inspiration.
22. Offer a Dessert Buffet Instead of a Big Fancy Cake
Another option to skip on an expensive wedding cake is to offer a dessert buffet table with various sweets and pastries. It will cost much less than a professional-tiered wedding cake.
23. Choose Buffet Style Catering
Buffet-style catering is often more budget-friendly than plated dinners, as it requires less staffing and allows for more flexibility in menu options. Consider opting for a buffet-style meal to save money on catering costs without sacrificing quality or variety.
24. DIY Wedding Signage
Save money on wedding signage by creating your own DIY versions using chalkboards, wooden pallets, or acrylic sheets. Not only is DIY signage budget-friendly, but it also adds a personal touch to your wedding decor.
25. Buy Your Wedding Dress At The Sales
If you’ve got a long engagement period, wait and buy your wedding dress during the sales. You can also opt for high-street stores that have affordable, yet really elegant dresses.
26. Buy A Second-Hand Wedding Dress
Another way to get the wedding dress of your dreams without breaking the bank is to buy a second-hand dress from websites like Preloved which has hundreds of beautiful dresses at affordable prices.
27. DIY Wedding Favors
Instead of purchasing expensive wedding favors, get creative and DIY your own. From homemade jams to personalized candles, there are plenty of budget-friendly options that your guests will love.
28. Don’t Forget to Haggle
Lastly and most importantly, don’t be afraid to negotiate with vendors to secure the best deals. Many vendors are willing to work within your budget, especially if you’re booking multiple services or during quieter seasons. Be polite but firm, and don’t hesitate to shop around for competitive pricing.
My Thoughts
Planning a wedding on a budget requires creativity, flexibility, and strategic decision-making. By implementing these genius hacks and tips, you can save money without compromising on the quality and magic of your special day. Through careful planning, you can eliminate stress and come to your wedding day with calmness and without overspending!
Sarah xx
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