Planning for a wedding is hugely exciting, but it is also incredibly daunting. It is also expensive. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount your wedding is going to cost, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to reduce the costs of your wedding.
This article will detail some of the most common wedding expenses, how you can plan a wedding on a budget, and some easy ways to save for your big day.
Common wedding expenses
Many people aren’t aware of it when they get engaged, but a wedding can be a huge expense. According to The Knot’s 2017 Real Weddings Study, the average wedding cost around $33,391. This is more than a down payment on most houses.
Here are some of the most common wedding expenses:
- Venue – $16,107
- Photographer – $2,783
- Reception band/music – $4,156
- Florist – $2,534
- Videographer – $1,995
- Wedding dress – $1,564
- Groom’s attire – $280
- Wedding cake – $582
- Ceremony site – $2,197
- Ceremony musicians – $755
- Invitations – $462
As you can see, the cost of a wedding can add up.
Tips for planning your wedding on a budget
If you can’t afford to have a super lavish wedding, you first need to be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot afford. Your wedding may not be as lavish and expensive as you dreamed it would be, but you can still have a perfect day without splashing out tens of thousands of dollars. Here are some things you need to consider when you want to plan your wedding on a budget:
- Reconsider your guest list: at the start of wedding planning, you may want to invite as many people to celebrate your special day. However, the guests are expensive. Think about the cost of feeding them and providing them with alcohol. It soon adds up and becomes one of the biggest expenses of a wedding. Be brutal with your guest list if you can’t afford to have a huge number of guests, and only invite the people you truly feel closet to.
- Consider the setting: some cities are more expensive than others, and so are wedding venues. A grand ballroom, for example, might cost tens of thousands of dollars, but a garden wedding will have very little fees. Make sure you can afford the venue you pick.
- Plan to go over your budget: even if you have a small wedding budget, plan to go over it. No matter what you do to cut down on costs, there will always be hidden expenses that you don’t expect, so make sure your budget has room to adjust.
- Be smart: Put all your wedding money in one separate account, so you can easily track additions and withdrawals without getting it confused with the rest of your day-to-day funds.
Saving for your dream wedding
If you have a dream wedding, and really don’t want to compromise, then you need to start saving. This may take some time, but may be the only way for you to afford your perfect wedding. Here are some easy saving tips to start now:
- Cut back on your expenses: be brutal with yourself, and stop impulse purchasing items you simply don’t need. Instead, be more mindful about what you are buying. When you go food shopping, make sure you know what you need and try and avoid buying any items that aren’t essential.
- Lower your utility bills: one of the easiest ways to start saving money is to lower your utility bills. Make sure you check out websites like energize CT to see if you could be saving money on your bills, as this can save you hundreds of dollars every year.
- Cancel any unnecessary subscriptions: have you got lots of subscriptions to streaming services that you don’t use anymore? Or a gym membership you just don’t use? Canceling these is one of the most simple ways to save money for your dream day.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to have the most perfect wedding on a budget.