One thing everyone knows about weddings is that they are very costly. Weddings are often the biggest event anyone will hold in their lives and there is a lot to consider. The venues, the food, the dress, and many more factors all combine to create one of the biggest logistical and financial challenges an individual or couple can face.
The challenge of making the wedding exactly how you want it, without compromising, can mean that costs are very significant. Venues alone can run at thousands of dollars, and there are usually separate locations to consider. Dresses too can run to hundreds or thousands of dollars, as can food, drink, and entertainment.
This may leave you wondering just how people afford it, and you certainly wouldn’t be alone.
Thankfully there are a few ways to make your wedding more financially feasible, whether you’re saving for your first home, your children, or just want to keep some money saved for a rainy day.
While some people may see making changes and compromises as a negative thing, it can actually be a chance to reimagine the wedding and use your creativity to come up with alternative ideas and solutions and still have an amazing day that celebrates your new journey in life.
In this article, we’re going to look at just how people save money for their wedding, leading up to it while planning it and after it, to help give you the best possible start to your new married life.
Budget
One of the most important things to do when trying to save money for anything is to budget properly. This doesn’t mean simply cutting back on all life’s little joys, either.
In its most simple terms, budgeting is a way to take stock of your finances and see where you stand. It’s a great way to take control of your life and become financially proactive, reviewing what expenses are necessary, and what expenses can be stopped or made more reasonable.
This is one of the best ways to save money as it can create cash without you needing to take a second job or sell anything. Quite often simply cutting down on a few key expenses can lead to significant monthly savings which build up quickly, and over time this is the best way to save for your wedding.
Finding these savings early and allowing them to accrue over the period of engagement can be a great way to reduce the financial burden of the big day when it actually arrives!
Swap Banks
The banking market is more competitive than ever, and many people simply stay with their bank out of a misplaced sense of loyalty or misunderstanding about how difficult swapping is.
Many savings accounts and current accounts offer attractive benefits for new customers, from lump sums to very competitive rates, so looking into this can bring a much-needed cash injection to get you started, or help you maximize any savings you already have which will speed up your saving.
Ask for Help!
Many people don’t like the idea of this, but weddings are a time of family and support, where people come together to celebrate. While not everyone is lucky enough to have a strong support network around them, if you are lucky enough to have this, make use of it!
Most families would be very happy to help, whether it’s financially, with planning or finding ideas to make things easier.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get, as the saying goes.
Shop Second Hand
Sometimes shopping second-hand can yield amazing bargains and save you tons of money. Whether it’s clothes, day-to-day items, or even wedding dresses, there are many ways to take pre-loved items that are often almost like new, and turn them into huge savings for yourself.
Oftentimes, wedding dresses worth thousands will sell for mere hundreds of dollars, and the same goes for bridesmaids’ dresses and even day-to-day essentials, all of which will keep more money in your pocket for use on other areas of the wedding – or even the honeymoon!
Cash in some Favors
Is your best friend a great guitarist? Is your uncle a successful photographer? It may be time to cash in some favors and get them to help knock some 00’s off your wedding expenses.
Whether it’s catering, baking a wedding cake, or entertainment, these are some of the most costly elements of any wedding, and enormous savings can be made by finding friends or relatives willing to cut you a deal or even to repay an old debt.
Have the Ceremony and Reception at the Same Location
Separate venues for the ceremony and reception are very costly, often with many additional fees which quickly add up, putting a lot of strain on even the most liberal of budgets.
Finding a venue you love, and that will work for both the ceremony and reception is a great way to cut a huge amount of cost on your day without sacrificing the quality or standards of the venue itself. Quite often this strategy will make it possible to look at even better venues instead of splitting the cost between two.
Shop Around
Some venues will request that you use ‘preferred vendors for the reception. This may seem like a good idea, but these are often expensive.
Finding out if you can use your own vendors for drinks or food can be a great way to find savings, whether it’s by using a cheaper provider or creating leverage to negotiate down the price that the venue is quoting you.
You may be getting married, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a fool to be taken advantage of, well not by anyone except your spouse of course!
DIY
If there are things you can do yourself, do them yourself. This is not only a great way to find value but a great way to be more involved in the process. Whether it’s creating invitations or making the cake, there are many ways to save money here.
Provide your own entertainment
Providing your own entertainment is another good way to save money. Sometimes just making the perfect playlist and letting it run is more than adequate, and quite often DJs will only be doing something very much the same anyway.
You can also plan other things like your own fireworks display or whatever else you may want to have as entertainment.
Keep the Stag and Hen do’s Grounded
Bachelor parties seldom lead to very good decisions and often lead to lapses in judgment. Keeping them grounded and reasonable will save a lot of money for more important celebrations, like the actual wedding day itself or even the honeymoon.
Prune the Guestlist!
If you’re still struggling to finance your day, cut down on the guestlist. A more intimate wedding can often feel more meaningful and there’s always the chance for people to celebrate with you after the wedding.
