With the cost of the average American wedding quickly approaching the $30,000 range, it can be very intimidating when planning your own nuptials.
The onslaught of wedding programming on cable television — Bridezillas, Platinum Weddings, Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? — can make a bride and groom go over the top in trying to make their wedding day bigger, better and blingy-er.
As a wedding planner, I have been approached by many couples asking the question: Can we have a nice wedding for $10,000? My answer is always yes – but you have to make sure you prioritize and you must be realistic in your expectations. There will be some things that you can and cannot do. What is most important to you on that day? This is where you should spend the bulk of your money and conserve in other areas.
Following, I will tell you a few cost-saving strategies so you can have the wedding of your dreams and stay within your financial comfort zone.
(1) Scale back on the guest list and the bridal party list.
Yes, we all know the more, the merrier, but this does not apply when you are trying to save money. The more people at the wedding means the more people to feed, invite, give favors and set tables for. All of this adds up quickly.
You don’t have to have eight bridesmaids and eight groomsmen in your bridal party for your day to be complete.
Look at how much you can save just by cutting 25 people from your guest list:
25 x $35 per person for catering = $875
25 x $10 per person for beverages = $250
25 x $3.50 for invitations and postage = $87.50
25 x $2.50 for favors = $62.50
25 x $4.50 for table, chair and linen rentals = $112.50
Trimming just 25 saves an estimated total of $1,162.50, so you can see where I’m going with this. It is far better to have an exquisitely-designed, smaller, intimate affair for 50 to 100 guests than to have a large reception for 300 where everyone has to buy their own drinks.
(2) Be flexible on when you get married.
The traditional day for marrying is Saturday — the most popular days being afternoons in June. If you are flexible with your dates and times, you can save a ton of cash. The slow season for weddings in the Midwest usually falls between November and March and venues and vendors are more apt to strike you a deal. (Be careful around holidays, though, where premiums may exist). Friday night weddings and Sunday weddings are making a comeback for that very reason. Change the time of your ceremony. Get married at 10:30 a.m. and have a fabulous brunch reception. Or you can get hitched late in the evening and have a champagne and dessert reception. Be creative! The most important thing is that you are sharing this special time with your friends, family and loved ones.
(3) Don’t rush into your wedding day.
Give yourself adequate time to plan, research, comparison shop and complete any DIY projects. You should research so you know what the going rates are for typical wedding services in your area. This will help you create a more realistic budget and help you locate bargains easier. Ask all vendors about any specials or discounts that they may have.
There are many DIY projects that you and your bridal party can complete to save on wedding costs. Invitations, favors and centerpieces are great places to start. However, only go this route if you have enough time and you can assure the quality of these projects.
(4) The most important thing you can do to save costs on your wedding day is to hire a wedding planner.
A professional wedding planner has industry expertise and is well-versed on how to keep clients within their financial comfort zone and still make the wedding and reception a beautiful and memorable occasion. A wedding planner is not an added expense to the wedding — it should be a line item. Want dahlias in the winter? A wedding planner would be able to let you know that it will double or triple your floral bill. A wedding planner can save you from making costly mistakes that put a hole in your budget.
Most vendors love to work with reputable planners because this means repeat business. This often translates to price breaks for the clients. Wedding planning is a monumental undertaking — a professional planner will also save you from the stress, pressures and headaches that come with the territory of designing the day of your dreams that fits within the thresholds of your dollars.
Many couples max out credit cards, raid 401(k)s and take out loans to finance wedding extravaganzas similar to the ones that you see on TV. You can have an unforgettable event without having to put a second mortgage on your home. All it takes is extra planning, thought and creativity and the assistance of a professional planner. The wedding only lasts a day and the marriage should last a lifetime. Don’t start your wonderful life together saddled in unnecessary debt.
Katasha S. Butler, CPWP is a certified wedding designer and the owner of K Sherrie and Co. Wedding and Event Design. K Sherrie & Co. is a full-service wedding and event-planning firm that gives you access to competent, professional and detailed event designers. Please visit her blog at www.theweddingworkroom.blogspot.com for up-to-the-minute advice and inspiration on wedding planning. She can be reached at katasha@ksherrieandcompany.com or (317) 222-7255 for complimentary consultations for all your event planning needs.
