Planning a wedding is one of the most special times in your life. But budget pressures can add some wedding planning anxiety. I’ve got you! Here’s 100 ways to save money on your wedding day.
Not EVERY one of the money savings tips below needs to be used to create your perfect wedding day. Some couples adore a live band and wouldn’t dream of a party without one. Others might want the very best food money can buy but are not fussed about formal invitations.
Review the list below and put a tick, cross or circle the areas where you could potentially save a dollar or three.
Even small savings here and there add up. And that means more money for honeymoon cocktails. Or money towards a deposit on a new home OR an adventure of a lifetime. You get the idea!
100 budget savings tips for lovers planning a wedding
- Print your own signs (Etsy is a great source of inspiration or you can use a digital tool like Canva)
- Email your Save the Dates
- Create a wedding website to reduce wedding invite postage costs
- Minimise your use of florals
- Get a friend to help with beauty and grooming
- Buy second-hand threads
- Wear shoes you already own
- Wear accessories already in the family (watches, cufflinks, jewellery etc)
- Get someone to drive you to your ceremony rather than hire cars
- Choose a venue that can host your ceremony and your reception
- Pick somewhere where you can bring your own drinks
- Choose a venue where you can BYO food
- Skip the upsell on the food menus offered to you
- Play your own music on an iPod for some or all of your celebrations
- Get married in gardens or grounds that are free to use
- Find a music student to play your ceremony music rather than a professional string quartet
- Invite less guests
- Create a couple of faux layers on your wedding cake
- Hunt down any stylist (or stylish!) friends or family to help create your dream wedding
- Skip the pre wedding events and have rehearsal drinks rather than a full sit-down dinner
- Opt to make a small donation to a charity in lieu of guest gifts
- Skip guest gifts altogether
- Ask your I DO crew to wear something they already own
- Re-use wedding florals from your ceremony at your reception
- Choose a wedding venue where your stay is included in the overall package
- Pepper your final week preparations with self care treats at home rather than expensive treatments out and about
- Ask your photographer if they have a shorter duration packages to reduce cost
- Buy less extravagant gifts for your I DO crew but couple it with a note or card with words from the heart
- Opt for a venue where you can bring in food trucks for your meal
- Create a budget – track expenditure and STICK TO IT
- Choose off peak wedding dates
- Have your reception at a café or a restaurant
- Recruit talented friends to help where they can
- Take a look around home to see what décor items you could use on your big day
- Choose in season blooms
- Consider a breakfast, brunch or lunch wedding
- Shop sample sales for all wedding attire or rent rather than buying everything
- Consider holding your wedding at home
- Ditch the champagne toast
- Don’t be tempted to extend the party – overtime costs MONEY
- Preen yourself rather than using experts
- Find another couple looking to marry on the same weekend at the same venue and split the cost of florals etc
- Skip the fireworks (not wedding night fireworks, the ACTUAL fireworks you were planning for your reception departure)
- Sell stuff – if you buy any décor or clothing items for your big day, sell them on sites like EBay and Facebook marketplace afterwards
- Opt for digital prints not a HUGE hard copy wedding album
- Consider offering two courses, not three
- Consider cocktail style catering rather than a sit down dinner
- Stay local after your big day – you’ll save on transport fees
- Don’t have an I DO crew
- Pick up items yourself in the week of your wedding – delivery fees can add up
- Buy in bulk – if you are catering yourself for food and/or drinks, seek out bulk pricing on items
- Get married at the registry office or town hall
- Book a celebrant for a “Legals only” ceremony which is short and sweet
- Consider only offering a small number of chairs at your ceremony – most of your guests won’t mind standing
- Choose somewhere naturally beautiful – you won’t need to spend as much on florals
- Find a venue where additional décor items like sign stands, table numbers and cake tables are all included
- Choose flat printed invitations as opposed to letterpress, thermography etc
- Consider an elopement, micro wedding or remote location wedding
- Use a credit card for wedding costs (where you don’t incur additional fees) and earn points you can use for a honeymoon
- Make your own wedding piñata rather than having a wedding cake
- Ask a relative to make their delicious thingymejig as your guest favours (this can be their wedding present to you)
- Skip the fancy couples suite at your hotel of choice for your wedding night – you are likely to be STUFFED anyway
- Source vases for your wedding day from home, second hand or from relatives (unless they are heirlooms!) – you are likely to save money on hire costs
- Have one large order of service sign rather than having them printed individually for guests
- Provide soft drinks and water as your pre ceremony drink – not beer, wine, cocktails and spirits
- Skip the bread at your reception (unless it’s included for free!)
- Choose your card stock for your invitations wisely – heavier card may be more expensive to post
- DIY assemble and address your wedding invitations or ask friends and family to help
- Seek out “up and comers” for your wedding vendors
- Go for pocket squares rather than flowers for the men in your crew
- Print one menu rather than many for each table at your reception
- Ask your venue staff what you can borrow – those items might save you some money in furniture and décor hire costs
- Create your own Insta worthy photobooth with polaroids, an iphone or automated camera set up
- Serve a gorgeous cocktail just during cocktail hour
- Find local vendors – they’re unlikely to charge travel fees
- Make sure you flag the number of kids at your reception – their meals are likely to be cheaper
- Pass on ordering “the extras” offered by each of your wedding vendors until you know you have your budget under control
- Walk to your photoshoot locations rather than using paid transport providers
- Shorten your reception – if you can handle an abridged party!
- Order all your printed items at once
- Stay across deals, discounts and offers from wedding vendors on social media
- Have family and friends help with set up and pack down of your ceremony and reception space
- Consider using fruit, herbs and greenery in your styling to limit your florals costs
- Talk candidly with your wedding vendors about your budget – they’ll help you with money saving ideas
- Don’t tour venues you know you cannot afford!
- Resist other people’s dreams and expectations – it is your day
- Use generic thank you cards to send to guests
- Trade talents and creative brilliance for wedding gifts
- Skip the plus one and kids invites
- Serve your wedding cake as dessert
- Lock in wedding vendors once you are sure they are for you – this avoids any price rises
- Email recently married friends and ask where they found their best wedding deals
- Ask your venue if the per head cost is less for your vegan/vegetarian guests
- Don’t be tempted to put wedding costs on a credit card unless you know you can pay them off within the interest free period – those costs will come back to bite you…with interest
- Choose to gift each other a special experience on your honeymoon rather than a physical gift before the big day
- Opt for transport that can hold your whole wedding party rather than a number of smaller cars
- Ask yourselves – Will anyone really notice if we don’t have “x”?
- Watch for payment fees – sometimes you will be charged credit card fees when you make payments. Check to make sure before you process payments with your wedding vendors
- Limit after party costs – you have put on a HUGE party for your wedding. So don’t feel compelled to fund the after party too. Guests will absolutely understand and one of your wedding guests might even shout you both drinks into the wee hours of the morning
- Remember, you don’t HAVE to do EVERYTHING or indeed include anything specific – Dance lessons? Ice sculptures? Expensive guest gifts? World renowned DJ? None of these things are essential for you to have the best day of your lives
how will you save money on your wedding day?
Not all 100 ideas listed above will work for you. But hopefully some of these money saving ideas will help to keep your wedding budget under control. No matter your budget, you can create a wedding day that reflects the two of you.
Need a hand pulling together your wedding day? From printables to on the day wedding coordination services, Hey Lovers can help. Get in touch and let me know what you need a hand with. I’m here to help.
Just need a few printables to get your wedding planning under control? Head to the Hey Lovers Etsy store and plan your wedding like a pro.