Tips to lighten your wedding budget
Every couple dreams of a wedding day to remember. Reality, however, often comes with one big catch: the wedding budget. Working out what you can afford is one of the first and most sensible steps of the whole planning process.
Číst česky →It is completely fine to admit what is within your means and what is over the line. Not everyone can afford a castle wedding for a hundred guests with all-day catering, and that certainly doesn't make you any less in love or any less happy as a couple. Throwing a beautiful wedding doesn't mean getting into debt for it. Often a few small changes are all it takes. Small decisions on individual items add up in the end and can save you a surprising amount of money, without anyone noticing at first glance.
The wedding date
These days, the venue is clearly one of the biggest items in the wedding budget.
- Book early: Reserve your venue as soon as possible. If you book in the summer or autumn of the year before, the price can easily be a quarter lower.
- An off-season wedding: July and August tend to be the most popular months. Outside the main season, venue hire is usually about a quarter cheaper. Some venues even offer free hire in the winter months, provided you use their catering.
- A weekday wedding: Weekdays are less busy, so hire is usually much cheaper than at the weekend. The downside is that not every guest can take time off work, so think this option through carefully.
Moving the ceremony later
Moving the ceremony to a later time not only gives you a relaxed morning, it can also save you a good deal of money.
With a later ceremony you can drop the formal lunch altogether. Instead, you can offer guests a generous buffet that is available all day. After three o'clock it is too late for a formal lunch anyway.
Most photographers and videographers offer their services as packages that include a set number of photos and turnaround time, as well as the hours they spend with you at the wedding. With a later start you can choose a shorter package.
In the same way, wedding coordinators and hosts often charge by the hour. By shortening the whole day you save their time, and with it a sizeable sum in your budget.
Bridesmaids' outfits
If you dictate the exact cut and look of your bridesmaids' dresses, it is customary to contribute to the cost. But if you are happy for them to match only in colour and choose the cut themselves, congratulations: you have just saved a considerable sum.
Hair and make-up for others
Wondering whether to pay for a make-up artist and hairdresser for your bridesmaids or closest family too? The decision is entirely up to you and your budget. But don't worry, nobody automatically expects this luxury from you.
Accommodation
Accommodation is another big item that can really shake up the budget for the whole wedding day. It is perfectly normal and fine to let guests pay for their own accommodation. If they don't want to pay for a room, they can arrange their own ride home or choose another option. The exception is when accommodation is already included in the price of the venue hire. In that case it is customary to offer the rooms to guests free of charge.
Wedding favours
Little gifts for guests and a wedding newspaper are often an unnecessary budget item, and some guests even leave them behind on the tables. If you want to save, feel free to drop them entirely. Guests will be far happier with the photos from the wedding that you share with them from your photographer.
The wedding dress
A second-hand wedding dress, one from a bridal shop sale or from a specialised online group often costs much less than renting one from a bridal shop. You get a beautiful dress for a fraction of the price, and a skilled seamstress can easily alter it to fit you. Another big advantage is that you can sell the dress again after the wedding and get some of the money back.
Stationery
Instead of expensive printing and postage, send your invitations electronically and point guests to your wedding website. That way you share information about accommodation, the programme and gifts clearly in one place, and you can easily keep track of who is coming.
Printed timelines for every single guest are rather a thing of the past. Make one large, clear sign on a wooden easel at the entrance to the venue, where everyone can read the programme comfortably.
Everything from digital invitations to an eye-catching timeline sign is easy to create with us at only.wedding.
You don't have to save on your dream day at any cost. It helps to understand what you are paying extra for and what the pros and cons of your decisions might be. The goal should be to plan smartly and invest money only in what really matters to both of you. Enjoy the preparations without needless pressure to be perfect, and create a day you will look back on with love for the rest of your life!