Plan Your Dream Wedding Without Breaking the Bank

Now that you’re ready to get married, it’s important to know that your dream wedding doesn’t have to mean spending your whole life savings — and it shouldn’t! All you need to do is figure out how much money you can spend and where that money will come from. With the help of these tips and tricks, you’ll be ready to create a budget and start planning for your big day.

Start with a Savings Plan

If you haven’t already started saving for your wedding, there’s no better time than the present! It doesn’t hurt to start saving as much as possible. If you have leftover money, you can put it towards your honeymoon fund!

One of the best ways to save is by opening a separate savings account for wedding expenses. This way, you won't accidentally spend that money on other things. Set up automatic transfers so every time you get paid, a portion of your income goes directly into the savings account to keep it out of sight, out of mind.

You can also enroll in a debit card round up program like Change it Up to help you round up your debit card purchases to the nearest dollar. You can add extra dollar amounts to each purchase for extra savings, and the difference will be deposited directly to your savings account. Every little bit helps!

Decide What’s Most Important

Think about what matters most to you on your wedding day. Is it the venue, the dress? The food? The photographer? Ask yourself these questions to find what will make the biggest impact:

• Will you have a plated dinner, appetizers, buffet, or a food truck?

• Would you prefer real or fake flowers?

• Will you have desserts? If so, would you like a large cake, a small cake with sheet cake for the guests, cookies, brownies, or other desserts instead?

• How many guests will you have? The smaller the guest list, the cheaper your wedding will be in the long run.

List your top three priorities and allocate a larger portion of your budget to those items. You can save money on the other things you don’t care as much about, like decorations or wedding favors.

Be Flexible About the Date

If there isn’t a particular day you need to get married on, consider being flexible with the date and day of the week. Typically, Monday through Wednesday will be the cheapest options, with weekends being the most expensive. You can also ask your venue how many days are still available for booking each month. If only a couple more days are left in a particular month, they may offer discounts for any remaining days to fill their schedule.

Account for Every Cost

Before you start spending money, sit down and figure out how much you can realistically afford for your wedding. Basic costs that you’ll need to account for are the venue, food, drinks, attire, invitations, a DJ, and florals. There are also costs you might not have considered but can add up, like postage for invitations, dress alterations, your marriage license, wedding insurance, meals for your vendors working the event, and transportation. Be honest with yourself and don’t forget to include all the little expenses that can add up, like tips and taxes. Once you have a budget, stick to it!

Get Crafty and Do It Yourself (DIY)

On Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok, there are endless tips to help you DIY your wedding. You can make your own invitations, decorations, floral arrangements, and even centerpieces. There are tons of tutorials online that can help you with these projects, and you might even have fun doing them! Before buying, just compare the prices of supplies versus buying things in bulk or on sale. Depending on what you’d like to DIY, the materials could cost you more in the long run!

Also consider buying used or borrowing items instead of buying everything new. You can ask friends and family if they have any wedding items they can lend you, or shop on resale sites to find cheaper items you can turn into your own.

Shop Sample Sales

When you’re looking for attire like your wedding dress, suits, or bridesmaid dresses, do your research on whether you can find any deals or discounts. Bridal shops will often run sample sales once or twice a year to sell the sample dresses they have at a discounted price. When shopping for a suit or bridesmaid dress, ask if there are any discounts when purchasing for a group. If all your groomsmen get their suits at the same place, there is likely a group rate or credit that can be applied. Regardless of how many people are in your wedding party, it doesn’t hurt to ask what discounts are available!

Stock Up During the Holidays

Rather than waiting to get your wedding decorations all at once, try to spread the expenses out as much as you can. You can even start as soon as you get engaged! Plan ahead for what holiday sales might be coming up when you can shop for the best deals. Maybe you’re getting married towards the end of the year but there will always be sales around big holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and even Presidents’ Day in addition to the usual shopping holidays like Black Friday.

If you plan to have linens, pastel decorations, or artificial florals at your wedding, shopping after Easter can help you find clearance decorations that can be used at your wedding. Thinking about having a candy bar? Check out the discounted candy after Halloween to help you get more for less! Not only will shopping around the holidays help you get better deals, but you can use the theming to your advantage depending on when you plan to get married.

A wedding doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be beautiful and memorable. Use your creativity to find ways to cut costs. You can have a beautiful wedding without spending a lot of money.

Remember, celebrating your love with the people who matter most to you is the most important part of your wedding. With a little planning and creativity, you can have a beautiful and affordable wedding. Congratulations and happy planning!