5 Wedding Cost Saving Ideas

1. Hire a Wedding Planner!! Asking if a wedding planner will save you money is somewhat of a loaded question. Do wedding planners know all the right people in a world that you don’t? Yes. Will that save you tons of time, and anguish as you narrow down your vendors? Absolutely! Think about it… We have spent years cultivating relationships with our vendors, which should make you more comfortable with our referrals. Because not only do “our” vendors not want to disappoint you, but they definitely don’t want to disappoint us. Sounds so great, right? But, it’s true. Personally, I have vendors who I LOVE LOVE LOVE, and who LOVE LOVE LOVE me back. And it’s not because of the money, it’s because of our history and relationship. Think about it like this… A wedding planner will bring the right vendors, to you, as opposed to you having to do extensive research, and find them on your own. You will choose from a short, tried and true, list of vendors, instead of a long, list of vendors that you found from several different websites. That’s time back in your life. Time that you didn’t waste looking for the right fit because it was delivered to you. Plus, your planner will then sweat the nitty gritty and make sure you’re not getting taken for a ride. So, will a wedding planner save you money? Yes! But, probably not the total cost of their fee. But, they will save you a tremendous amount of time and all of your sanity… How can you put a price tag on that?
2. Another way to save is by cutting the guest list, does your second cousins neighbor really need to be invited to the wedding? Many people think they have a huge guest count but, if you really examine who truly will be invited and be able to come might be a number less than what you were expecting.
3. Have your wedding on a weekday! This seems crazy to some people but, many vendors and facilities offer discounts to weekday weddings. Some of my favorite weddings that I have planned have been on weekdays. They were also some of the biggest fun dance party raging weddings that I have done as well. If you send out save the date cards there is no reason why your guests would not be able to take a day off work. Many guests love that they have to take time off. If people are traveling the day of the wedding does not make a difference because they are taking time off anyway. Also if people are traveling on weekdays then flights are typically less as well saving your guests money.
4. Skip the favors! Many times brides spend way to much time and money on favors that people don’t end up taking with them at the end of the night. Or it is something that goes in a drawer and eventually gets tossed. Unless it is something they can truly use or eat I would pass. A fantastic idea is to donate money or time to a charity you are interested in and then have a cards at each place setting that says in lieu of a favor you have donated to the charity.
5. Have just a beer and wine bar. Or if you really want to have cocktails, have those for just a set amount of time during the cocktail hour. Or a signature cocktail one cocktail that usually is something the couple enjoys. Many couples are shocked when they get their bar bill for a full hosted bar. I have done events for 100 people and the bar bill came to over $16,000! This couple was expecting this but, could you imagine if you had no idea the cocktails would cost that much. Another option is you can set a budget for the bar and ask to be notified when that number is reached. Many people will say that they don’t have many drinkers (everyone says this) however, when the bar is free many people who typically “don’t drink much” will enjoy the 25 year scotch that they have always wanted to try.