Weddings are said to be one of the biggest expenses you are ever likely to face in your lifetime, but these days most modern couples are waking up to the realisation that it's more than possible to have a beautiful wedding without splurging too much unnecessary cash.
You can save yourself a small fortune by making some quick and simple changes within your wedding plans...read on to find out more!:
1) Consider A Week Day Wedding
A simple change of date can truly make all the difference when it comes to planning a wedding on a budget.
Although at one time a weekend wedding was the only logical option due to the majority of guests working office hours - nowadays many people are working more flexible hours, and so a weekday wedding might be more do-able than you first thought.
You may also want to consider that if guests are traveling to attend your wedding, they're likely already booking time off work anyway and may even appreciate the lower cost/lower hassle aspect of weekday travel.
Whatever day of the week you choose, you can still save money by choosing a date during Winter or Autumn - try to avoid June, July and August if you can as these carry the highest price tag and let's be real...the weather is never guaranteed even during the height of summer, so why pay more?
2) Save On Stationery
This can be one of the most surprising expenses of wedding planning but there are plenty of ways to reduce the costs.
* Get fancy with the front of your invite but keep it super simple inside - avoid the cost of including RSVPs by asking guests to contact you by text or email instead.* DIY whatever you can - why pay extra for printed envelopes when you could make a fun night of it by enlisting the help of your wedding party?* If you're having an order of service, make sure you supply them per family instead of individually* Don't print your menus per person - instead print them per table and frame them as a functional but pretty centrepiece.
3) Go Naked...On The Cake, That Is!
...I mean I'm sure you'd save plenty of money going naked in other ways but it might shock your Aunty Margaret!
Skipping the fancy frosting and extravagant extras on a wedding cake can make a huge difference in the cost, as it cuts the production time in half - but naked cakes can still look incredibly stylish and far more modern too.
4) Be Picture Perfect
Wedding photography is one area you don't want to scrimp on, as the photos are going to be the lasting element of your big day and you want to make sure you have plenty of choice and quality of images available.
There are still ways to save though - for example, instead of hiring a photo booth or putting disposable cameras on tables - why not set up a single polaroid station? All you need to do is layout lots of props, a polaroid camera and plenty of film - and invite your guests to take some photos for your guest book!
You can also utilise technology by asking guests to download and use an app such as wedding photo swap which enables guests to upload all of the wedding photos they take on the day to a shared album that you can access afterwards...taking all of the hassle out of asking people to email them to you or tag you on social media, ideal!
5) Dress To Impress
When it comes to dressing the bridesmaids, one thing to consider is that you don't need to opt for actual bridesmaid dresses.There are so many beautiful formal dresses you can pick up for a fraction of the cost, so perhaps consider a prom dress instead. You could plan an evening of online browsing with your bridesmaids to find a style that suits everyone - be sure to find out the best prom dresses for your body type too.
I hope these tips are helpful in making some simple savings on your big day without compromising on the quality and experience for yourselves and your guests.
Please share your own tips, too...I'd love to hear them!
