50 Must-Know Money-Saving Wedding Tips

July 27, 2011
Dear Lovers Photography

This expert advice will help you stick to your budget without settling for less.

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Dear Lovers Photography
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A lot goes into a wedding—including money. That's why, as you're planning your celebration, you might be looking for ways to save. To help you have the best event for your budget, we've highlighted some of our favorite ways to cut costs.

First, a little rundown of what you'll be spending on. Typically, brides and grooms book at least one venue, and they usually hire a team of vendors, which might include professionals like a photographer, wedding planner, and florist. From there, there are other elements to rent or buy, from fashion items to decorations, and every other detail that they envision having for their big day. With so many different things that couples can shell out on, it's no wonder that bills begin to rack up fast. That's where our expertise comes in.

Ahead, we give our top advice for planning a wedding that won't break the bank. We've also consulted experts in the industry and asked them to share their creative money-saving methods, too. In the end, it's all about deciding what matters most to you and your partner, and then finding a way to make those things work. Here, we show you how.

From choosing more affordable centerpieces to serving alternatives to the traditional wedding cake, these tips and tricks revolve around different aspects of your ceremony and reception, so that you have options (and can mix and match, if desired). Whatever your financial limit, these unique and practical suggestions are bound to be useful—no major sacrifices necessary.  

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Rank Your Priorities

What facets of your wedding are most important to you? Focus on areas that you feel most strongly about, and you'll be okay with cutting back on the rest. 

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Recruit Friends

Marissa Maharaj

Think of it as cost-free outsourcing. Gather your inner circle, play to their strengths (e.g., assign lettering to the friend with the most beautiful handwriting), and turn the prep into a party.

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Be Ruthless with the Head Count

Lacie Hansen Photography

Quick tips for whittling your guest list: Omit children and coworkers (making cuts categorically is less likely to cause rifts); and when it comes to couples, invite spouses, fiancés, and live-ins only. Keep the numbers down for your wedding party as well: Fewer attendants means less money spent on bouquets, boutonnières, presents, and transportation.

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Initiate an Officiant

Valorie Darling Photography
Find Out How to Ask a Loved One to Be Your Officiant

There are many unexpected costs that can inflate your budget; an officiant can be one of them. If that's the case for you, consider having your vows administered by a trusted relative or friend. Universal Life Church and Esoteric Interfaith Church are two organizations that "ordain" laypeople so they can officiate weddings. To ensure your marriage is legally recognized, check with your location's county clerk about the laws where you'll be wed.

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Embrace the Off-Season

Lacie Hansen Photography

Who decided that June brides had more fun, especially when there are 11 other equally-lovely months clamoring for your attention? Those that don't fall during peak months will help out your bottom line. "You can save as much as 15 percent off high-season rates," says James Jay, director of catering at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Texas. Just remember, in places such as Florida or the Bahamas, summer is the off-peak season.

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Think Beyond the Banquet Hall

Pick a venue that appeals to you, even without added décor. Bringing in your own decorations can cost a ton.

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Swap Cities

Kristin Sweeting

After moving her wedding from Brooklyn, New York, (her home), to a beach town in Michigan (her native state), bride-to-be Vicky Sherman watched catering quotes drop from $140 per head to $40—a savings of $15,000, based on her 150-person guest list.

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Hire an Expert

Save money by spending it on a planner? It sounds counterintuitive, but wedding planners 1) aren't shy when it comes to haggling, 2) can draw from years of experience working with brides on budgets, and 3) have working relationships with vendors—all of which can amount to big bucks shaved off your final bill.

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Seek Free Fonts

Finding the perfect typeface that's also free is a bit like searching for the Holy Grail. Here's reason to rejoice: these decidedly un-tacky fonts from DaFont.com and Abstract Fonts don't cost a hard-earned dime.

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Say Yes to All-Inclusive

3 deseos y medio

"Choosing a venue that comes with extras built in, like a wedding coordinator or an on-site ceremony location, means significant savings," says Christina Latvatalo, a wedding sales manager at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. All those extras can add up to thousands you won't have to spend.

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Create Your Own Dot-Com

Bryan Gardner

Save on paper, printing, and postage by sharing your wedding details online. Many businesses charge only a small fee to use their webpage templates, and some charge nada. On MyWedding for instance, users can pick a design (including ones created by yours truly) and personalize it. 

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Forgo a Program

Shannon Von Eschen

"A lot of my clients are opting for no printed program," says San Francisco wedding planner Pamela Fishman Cianci, owner of Outlined Productions. "It's an extra cost and extra stress, and it's unnecessary. The most important words are the vows, and those are never in there."

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Un-Grave Your Cards

Taylor Lord

Going with thermography instead of engraving can cut your stationery budget in half. The processes are different, but the look (raised ink) is nearly identical. "On average, 100 engraved invites will cost $500," says Lea Armstrong of Wedding Paper Divas. "With thermography, you'll get the same for $229."

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Initial It

Roey Yohai Photography

One word: monogram. All it takes is a decent home printer to thread that logo through every element of your wedding, from invitations and favors to programs and banners. The personalized touch only looks expensive. 

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Think Monochromatic

Jim Franco

From your invites (using one shade of ink means big savings on letterpress) to your flowers, choosing a single overall hue creates an instantly chic party at a fraction of the price. Notes expert Denise Vivaldo. "Color is cheap, and it can become your theme."

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Take up Hunting

Julie Livingston Photography

Bargain hunting, that is. You can find everything from fabric and trim to antique Mason jars on eBay, Etsy, or Craigslist (or at a local flea market) for half the price and twice the charm.

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Buy In-Season

Anne-Marie Bouchard Photography

"My best tip is to stay seasonal and local," says Maxine Siu, of Stem in San Francisco.

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Pick the Right Kicks

Katherine Rose & Luke Griffin of Max and Friends

For more bang for your buck, buy shoes you'll actually wear again after the wedding.

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Supersize Your Flowers

Elisa Bricker

Choosing bigger buds (like king protea) means you'll need fewer stems, thereby helping your bottom line. 

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Focus on You

Lauren Kinsey

When it comes to your ceremony site, you don't need to deck the guest-book table and every pew with flowers. Get the most bloom for your buck by asking your florist to design one or two lush altarpieces, which will direct everyone's eyes exactly where you want them to be: on you and your partner.

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Befriend Farmers

Courtesy of Floret Flowers

Cutting out the middleman by calling on a grower will allow you to source flowers for, well, dirt cheap. Look for farms or related associations that crop up. Sherman found one such grower by contacting the American Dahlia Society; he offered her 120 flowers from his garden for $200, plus a low fee to deliver them to her personally.

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Bouton-ette Your Bridesmaids

Ashley Sawtelle

Turn your cost-saving tactics into a fashion statement. Instead of giving bridesmaids costly bouquets to carry, pin one beautiful blossom on each of your attendants.

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Get Twiggy with It

Sarah Maingot

Save on your centerpieces by creating beautiful arrangements with nary a flower in sight: "Suspending votives from branches is very popular right now," says Justin Potter, owner of Nettleton Hollow, an online emporium of botanical materials. We also like the look of fringe.

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Make Your Flowers Work Overtime

See More Plant Wedding Favors

One of the simplest ways to save can also be one of the loveliest. Let potted flowering plants act as both living centerpieces and favors that guests can tote home.

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Sign Up for Emails

Getty Images

Most wedding-dress designers allow you to sign up for news and updates. Even if you have a policy of sharing your email address with only your nearest and dearest, this is one of the few times where it pays to offer up your deets. Get on their email lists, and you'll be privy to time-sensitive insider info such as sample sales and trunk shows.

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Score a Pre-Owned Gown

Diane Hu

At sites such as PreownedWeddingDresses.com and Once Wed, you can find gently used (and sometimes never-worn) designer dresses at a fraction of the price you would pay in a salon. They can also be ideal places to search if you've already found your dream gown and are simply waiting for your fairy godmother to wave her sale wand.

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Give Your Dress an Afterlife

Christian Oth Studio

If you have your heart set on a pricey dress, here's a good way to recoup your investment: after the wedding, resell your dress on eBay or the sites mentioned in the previous tip; it may end up putting a smile on another bride's face.

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Sample-Size Your Makeup

Bryan Gardner

If you're getting your wedding look done at a makeup counter, buy only the items you'll definitely use again (e.g., lipstick). Scoop up samples of anything you'll use only on the big day (e.g., face powder).

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