A dream wedding… that’s what every girl wants. Unfortunately those can be expensive, especially if you insist on having them Hollywood style. Still, it is nice to have the trimmings at your wedding; and contrary to what you may think, you can always have your dream wedding without shelling out as much as you would expect.
You should start by looking at your guest list. If you’re working to a tight budget the fewer the guests, the smaller the expense. You could opt for an intimate wedding and only have your family and closest friends on your guest list.
Okay, your parents might insist that you have to invite an old family friend; your co-workers might ask you if it’s okay for them to bring their boyfriends. And then there’s the common etiquette dilemma of “having” to invite an entire group of people (rather than the few members you really like) because they would be “offended”. But, it’s your wedding day, remember, and you’ve got the final say on who attends, so you should be firm about this.
Here are some ways to get your guest list (and the cost of your reception) under control:
- Divide your total head count into three: a third to the bride’s parents, a third to the groom’s parents, and a third to the bride and groom.
- Trim those friends that you haven’t seen in years. You won’t have any chance to really talk to them during the wedding anyway.
- Don’t invite co-workers unless they’re really your friends (i.e. you go out with them regularly, and would probably be just as close even if any one of you changed jobs). Ask one person out of courtesy and you’ll have to ask all.
- Discourage guests from bringing kids or dates. A tactful way of doing this is to print seating cards (“we have reserved __ seats for you at Table __”) and insert them in with your wedding invitations.
- Switch places. Ask yourself, “Would I be hurt if they didn’t invite me to their wedding?”. If the answer is no, then cut them from your list.
Your guest list should always be your first stop when you’re trying to manage your wedding budget, but there are other ways you can cut your wedding costs too…
Nowadays brides can get married in almost any decent outfit, so why not go for a suit or get a wedding dress that you can use again? Remember that the radiant bride is beautiful no matter what she wears. Your entourage can also provide their own dresses; just give them the theme to follow.
On the other hand, you might want to have matching sets for you and your entourage, so why not rent your gowns? Some shops carry full sets since usually the outfits are one time only clothes. Let the joy of some other happy bride spill over onto you. Even the groom and groomsmen can rent their tuxedos or wedding suits at a fraction of the price that it would usually cost to buy them.
Your friends are a treasure you should definitely be thankful for on your special day and they can do a lot to lighten your costs. Some of them might be good with pictures. Ask your friends to bring their cameras and take pictures of your wedding for you. A friend who is skilled in make-up and hair styles can take the place of a professional artist. Maybe they can even lend you a fancy car for the trips you need to make during the day instead of having to hire a limousine. You could even make your invitations yourself. There are a lot of software programs you can use for your graphics nowadays too.
Doing these things will not only lower your expenses, they will also bind you closer to your friends. Don’t forget that it isn’t how much you spend or how fancy your wedding is that counts. Keep it simple and from the heart; that’s what will make it memorable for you and your wedding guests!
To learn how to slash the cost of your wedding by 50-80%, with bargains like $2,000 wedding dresses for under $100, and headpieces, veils and tiaras for 1/5th of the normal price, check out Erica Yoon’s Amazing Wedding Planning website…
My advice would be don’t go over the top with the food and spend the money on the entertainment.
The next day your guests will not care if they ate a £125 meal or Fish & Chips and to be honest will probably remember the fish and chips more! (That’s what we had at our wedding)
Great entertainment though will make them remember your day for a long time.
Bands, Charicturists, Fire eaters, Magicians,
Roger
I agree with you Roger and I had a look at your site and your shows look fantastic!
Thanks for your feedback!
Truly an awesome idea to have a magician at your wedding. Will surely add that excitement value and keep the guests active.
Also, won’t be a bad idea to involve the bride & groom in some magic moments on their special day…
Great article! I read somewhere theres a new trend with people actually getting rid of the live music and just going with an Ipod to save some money! I guess that’s the digital revolution for ya….
Thanks,
Rob from http://www.your-wedding-songs.com
I was at a wedding just recently when the only music was from an Ipod. Mmm, I didn’t like it much. There didn’t seem to be much atmosphere to be honest 🙂
Great site with great info. But i politely disagree that food is of lesser importance. At least in Singapore that is. Food is really an important component of our wedding. I always remember fondly the weddings with wonderful food. 🙂
Good point. A lot does depend on tradition and the style of the wedding too 🙂
Your comments on the wedding photographs is very true, a friends recent paid wedding pictures were pretty average but some of the casual pictures from the guest are classics.
Indeed, guest list is a good way to cut budget, and the hair and makeup are also a good choice. Although we can rent a wedding dress, it still a good memory for your whole life. I will buy one.
Useful tips for having a wedding on your budget.
We also have some great tips about how to manage your budget on everything about weddings – wedding planning
I agree with you about the photography if you are on a tight budget. Being a photographer, I would highly advise that if you are looking to get a photographer on a budget then either accept that the photos will be average or better yet, see if any of your family or friends are keen amateur photographers. They would be grateful to shoot your wedding for free and also encourage everyone to bring along their best cameras and have a go.
Be careful it does not turn into chaos because a photographer does a little more than just take photos. They know how to command and control a large group of people and what the best poses are that will suit the photos you are looking for.
Thanks for the tips Ramyad!
Great money saving tips! Thanks for posting! Most of the weddings I have attended have disposable cameras on every table, another way of getting the guests involved and saving on a professional photog! 🙂
You’re right. I see that more and more too now. In fact, probably 90% of the weddings I’ve attended in the last 4-5 years have had disposable cameras for the guests. Quite often, these make the best and funniest memories of your wedding day. Thanks for sharing!
Having a family friend perform the ceremony and lead the rehearsal is another great way to save money and make the ceremony much more intimate. In California most counties will deputize someone for one day to perform the ceremony. This person has to be over 18 and a US citizen.
There is no reason that a family friend can’t do a professional job. I have officiated hundreds of weddings over the last 7 years and I offer a coaching program that will walk your friend through every step of creating the ceremony, leading the rehearsal and presiding over the ceremony.
Great blog and great idea David!
Thanks for the great suggestions. I think its a wonderful thing that, with all the information available on the internet, an affordable dream wedding is easier than ever to accomplish if you do your research. I certainly wish it had been available to me when I was married 26 years ago!
Thanks, for giving such a wonderful information. I have seen complete and genuine wedding tips in this post. As i am planning my wedding with Bodaplanet. I will share these suggestions with them.
Some of the tips are really great. But I wonder how can someone ask a guest not to get someone along. I mean that sounds quite indifferent.
I’m a wedding photographer and as someone who ploughs through wedding photography websites and blogs on a daily basis I can speak with confidence that you get what you pay for. In fact I have just written an article on this subject today, after attending a wedding fayre where the quality and prices of photographers differed so considerably, and I had a couple of brides tell me they were getting their friends or family to photograph their wedding.
The bottom line is that while many people spend thousands on their venue, their dress, the cars, the cake, and all the little details to make their day so perfect and pay so little on their photography. Once the day is over, all you have is are your memories, photographs and perhaps a video which hopefully captures those details and moments in the best possible light.
Good tips for helping to keep a budget and still have a nice wedding. I never really thought about the guest list and keeping in small, but you are so right. And a smaller wedding makes it so much more intimate and special.
I’m also a wedding photographer, and would really recommend that people don’t make cuts when it comes to photography. When I got married I decided that the three things worth spending money on were the dress, the rings, and the wedding photographs. Nearly ten years later these three things are the only physical mementoes we have from our wedding day, and we’re glad we spent the money. We look at our photo album regularly!
Having said that, I do think it’s a great idea to ask your guest to bring cameras too – you could even put disposable ones on the tables if you can afford to. Guests often get great shots that the official photographer can miss – especially as the guests tend to know each other well and know when the great expressions are likely to happen.
Helpful tips! Another good way to trim costs is to watch what you spend on wedding favors, bridal shower favors and other accessories. Many of these items go on sale. I agree guest list probably has the most impact on cost, as well as location of the wedding and reception. Any tips for affordable wedding venues?
Thanks for really helpful information, it’s so nice and interesting,
Thanks for sharing
Till then
Annie
I am a wedding photographer as well, an I think you should not get sucked in to big bridal packages. people spend thousands on big albums, you look at it for the first couple of years then they sit on a shelf. it is all about recording the day, the flowers the cake, the friends. as set of 6×4″ prints in an album is all you need.
Fantastic ideas and suggestions, it’s always good to get info from others about this sort of thing! It seems everyone today has a digital camera so why not ask your gusets to take lots of pictures and send them on a disc to you, that you can add them all together! Great ideas – great blog!
These are good tips, and i totally agree with what neil is saying. people get to worked up around the big packages which is all fake in my opinion, i am a photographer i have my first wedding soon…people tell me its very stressful however i am extremely looking forward to it! its all about the memories….
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What a fantastic article. THis is my first time reading your blog and I must say the advice is great. Thanks
Thanks for the comment.