Wedding Budget 101 (Part 3)

10 Ways to Save

Whatever your budget, you don’t have to resort to “do it yourself” bouquets to stay on your projected financial target for your big day. Follow these tips that will help you create and have a memorable wedding without sacrificing your sense of style.

1. Decide What’s Most Important

Pick your top three priorities and allocate a little extra money for them (like your gown, catering, and music). Next, pick three things that are lowest on your priority list (maybe flowers, cake and invitations), and budget accordingly.

2. Cut the Guest List

We know it’s tough, but one of the fastest and most effective ways to lower your wedding cost is to review the guest list and make some adjustments. Get the red pen out and start eliminating (after some careful consideration) some names off that list! At $100 a head, taking 10 guests off the guest list will save you $1,000! Also consider the size of your wedding party: Gifts and transportation are not as costly for two than it is for  party of ten.

3. Pass on Pricey Details

Review some of the glamorous items that you’ve selected that you can do without. Free yourself of the pressure to upgrade and instead make honest choices based on what you want and what you can afford. As a general rule, before you sign a contract, look through the itemized list of what you’re buying and, ask yourself, “Will anyone notice if we don’t do this?”

4. Get a Smaller Vehicle

Sometime eliminating a huge stretch limo will save you some money that you can allocate somewhere else. Look into Limo shuttles that your wedding party can use to get to the reception that is just as effective as a Hummer stretch limo.

6. Skip the Special Effects

If you’re happy with simple wedding pictures, pass on options that can add up quickly to your wedding budget. You can find a photographer that will cover your wedding and give you all of the unedited pictures at a reasonable price.

7. Select Seasonal Flowers

Choose flowers that are in season, and pick locally grown flowers rather than blooms that need to be brought in from afar to reduce costs.

8. Simplify Your Menu

Reduce the number of overall dinner courses (making three courses costs less than serving five individual courses) and keep your menu simple. Stick with the specialties of the season and culture.

Hope this information is helpful and useful for your celebration! Here’s to a fabulous wedding!!!