5 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

admin | February 7, 2013

Wedding Dress For Happy Couple in Love (Photo credit: epSos.de)

Your wedding day may be the most important and memorable day of your life, but it can also be the most stressful. For many couples, wanting to have a dream wedding is often at direct odds with trying to be financially responsible and save money for a future together.

Fortunately, it’s entirely possible to have a beautiful and wonderful wedding day without emptying out your savings account. Here are five ways to save major money on your wedding by trimming down some of your largest related expenses.

Host at home.

Everyone wants a beautiful venue for their wedding day, but event rental fees can be staggering. Not only will you have to fork over a substantial deposit to reserve your desired space, but to some degree you’ll also be at the whim of your location, and may be only allowed to use their approved vendors and contractors, potentially driving your wedding budget up even further.

Instead, consider hosting your special day at your home or at the home of a willing friend or relative. To make the hosting job easier, keep your guest list down to your closest friends and family members, and try and have the bulk of the event outdoors.

You can also enlist the help of friends to host your wedding at a free outdoor space, like a park or beach. Not only will you save significantly on event rental fees, but you’ll also be able to cut down on other costs (like florals) by taking advantage of your setting’s natural beauty.

Enlist a photog friend – or many.

Documenting your wedding day is understandably important, and the reason why many couples decide to hire a top notch (and expensive) professional photographer. While you’ll no doubt make great use of a number of your professional wedding photos, the truth is that you will probably find yourself most attached to some of the more candid ones taken by friends. So why not skip the expense altogether? Have a friend or family member who is relatively skilled in photography take over the official wedding photographer duties, making sure to thank them with a nice gift. You can even involve all of your wedding guests by placing inexpensive disposable cameras on each table – they’ll no doubt relish the chance to help you capture your special day.

Use your clothing and accessories budget wisely.

How often do most brides wear their wedding dress? Unfortunately, we all know the answer to that question. Grooms may get a little more use out of their suits, but the fact remains that the amount of wear that most wedding day ensembles get is disproportionate with the large chunk that they take out of one’s budget.

Consider spending more money on the items that you will be wearing on a consistent basis for many years to come: women’s and men’s wedding bands. Even then, you might be surprised at how much you can save on your wedding rings without sacrificing quality or style. Many wedding rings for men and women are now made of contemporary materials such as cobalt chrome, Argentium silver, titanium and tungsten, all of which offer attractive looks and durability at a fraction of the price of precious metals like gold and platinum.

Register your honeymoon.

In today’s modern world, many couples find that they’ve already accumulated a good deal of the household items that a traditional registry covers. Instead of registering for items that you may already have or don’t really need, consider registering your honeymoon. You can register for anything and everything related to your honeymoon, from airfare to hotel stay to a romantic night of drinks for two. Not only will you be able to take an unforgettable trip free of financial worries, but your guests will be happy with the knowledge that they’ve given you a gift that you’ll actually use.

Get creative with catering.

Catering is consistently one of the largest expenses for any wedding. Not only are you paying for food, servers and oftentimes serveware rentals, but frequently the result is small portions of mediocre and unimaginative food. Consider instead using one of your favorite local cheap eats places to provide your guests with delicious and unforgettable food that won’t leave a gaping hole in your budget (or your guests’ stomachs). Increasingly popular at many wedding are more casual made-to-order set ups, like taco stands.

By cutting down on your major wedding expenses you’ll be able to start your future together on the right financial foot – and make your special day that much more special.

Tanya Naouri writes articles on cheap men’s wedding rings for men for JustMensRings.com.