3 Smart Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding
Posted on: 18 January 2017
For most people, a wedding is the most expensive party they'll ever throw. The average cost of a wedding in the United States is $26,645, and it's easy to go much higher than that amount if you're not paying attention to the way that the costs are adding up. What if you're on a tight budget but want to have a great wedding? What can you do to make it more affordable? Take a look at some smart tips that will help you save money on your wedding.
Embrace the Long Engagement
If there's no particular reason why you need to get married in a hurry, consider lengthening your wedding timeline a bit. An engagement of a year or two can not only give you time to save up money but also help you score some great deals.
It costs more to book a venue a few months in advance than it does to book it a year or more in advance. The same principle applies to some of the vendors that you'll need for your wedding. Setting a faraway wedding date allows you to lock in low prices now and will save you some stress as the big day approaches. After all, by then, you'll have gotten a lot of the work done already.
Have a Restaurant Reception
It's not always the food that makes catering so expensive. If you look at an itemized list of prices, you'll notice that you're being charged for all kinds of things—like the candles and centerpieces on the tables, the tablecloths, and the soup spoons and salad forks. Don't forget the fees for setup, cake-cutting, and corkage.
Do you know where you can go for expertly prepared food without being charged extra for napkins and candles? A good restaurant. Choose a place that you love and reserve it for you and your wedding guests. This can be a great way to save money on the reception without looking cheap.
Hire a Wedding Planner
Hiring an extra person when you're trying to save money may sound counter-intuitive, but really, a wedding planner can save you a lot of money. They're industry insiders, and they have relationships and contacts inside the industry that you don't. That means that they can get discounts that you wouldn't get on your own.
They can also save you from wasting money on bad investments and unreliable vendors. A wedding planner who has been in the business for a while will know which vendors are great and which ones are flaky or do substandard work. A good wedding planner will make sure that you get top quality for every penny you spend.
You don't have to spend a fortune to have a great wedding. Careful planning can do a lot to make up for having a small budget.
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