Congratulations on your engagement! There is so much to do before your big day, and we understand that wedding expenses can add up very quickly. With that being said, American State Bank wanted to share our tips for planning a wedding on a budget.
Venue
When it comes to your venue, think about your getting ready area, ceremony space and reception hall. Many venues now offer all three of those options put into one! They may cost a little more but when you do the math of booking a salon, ceremony venue and then reception area, it may come out to be the same. With that, you also don’t have to worry about transportation since everything is at one place. Venue is the most important piece to staying within budget – for example, another part to consider is if you can have your own caterer, bring in your own deserts and what alcohol costs are. Some venues charge twice as much for drinks, make you pay by the plate (and don’t allow your own caterer for buffet style) and request that you have a caterer for desserts. All of this can tack onto your final price so choose carefully after taking all elements into consideration!
Food & Dessert
As mentioned above, food can factor into cost. One nice way to save money is by having your caterer offer a buffet option so you don’t have to pay by the plate. You can also take into account desserts. Instead of paying a professional for desserts, ask friends and family to bring their favorite dessert. You can set out name cards so the desserts can be displayed as “from the kitchen of _____” – this will save you money and create a special memory. You can also opt out of cake – instead, split a cupcake or smash a donut in your spouse’s face from your donut wall. There are plenty of fun options instead of spending $200 on a cake to cut.
Hair & Makeup
Airbrush makeup can easily cost $80-100 per person and hair can be $50-100. See if a friend or family member is willing to do one or the other for the bridal party. This will help save money and create a fun memory between the group.
Transportation
If you choose different venues or have a picture location in mind that isn’t at the venue, you will need transportation for your wedding party. Instead of booking a bus to transfer everyone, see if a few family members can be your drivers. Then you save $1,000+ on booking a bus for the day!
Flowers
If real flowers are out of budget, there are other options. Try only having real flowers if you are a bride and boutonniere if you are a groom. Then the rest of the wedding party doesn’t even need to have flowers! Or try creating your own bouquets by buying real or fake flowers and make a day of it creating your centerpieces and wedding party necessities. As far as centerpieces go, less is more. You don’t need huge, towering centerpieces on every table. Instead, look at ways to create other types of centerpieces. Have wood slabs you make yourself with a few random wine bottles and glass jars to throw some flower sprigs in.
These are just a few areas where you can save money while planning a wedding on a budget. We hope you enjoy your big day! If you have “must haves” for your big day, come see us about setting up a special savings account to set money aside.
