In these crazy times, planning your wedding on a budget is more poignant than ever! Many brides are being forced to relook at their wedding budgets and see what they can do to ensure that their wedding day is memorable and magical, despite new restraints.
Because of this, I decided to write a comprehensive post on all the budget cutting options you have available to you.
1. Get your friends involved!
One of the highest costs involved in a wedding is hiring a decor company to do the decor. While this is totally worthwhile as these skilled professionals can turn a blank canvas into a magical space, there are also ways to cut down on the budget by getting your friends involved.
If you have got some creatives among your inner circle, you might be able to use Pinterest tutorials to create your own decor and table settings. This can be a fun bonding time for you and your friends, allowing everyone to feel included in your special day.
For all of your decor needs, visit Super Floral. https://www.superfloral.co.za/
*Another industry secret – decor wholesaler
https://www.prototrading.co.za/
2. Fabulous flowers & greenery
Flowers are another really high expense when it comes to your wedding day, so be strategic as to your use of them. A big trend these days is to cut down on the use of flowers, and use more greenery and reeds with a sprinkling of flowers in between. Ask your floral professional for expert advice on what flowers are in season on your wedding date for further cost saving!
3. Season smart
Getting married off-season is a quick and easy way to save on the cost of your wedding venue. If you’re not attached to getting married in summer, then you may still be able to afford your dream wedding venue in winter.
4. Week day wedding
Since an entire wedding season has had to be postponed, the week day wedding may be more common in coming years. Venues are going to be in high demand as double the number of bookings are going to be wanted in the same amount of time, so you may want to consider having a wedding on a week day such as a Friday. Venues and photographers will offer vastly reduced hiring fees for week days and this can save you a lot of money.
5. Tea time vows
Another option worth considering is skipping the formal dinner wedding and having a morning or tea time wedding. You could have a more toned down affair by having the ceremony during the day and serving tea and scones afterwards. The cost per head would be hugely reduced and the venue hire may be reduced too.
6. Brutal guest list
Over the years, as prices have soared, wedding couples have been forced to get more brutal with their choice of guests. Some people employ the 1 year or 6 month rule, in which if they haven’t seen the person in the past year or six months then they don’t make the list. Whatever your method is, it’s worth looking at how you can restrict your guest list to only your closest friends and family.
7. Cup-cake favors
Cut out wedding favors and give cupcakes instead. This has become a very common way to cut costs on an extravagant wedding cake and eliminate the wedding favor by giving each guest a nicely packaged cupcake.
For boxes and other supplies:
https://www.merrypak.co.za/
8. Budget bridesmaids dresses
Instead of spending a fortune on custom made bridesmaids dresses, pick a colour and ask your bridesmaids to buy a dress at a retail shop like YDE that they like and wear that. They don’t all have to match perfectly, as long as they don’t clash, a range of shades of a chosen colour can look great in your pictures!
9. Cost cutting photography
Many photographers such as Bronwyn Todd, KOA Photography and Shot By Angel offer cheaper packages for limited numbers of hours. Search for them on instagram to see their work.
The truth is that full photography packages give you more pictures than you could ever use.
See if you can get a package where the photographer comes just for the important parts, maybe just the ceremony and couples shoot. A 3 hour package would cost a fraction of the price and you’ll still get amazing memories. I would rather negotiate on time than quality – rather hire a good photographer for a shorter time, than a bad photographer for the full time.
With the above savings, you should be able to budget adequately for the elements of your wedding that are really important to you, like your wedding dress! While there are always ways to save money on your wedding dress, I always advise that you go to a professional who can create a high quality garment so that you can walk with pride down the aisle on this special day!