Ten Ways to Cut Your Wedding Costs

I am a wedding planner as well as a venue owner and I am frequently asked “how do we cut back on our wedding expenses”. 

Here are ten ways to cut your wedding costs.

• Catering will be one of your biggest expenses, food costs have soared and that cost is passed on to you. Select food that is less expensive and easier to serve; grazing tables, pizza and food trucks, serve only heavy appetizers, have a taco bar, serve BBQ, use local catering companies and serve food that is in season. 
• For your bar; serve beer, wine and offer only a few different cocktails, that way you are not stocking every type of alcohol.
• Cut your guest list to only people who are actually in your life and that you want to share this day with.
• Have a wedding that is child free, they count as a guest if they sit at the table. 
• Don’t use premium florals. All florists can replicate any photo you give them and use the same colors and textures while not using premium, imported or out of season flowers. 
• Go paperless for invitations. 
• Buy your wedding dress off the rack, rent it, or buy it second hand.
• End your wedding earlier, the bar bill from 8pm – 11pm can double or triple. 
• Find a venue that includes everything except your vendors. A venue that doesn’t include anything might look like it’s less expensive, however everything has to be brought in and rented. That will cost you much more than finding a venue that supplies everything.
• Hire a photographer for 4-6 hours vs the whole day. This will save you a bunch and you will still get the most important pieces of your wedding captured.