Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times in a bride’s life. There are so many things to think about and plan for, the list feels never-ending. To top off the sheer quantity of tasks ahead of you, you have the nagging issue of budget to contend with when making every decision.
Prices of wedding products and services are staggering and the day of your dreams can quickly start to feel like a nightmare on the horizon. After all, when we are little girls we don’t think our wedding day will bring the dilemma of flowers or famine.
I am here to offer a few suggestions on how to save on your big day. My husband and I were able to have a completely fun wedding and our parents did not have to take out a second mortgage to make it happen. If you are willing to rethink a few of those life-sized ice statues and settle for a venue that is a little more cozy, you may find that you can be a beautiful bride and still stay on budget.
Food and Venue
The first thing to consider is your guest list. This will determine what sort of budget you require. If you are okay with keeping the setting intimate, you will find that there are many venues that offer all-in-one packages at prices that won’t have you canceling the honeymoon. However, if you are like me, then you couldn’t stand the thought of not having your extended circle of friends and family there to share your special occasion.
That is okay, as long as you are reasonable about your catering and venue choice. Having a large wedding requires a bigger venue. There are places that are less expensive but you will most likely have to sacrifice ambience if your budget is not limitless. I chose an outdoor wedding venue. It didn’t have a lot of the perks offered by other places which kept it on the low-cost end of the scale. Yes, this did require extra work on my part, but it was well worth the savings.
Another way to save when you want a big wedding is to make less costly menu choices. For example, at our wedding we decided to serve Mexican food because we love it, our family enjoys it, and we could feed many more people enchiladas than we could had we served steak, though there were steak tacos!
While searching my catering options I found there were quite a few fun choices that were not as expensive as more high-end cuisine.
- Bar-b-que companies often have large catering menus from which to choose and I have yet to meet a person who turns their nose up to BBQ.
- Get creative, choose foods you love and you can’t go wrong.
Those are just a couple examples of ways you can save. There are many more if you are willing to make compromises, which I know can be very difficult. When making your guest list, remember to only invite people you know would not want to miss out being there for your special day. This way you will find comfort knowing that everyone in attendance is there because they love and support you. You will not have to worry about people judging you if you have to settle for paper table cloths.
Lastly, remember to have fun! This really is your day! Your friends and family will all have a blast seeing you so happy and in love. As long as you stay positive and roll with the punches, you are sure to look back with joy and pride on the most important engagement of your life.
By Tara, Free Stuff Finder Contributor
