Weddings can be very expensive, even if you decide on a relatively small ceremony. There are many details that go into planning a wedding, from choosing a caterer to finding the perfect venue. Apart from having to dedicate a lot of your time to ensure the ceremony is exactly how you wanted it to be, you’ll also have to consider the financial aspect of it all. In case you’re looking for ways to save money on your ceremony, here’s how you can do it.
Determine a Budget
It’s recommended you discuss the wedding budget with your future spouse soon after you get engaged. In order to save as much money as possible, you will have to come up with a well-defined budget. Your first step should be defining a hard maximum. In other words, you should determine what the highest amount of money you can afford to spend is. Before you define a hard maximum, it’s a good idea to talk to your respective parents and see if they’re willing to help you out. Don’t forget to leave a little room in your budget for unexpected expenses, since you can never know what might happen.
Once you determine how much you can afford to spend on your wedding, it’s time to list all expenses. Make sure you contact each person or company you plan on hiring and write down the price for each service. When it comes to expenses like food and drinks, it’s best to first figure out how many people you are going to invite to the ceremony and then determine the cost.
Avoid Peak Wedding Dates
An easy way to save money on your ceremony is to just avoid peak wedding dates. For example, instead of a spring or summer wedding, you could host yours during autumn or winter. By doing this, you will pay less for everything from entertainment to the venue. It’s recommended you avoid tying the knot on a Saturday, as this day is always in high demand. Instead, you should consider having the ceremony on either a Friday or Sunday. This one simple change may help you save thousands of dollars.
Save Money on Your Dress
If you’re willing to try something different, you can save a lot of money on your wedding dress, which would otherwise probably cost you around two thousand dollars. For instance, you can get a second hand wedding dress. There are a lot of bridal shops that specialize in selling pre-owned wedding gowns. In most cases, the secondhand dress you buy was worn only once, which means it’s still in excellent condition.
Keep in mind that you can also get a discount on a dress by purchasing a sample gown. In other words, by buying the dress you try on in the store. The downside to this approach is that the dresses are often not in perfect condition due to frequent handling.
In case you don’t like these two options, you can always save money by buying your outfit online. This way, you will not only have more items to choose from but the ability to compare prices across countless different stores. You can also search for other items that will be part of your wedding outfit, like a petticoat or wedding shoes.
Shop Around
Just because you think you’re getting a good price for something at one place doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop around. It’s extremely important you do this with big expenses like the venue. However, it’s also a good idea to look for the best prices for other services, from the florist to the cake. Keep in mind that you should always try haggling, since there’s a good chance you’ll be able to bring down the price of certain expenses.