Skip to main content

Post content has been hidden

To unblock this content, please click here

Shanda
Just Said Yes October 2020

Help!!

Shanda, on August 2, 2019 at 12:29 AM Posted in Planning 2 36
Me and my FH are trying to find ways to have a cheap wedding but make it not look cheap. Any advice is much appreciated such as ways to cut costs or things that may not be needed for the wedding.

36 Comments

Latest activity by Iva, on August 17, 2019 at 11:52 AM
  • Courtney
    Dedicated October 2019
    Courtney ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    We didn’t do save the date and no ceremony/reception programs. The biggest thing that saved us money so far, was deciding to have the wedding in our backyard.
    • Reply
  • Sexypoodle
    Master October 2021
    Sexypoodle ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Cut the guest list and that will help majorly. With fewer people, you have more options to choose less expensive venues, like having the reception at a nice restaurant. Also, use lots of pillar candles of various heights (in glass vases). It gives a classy appearance and is a better alternative to using fake DIY flowers (which can often look & feel cheap).
    • Reply
  • Bridgette
    Dedicated October 2021
    Bridgette ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    I'm in the same boat. In order to save on my decorations, I'm DIYing most of them. I'm looking on Facebook wedding resale pages in my local area and stacking coupons at Michael's when I'm able to. Keep decorations simple but nice. You don't need extravagant centerpieces. Receive help from your talented friends and family members. That can save you money. My MOH has a cricket and she's only asking that I buy the materials for it. So she's making my signs and various other things. Only invite a select number of people. Do not start adding people that you haven't seen or heard from in years. You can have someone certified online cheaper than what a lot of officants charge. You can chop favors and have your main focus be food, drinks, and music. Instead of doing favors, we're having treat bags so they can take desserts home if they want.
    • Reply
  • Danielle
    Master June 2019
    Danielle ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Go minimal on decor, cut out unnecessary things such as programs & favors, find a free venue, have a small guest list, and find "up and coming vendors" that are good but don't have the years of experience to charge outrageous prices. Also, use Ann's Bridal Bargains for invites and such, it will save you tons of money and the quality / turn around time is great....I highly recommend! Your guests will care most about: food & entertainment. So, as long as they are having fun with good music, food, and drinks...then you will have an awesome wedding.

    • Reply
  • M
    VIP December 2019
    Michelle ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    If you can find a venue that lets you bring in your own caterer/alcohol that would also save you

    • Reply
  • Jazmin
    Super April 2019
    Jazmin ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Hi Shanda, we had a 21 guests destination wedding for about $6,000 total and these are our tips (I linked the discussions I've written about them):

    -Set your budget and stick to it

    -Cut on the guests number

    -Choose a beautiful venue that require minimal decoration

    -Have a paperless wedding

    -Don't have a wedding party if possible

    -Buy your dress at a "non bridal" store

    -Mind the hidden costs

    We had a wonderful wedding and it looks a lot more expensive than what it really was.

    Help!! 1

    Help!! 2

    Help!! 3

    Help!! 4

    Help!! 5


    • Reply
  • M
    Legend June 2019
    Melle ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    If you can't cut the guest list then I'd look in other areas such as cheaper decor, no party favors, limited alcohol options or dry wedding even, cheaper catering, and alternative to wedding cake (something smaller or maybe even a grocery store cake instead).
    • Reply
  • Jess
    Expert October 2019
    Jess ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    If you have an idea look for a sale and purchase it on sale. Also a lot of the paper products like a schedule or menu for the day of, make it yourself on the computer or see if a friend would be able too. For signage do the same! When we did want customized stuff that we couldn’t make, we looked for awhile to find the best deal. They are sales and coupons everywhere. For DIY stuff keep in mind that art supplies at Michaels are mostly more expensive than Hobby Lobby. Try to buy in bulk and always check amazon or online since they don’t have to follow the same pricing guidelines as in store retailers.
    • Reply
  • K
    Beginner August 2019
    Kathleen ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Our budget is around 7k and we’ve saved a lot of money by cutting favors, having our ceremony in a small church (free), and negotiating. Our florist was very willing to negotiate on prices and swapped a few flowers out to make corsages cheaper. The biggest savings we’ve had is that our reception venue is free, we just have to bring in our own caterer. My grandparents belong to a small country club and our using their reception hall is free because of their membership. So my recommendation is consider family connections (especially military) and consider venues in small towns or outside of large cities because the cost can come way down. We’re only spending $13 per person on the buffet and I nixed the cocktail hour. When FH’s family insisted they wanted a cocktail hour, I just told them politely that they would have to pay for it. So they are. We also are only serving one specific beer and one white wine for free, everything else is cash bar. Pretty much all my friends and even the club’s bartender told me not to do an open bar because people take advantage of it and order crazy expensive shots and mixed drinks. If one of your parents insists on something you don’t care about, I would politely ask them to either pay for it or tell them no. Smiley winking Make a list of the top 3-5 things that matter to you about the wedding and let the other stuff go. I am paying $1,500 for photography from an excellent photographer because that was the #1 item on my last. My sister had a cheaper photographer and she regretted it. So I definitely knew I wanted to hire a great photographer and I’m really excited about our photos. So just cut in some areas and keep in mind what is most important to you and your FH.
    • Reply
  • Ivy ORP
    VIP October 2019
    Ivy ORP ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    One of our biggest budget savers was our guest list. We initially talked about 100 people but found the perfect venue that could only hold 50 people and immediately agreed that would be better anyway. I bought my dress online which cost me $100 shipped, and it is gorgeous! We are buying wine and beer on sale and making one signature drink instead of a full bar. Our caterer is a friend's son so we got the friends and family discount but honestly, he came in so far under budget we're tipping him the $200 difference. We are cutting flowers. I did not want to watch them die so it was something I was really ok losing. We are doing very simple centerpieces with lanterns we got on sale, led tea lights, and these wedding rubber ducks that are more of an inside joke but look really cute with everything. We also didn't get a typical venue. We are renting a beach house for the weekend and found one that has everything we wanted and was much less expensive than other beach houses on a different part of the beaches here. We do not have a big wedding party. We each have an adult son who will escort us both down the aisle and stand by our sides as out best men, that's it. We skipped the DJ but have a reception planned that doesn't require an MC and have really good speakers with a microphone so my Spotify subscription is paying for itself. We are not doing a big cake but will have a one tier cake and 4 dozen cupcakes along with 3-4 desserts like lemon bars and brownies. We are doing favors but these can easily be cut if it's not important to you. We got 100 bottle openers shaped like antique keys for $50. Our friend has a tent we can borrow and we already have 2 folding tables and there is outdoor furniture onsite. This meant we only needed 2 round tables, 4 cocktail tables, and our chairs for the ceremony. With delivery and pick-up we are only paying $250.


    Good luck, there are so many ideas online that can help you have an elegant, budget friendly wedding.

    • Reply
  • Ivy ORP
    VIP October 2019
    Ivy ORP ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    Your Pop figures are the absolute cutest!!!! I love your dress too. Everything is so beautiful.

    • Reply
  • Jazmin
    Super April 2019
    Jazmin ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment
    We did a few similar things, especially getting rid of the flowers. That's a great way to save money.


    • Reply
  • Jazmin
    Super April 2019
    Jazmin ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    Aww thank you, the Pop figures were a gift from a friend, he personalized them for us. And the dress was from Lulus.com.

    • Reply
  • Ivy ORP
    VIP October 2019
    Ivy ORP ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    At first I thought I was going to miss carrying flowers even after I decided against it. But I found a beautiful book I'll be handwriting my vows in and am so excited to carry it down the aisle.

    • Reply
  • Cher Horowitz
    Master December 2019
    Cher Horowitz ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    That's such a unique idea! I love it

    • Reply
  • Brittany
    Super October 2020
    Brittany ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Hey! We are getting married in the same month! Another way to save some money cut costs but still look nice there is a website www.preownedweddingdresses.com where you can get other brides wedding dress for a good price! They have lots of dresses there.

    Also, a lot of people on here have already said some wonderful ideas.

    I am doing a lot of DIY for my decor for ceremony and reception. So that would help cut costs down too!

    If you need any help let me know!

    • Reply
  • C
    Dedicated October 2019
    Caitlin ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Ok so here are my biggest cost saving tips:

    -Find a venue that lets you bring in outside food/beverages. We got a beautiful 1920s dancehall for $700 and we have it from the day before the wedding. And that gave us freedom to pick our own caterer and do our own alcohol.

    -Start early and look for sales. I started nailing down decor more than a year out. Once I knew what I wanted, I watched for sales. Got table cloths 60% off, invitations 50% off, etc.

    -Join a local Facebook wedding group! You can find brides reselling their decor. Also, I happened to find wedding coordinators that are just starting out. They offered their services free of charge in exchange for photos and reviews when we're done. HUGE saving and a huge weight off the shoulders of a DIY bride.

    -Skip favors. Your guests likely won't even miss them.

    -Opt for minimal flowers, and consider silk flowers. I made all of my bridesmaids' bouquets with dollar store materials for less that $20 (for seven girls). No one will be close enough to notice. Tables will not have flowers. I had a silk flower designer make my bouquet and my fiance's boutonniere for $160. And I got my parents corsage and boutonniere for $9 on Amazon. Live flowers cost A TON.

    -For a DJ, consider the DJ from the local bar. That's what we're doing and it's saving us like $1000. He's fantastic too.

    -Lose paper where you can. We did our save the dates electronically. We kept our invitations simple -- as in it was just an invitation and a detail card with RSVP instructions. We're doing our RSVPs all online so we didn't need to pay return postage, or have an additional card. No belly band, no internal envelope. That's honestly so excessive. Not a single wedding I've been to in the last few years has had all of that extra stuff in their invitation, either.

    -Think outside the box for catering. Banquet style really didn't fit our personalities. We're serving pizza Smiley heart Out favorite dish. Then we're making sides and appetizers ourselves -- shout out to the venue for letting us do outside food.

    -Ask vendors if they provide discounts for paying in full. Our photographer gave us 20% off for doing so! Mind you, we made sure that it was in our contract that if she did not fulfill her end, we would get our money back.

    -Don't do a massive cake. They're insanely expensive, even though they're gorgeous. A small cake for you and FH to cut, and then cupcakes for the guests. Totally sufficient.

    • Reply
  • Yobana
    Dedicated October 2019
    Yobana ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Doing a lot of DIY decorations, also don’t know what apps are in your state but looking for wedding decor from other brides who already got married and are selling their things for so cheap! I’ve found my vases on Craigslist, paid $60 for 12 beautiful glass vases that would have cost me $15 each, also like signs and other decor, OfferUp app too. Looking for small upcoming business for flowers and so.
    • Reply
  • Yobana
    Dedicated October 2019
    Yobana ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    These are the vases I got on OfferUp 😍 2nd wedding here they come !

    Help!! 6
    • Reply
  • Diana
    VIP December 2019
    Diana ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    We’re in the same boat!! I’m doing all my wedding decor. We used Shutterfly for our invitations. We also went to Sam’s Club for our flowers. Bought our own tablecloths, we bought my two boys a suit instead of renting. Our wedding/reception is held in a church venue. No alcohol, we choose our own catering company. We’re making our own punch to drink.
    • Reply

You voted for . Add a comment 👇

×

Related articles

WeddingWire celebrates love ...and so does everyone on our site! Learn more

Groups

WeddingWire article topics