Weddings are really joyous occasions, but with the costs of weddings rising, they can also be stressful to plan! It’s said that the average wedding these days is around $25,000, which is a figure that can cause anyone to panic. Many engaged couples want to have a really amazing event but they don’t want the hefty price tag that comes along with that. So you have two options – you can either scale back your wedding considerably, or you can find ways to save money along the way. No one wants to put limits on what will hopefully be a once in a lifetime event, so trying to find savings wherever possible is the route many couples prefer to take. These tips will help you to have the wedding of your dreams on a budget:
- Use an Outdoor Venue
- Skip The Professional Photographer
- Make Your Own Favors
- Forego The Meal
- Wear a Vintage Dress
Hotels and other professional wedding venues can be expensive to book (not to mention require long waiting lists). So to cut expenses, why not look for a more intimate wedding setting? Outdoor venues tend to be cheaper and also more unique. Barn weddings are really popular these days, as are weddings at parks, preserves, farms, art venues, and other outdoor locations. You can create an especially memorable day by choosing an outdoor venue with sentimental value and great scenery to boot.
If you end up choosing an outdoor venue, just make sure there are readily accessible bathrooms for your guests. You may want to rent luxury restroom trailers to supplement the existing bathrooms or provide ones that are more upscale or more conveniently located than the options provided. Wedding guests love these types of portable toilets because they mimic the bathrooms you’d find at an elegant indoor venue.
Professional wedding photographers are expensive, but you don’t want to forego the beautiful memories that photographs will provide for years to come. So instead of just skipping the photographer altogether, let your guests stand in. Let’s face it, people are obsessed with taking pictures these days on their phones, cameras and tablets, so they’re going to take a ton of photos anyways. Encourage your guests to take pictures to their hearts’ content by asking guests to email photos to you after the event or upload them to social media or a shared drive. This way you will have many different pictures from different perspectives to represent your big day. Having your guests take your photos is a really great option because in addition to getting a bunch of images for free, it eliminates the need to have a long photography session at the reception – letting you spend more time enjoying yourselves and celebrating with all of your guests.
DIY favors are much cheaper than the premade varieties and they tend to be more personal. You can find a lot of great ideas on Pinterest for any wedding theme or color scheme. If you have family or friends that are particularly crafty, you can ask for their help as well. Putting together favors is a great way to bond with your bridesmaids and soon-to-be in-laws.
Having guests sit down for a formal meal is expensive. So to save money, you can opt to serve hors d’oeuvers and drinks instead of a sit-down meal. Heavy appetizers can serve the purpose of a meal at a fraction of the cost. This is often a better option anyways if you have picky eaters or kids at your reception because you can select a lot of varieties to offer more options to guests.
Finger foods let guests stay mobile throughout the reception too – encouraging socializing and dancing. For this reason, appetizers are a great way to encourage people to have a lot of fun at your reception throughout the event, not just at the end after the meal has finished.
Instead of splurging on an expensive designer dress, wearing a handed down dress from your Mother, Grandmother, or other relative can save you a lot of money. It can also add a very special nostalgic touch to your wedding by letting you bring back a piece of your family history. If you’re planning a classic style or vintage wedding anyways, this is a great way to stick with the theme.
Kerkstra Luxury Portable Restroom Service Inc. provides portable restroom service across Michigan and luxury restroom trailers for all of the states surrounding the Great Lakes. We provide portable restroom service for parties, special events, weddings and much more! Give us a call for more information!
