Bride on a Budget: 8 Money-Saving Strategies
After years of preaching to brides and grooms the importance of saving money on your wedding day, the pressure is now upon me to live up to my words. Since my engagement last fall I've become one of those brides-to-be. I'm consuming more wedding magazines and episodes of Say Yes to the Dress (which is airing on both TLC and OWN now) than I ever deemed possible. I want to create the "perfect" day, but at what price?
Well, we know what everyone else is spending. TheKnot.com recently unveiled its 2010 wedding survey and found that one in 5 brides is spending more than $30,000 on their wedding, and 12% of brides are spending more than $40,000.
FoxBusiness.com writer Lauren Covello interviewed me for some money-saving advice in a recent piece called "Lifting the Veil on Wedding Expenses."
Here's more…
INVEST IN WHAT COUNTS. Think back to the last wedding you were at – what do you remember? can you remember the flowers or the wedding favors? Do you remember what the invitation looked like? Probably not. As a bride and groom to be, avoid overspending on items that won't necessarily count in terms of making your wedding memorable. Instead, good music, good company and and food/open bar are what couples and guests both say what really count.
START PLANNING NOW. The more time you give yourself, the more you can shop around and negotiate. If vendors discover you have only a few months until your big day, they'll see that you have a ticking clock and will take advantage of that. It will be harder to ask for discounts.
DITCH THE CAKE. In some cases the cake is included in the cost of catering at $10 to $12 per slice. That's thousands of dollars for flour and sugar. While it's traditional to have a multi-tiered cake, your guests won't think less of your wedding if you, say, go for cupcakes or a dessert bar, instead. Ask the caterer to take out the cost and replace it with a more affordable alternative.
CONSIDER SATURDAY ALTERNATIVES. To save have your wedding on an off-night. Saturday is the hottest night to throw yourwedding - and the most expensive. Book on a Friday or Sunday and save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Additionally you can save on decorations if you have a winter wedding around December since churches and reception halls may already be decked with wreaths, white lights and flowers for the holidays.
AVOID THE "W" WORD. Easier said than done. I know. But here's the thing: vendors tack on a big premium just because the occasion happens to be a wedding. Say you need flowers or chairs for an anniversary party or a "special occasion" and I reckon that should help keep prices more reasonable.
DITCH FAVORS. BE CHARITABLE. Instead spending money on wedding favors – trinkets that'll probably get tossed or forgotten about quickly – opt to make a donation to a charity in honor of your guests. Share the news on a small card next to individual table settings but don't worry about including the amount of your donation – that's private. Spend as much you want without breaking the bank. This is where the thought counts a lot more than the dollar amount spent.
DIY INVITATIONS. Save hundreds of dollars on save the dates and invitations by making them on your own. The Martha Stewart Crafts aisle at Michaels is one place to shop. Here are some sites that can help you create and print your own invitations, as well: vistaprint.com andmygatsby.com
SAY YES TO THE DRESS…FOR LESS. J.Crew carries a collection of modestly priced wedding dresses, which have grown in popularity over the years. Believe it or not – a growing number of brides are opting for used gowns. Sites like Preownedweddingdresses.com, BravoBride.com and eBay have huge inventories of used dresses.
