How to Throw a Cheap Wedding without Being “Cheap”
by Deah Paulson
Your big day is one that you want friends and family to remember for the rest of their lives. The question is how do you accomplish that feat without going broke? No one wants a “cheap” wedding. The good news is there’s a big difference between cheap and inexpensive. By getting creative and planning ahead, you won’t have to sacrifice your sense of style, or file for bankruptcy after the honeymoon. Below are some simple suggestions for throwing a chic, unforgettable wedding at a fraction of the cost.
The Size
This is the biggest way to cut the cost of your wedding. Inviting less people means simply buying less stuff. Scaling back the guest list will cut costs on food, drinks, printing, postage, and much more. Think about inviting only close family and friends to the wedding and reception, and throw a more informal party to celebrate with everyone you didn’t invite after your big day.
The Date
Simply switching the month, day, and time for your wedding can yield a huge amount of savings. Here are some tips for choosing a cost-effective, yet perfect date for your wedding:
- Choose a less popular month. Of course, June is fantastic for weddings for many reasons, but there are lots of other great months, too. Have an early spring wedding and hold it indoors, or set your nuptials against a backdrop of gorgeous fall leaves. Caterers, venues, photographers, and much more will be cheaper and more flexible than in the booming wedding months.
- Choose a less popular day and time. Saturday night isn’t the only night for big events. Try a morning wedding, or a Thursday or Sunday night, and you will save a bundle.
The Venue
You may think you will save money by having the wedding in your back yard, but if there are more than a few people there, you will have to pay to rent tables, chairs, and countless other items that make a great wedding possible. Instead, choose a venue that provides everything for you. That way, you will save on time, money, and stress.
The Invitations
You can make your invitations unique, elegant, and special by doing a few personalized things:
- Look online for discount invitations. There are many beautiful and affordable invitations available in a variety of colors and styles, for very reasonable prices.
- Instead of hiring an expensive calligrapher to hand address your envelopes, pay a friend with beautiful handwriting to do it for you. Use attractive stamps to add an additional flourish.
- Just use one envelope instead of two and you’ll cut your envelope bill in half.
- Consider using an RSVP postcard and save on postage.
The Dress
One of the biggest and most important purchases for a bride-to-be is her wedding gown. Unfortunately, this can also be one of the most expensive parts of a wedding. New dresses these days can run thousands of dollars. The good news is, there are other ways to look unforgettable without the unforgettable credit card bill.
- Come up with your own design and sew a dress yourself. Don’t have time or sewing skills? Enlist a friend or family member who does. They will probably be glad to get involved, and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind dress that can’t be found in the stores. Of course, you can pay that person for their services, but it still won’t cost as much as marked up retail prices.
- If you’re having a casual wedding, consider buying something non-traditional, like a nice dress paired with elegant jewelry or a borrowed veil.
- Consider going vintage. There are many great vintage stores in most cities and towns these days. You’ll have fun treasure hunting for your perfect dress, and you will have a unique and stylish gown for your wedding day. If you don’t have a vintage store nearby, there are many places online that carry vintage items.
- Borrow a dress from your mother or grandmother. This will be meaningful for all of you and will help link your special day with a family tradition.
The Flowers
Flowers can get very expensive, especially if you have a florist provide all of the arrangements. The great thing about flowers is that they don’t have to be professionally arranged to be beautiful. Here are some tips for cutting back on floral costs:
- You can use flowers from your own garden and ask friends and family members to donate, too. If you don’t have access to gardens, pick up the bulk of your flowers from a street vendor or grocery store.
- Once you have the flowers, put together your own arrangements. Family and friends, again, will be a great resource for helping you get your flowers ready. I’ve arranged flowers for a couple of my friends’ weddings, and found it to be a fun and creative excuse to hang out with my girlfriends.
- Still want a professional bouquet to carry down the aisle? Just provide your own flowers for the rest of the wedding, and with the money you’ve saved, you can still afford the bridal bouquet of your dreams.
- Another money-saving tip is to buy flowers that are cheap and in season. Just make sure they’re fresh, and that you use varieties that won’t wilt quickly.
- Containers for the arrangements can be thrift store finds, vases borrowed from family and friends, your own vase collection, or a combination of the above.
The Food
To celebrate your happiness, you want to eat, drink, and be merry with your guests. Fancy dinners, hors d’ouvres, caterers and wait staff can add up fast. Here are some tips for pleasing your guests’ palates at a reasonable price:
- Obviously, the biggest money saver would be to forego the professional caterer and provide the food yourself. Of course, you’ll have a lot of other things to consider without the added stress of cooking large amounts of food for your reception. Once again, enlisting those friends and family members will help. Consider having several people you know bring one item on your menu, and thank them with a special gift after the wedding, like a massage or pedicure.
- Another way to cut back on food costs is to have the reception at a time of day when dinner won’t be expected. A brunch or lunch reception will be much simpler and cheaper. You can just make the food yourself, or order sandwiches or barbeque from your favorite local restaurant. Or, consider having a cocktail party reception in the evening and just serve drinks and hors d’ouvres.
- If you do want to have a dinner reception, don’t do a buffet. It actually requires more food, which increases catering costs. Provide a simple salad, a couple of entrée options, wedding cake and drinks, and it will be elegant and more than enough to please your guests.
The Cake
Having a special and beautiful cake is one of the highlights of the reception. Here are some ideas for providing delicious and memorable cake for your guests:
- Make your own cake, or enlist a friend or family member who’s handy in the kitchen.
- Appoint a few close friends who like to bake to bring decorated cupcakes in different flavors. This is practical, affordable, and fun, because guests will have many varieties to choose from and there are no plates or forks involved, which cuts down on cleanup.
- Make a small cake to show off on the cake table and have sheet cake in the same flavor to serve to your guests.
The Drinks
Every great reception has great cocktails, right? Well, not everyone would agree, but if you want to provide drinks for your guests, it can get pricey very quickly. Here are some tips for cutting back the bar bill:
- Supply complimentary beer and wine and have a cash bar for cocktails.
- If you’re having a champagne toast, buy a cheap brand and present it in nice glasses.
- Have a morning wedding. People will drink less, and you’ll only have to provide one or two types of drinks, like Mimosas and Bloody Marys.
- Provide non-alcoholic alternatives, like iced tea, lemonade, and sparkling cider.
- Just provide one special type of drink, like Mojitos or sangria.
The Pictures
- Do you have a budding photographer friend or family member? They may jump at the chance to build their portfolio by shooting your wedding. Or, if you don’t know anyone, maybe petition the local art college or photography program at the university.
- One fun and affordable way to get candid shots at the reception is to place disposable cameras on all of the tables. Or, if you’re green and don’t like the idea of all that waste, appoint several of your reliable and artistic friends to bring their digital cameras. Choosing friends with different styles and sensibilities will yield a variety of fun shots to help you remember your reception for the rest of your lives.
- Want a video of your wedding, too? In this digital age, many people have easy access to high quality digital video cameras. Just choose from the pool of prospective candidates suggested above.
The Favors
Wedding favors are a way to thank your guests for coming and to let them know you’re glad they could make it. Here are some cheap and fun wedding favor ideas:
- Place small flower arrangements in bud vases and put them at each table setting. You could use leftover flowers from the larger arrangements for the ceremony and reception, or flowers from your own garden.
- Candles in all shapes, scents, and colors, make great and affordable wedding favors.
- Put your place cards in small frames for your guests to re-use later.
- Everyone loves candy. Mints or candies in colorful tins make a fun and useful wedding favor that can easily be slipped into a purse or pocket.
- Get everyone’s attention by putting out unique and creative favors, like beautiful silk fans. Very affordable silk fans can be purchased online, for as little as a dollar a piece. This is great for weddings in the warm summer months. Guests will have something to cool themselves with, and as an extra bonus, the fans will add elegant splashes of color to your reception.