Save the Dress

As much as we’d all like to have a no-limits wedding like we see in the movies and on Bravo, in reality, most of us actually have a set budget. Even if you have a smaller than average budget, there’s no reason you can’t still have the wedding of your dreams. There are loads of easy ways to save money throughout the planning process for a fairytale, yet affordable, wedding.

1. Silk Flowers: This is one of the easiest and most common ways to cut back on wedding costs. They may not have the fresh smell of real flowers, but silk can be just as beautiful for a much lower cost. And they won’t die! If you’re set on fresh flowers, consider having fresh flowers in the bouquets and decorate with artificial flowers.
2. The Photographer: This is another major wedding expense that can be easily cut back on. If you have a close friend that enjoys photography as a hobby, offer to pay them a couple hundred dollars to photograph your wedding. If they don’t usually photograph professionally or for money this will be a favor to them and save you money. If you do get a professional photographer, find one that will give you the digital files of the pictures so you can print and make your own albums.
3. Catering: An extremely tight budget may call for you to prepare the food yourself, but avoid this if possible as it is extremely time consuming and stressful. A buffet is much cheaper than a sit down meal, and this can help avoid complaints of picky guests who don’t want what’s on their plate. Generally, in the United States, a cash bar is considered bad etiquette, but there are plenty of ways to save on alcohol costs. If your reception venue allows, purchase your own alcohol. You may also want to consider only serving wine and beer, which will significantly cut down on the high costs added to the tab by liquor.