Yahoo Finance 10 Easy Ways to Cut Wedding Costs
Wedding season is ramping up, and soon-to-be newlyweds are realizing that tying the knot comes at a premium price. According to The Knot's Real Weddings Study of nearly 16,000 brides, the national average wedding cost was $31,213 in 2014. What's even more disconcerting, 45 percent of couples exceeded their wedding budgets.
Going over budget can happen for several reasons. Often, it's a lack of discipline, but sometimes it's just unclear how much wedding services truly cost. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure you don't set your marriage up for a post-wedding financial setback.
1. Be smart, not stingy, with food. Keeping guests satisfied with ample food and beverages shouldn't mean sacrificing your honeymoon fund. Be inventive when serving your guests. For instance, instead of a formal, plated dinner, consider casual, all-you-can-eat fare. That's just what Valerie Fishbain, owner of Spread The Love peanut putter, did for her music festival-inspired wedding with 150 guests.
"We didn't want to be frugal on food/drinks and run out. Our food was all-you-can-eat appetizers and artisan pizza for 150 guests, and drinks were plenty for the whole weekend," Fishbain says.
Despite her sizable guest list, Fishbain successfully provided an artisan dining experience without breaking the bank. In total, her catering bill was $4,662 (approximately $31 per person) -- a steal considering the average catering cost is $68 per person, according to The Knot's findings.
2. Don't get too daring with DIY. Pinterest has grown in popularity as a source of wedding inspiration for brides-to-be, but be wary -- those shabby-chic decorations that look like they came from your grandpa's garage junk pile aren't as cheap as you might think. With more couples inspired to DIY a charming wedding, flea market vendors have picked up on the trend and are charging top dollar for trendy, vintage decor. In some places, you'll find Mason jars priced at $10 each, lanterns as high as $20 each and rustic handmade signs for $50.
Instead of getting in over your head with an entirely DIY wedding, stick to simple projects that go a long way. For example, create your own photo backdrop and buy a Polaroid camera instead of renting a $500 electronic photo booth. Or buy your own candy and jars for a tasty candy bar instead of offering dessert through your caterer.
3. Reach out to talented friends. Couples blessed with creative friends and family can leverage their robust network in lieu of hiring expensive vendors. Fishbain enlisted the help of close -- and talented -- friends to play key roles in the event, such as a pianist with songbird vocals and a friend with a cinematography background to record the festivities.
"Not only will they give you a good, friendly price, they will also make sure they provide you the best service for your wedding," Fishbain says.
Of course, staying humble and expressing gratitude is a must to ensure these relationships don't turn sour!
4. Shop sample sales with caution. Brides spend an average $1,357 on a wedding dress that is worn one day, sometimes for only a few hours. As a budget-friendly workaround, consider shopping sample sales. Often, you can find floor-sample gown at a considerable discount.
However, while price reductions on these worn dresses can be anywhere from 25 to 75 percent off, be wary of any odors or stains, particularly on the inside where brides step into the dress and around the hem. Also, ensure there is no damage to the dress, such as missing buttons or beading.
5. Stay open to an offbeat wedding date. There's always a high demand to book weddings on a Saturday; it avoids having guests take the day off from work and provides the following Sunday off to wind down from a night of partying. But you can easily shave off thousands of dollars by booking your venue on a Sunday through Friday.
6. Fake it to afford it. If you're going the traditional route for your wedding cake, you might be shocked to learn the average cost of a wedding cake is $555. Save a couple hundred dollars by using decorated foam tiers to mimic the look of a grand wedding cake, but have your baker create a few sheet cakes for your guests to eat instead.
You can also save on centerpiece fillers. If you're using containers filled with sand, coffee beans or stones, for instance, place a plastic cup upside down in the vessel before filling it. This strategy results in less filler (i.e. less money spent) per centerpiece.
7. Pare down day-of vendor staff. Try to keep vendor staff at the main event to as few as possible without sacrificing speed of service for your guests. Vendors need to eat too; you'll often find vendor contracts include meal requirements as an additional out-of-pocket expense. If you're on the fence about whether to hire a DJ or six-person band, the extra cost associated with vendor meals may help sway your decision.
8. Make sure your venue provides chairs. To unassuming newlyweds, it might seem like a no-brainer for event spaces to provide basic furniture, like tables and chairs, at no extra cost. However, venues host various types of events -- from weddings to business conferences -- and some expect couples to rent tables and chairs separately. A bare bones venue at a value can quickly start eating into your budget.
9. Ask about fees first. Before signing a contract with any vendor or venue, make sure you receive an itemized list of fees, in addition to the base service rate. For example, if your venue states chairs come at no extra cost, ask about setup and tear down fees. Some venues waive the rental fee and instead pass off labor costs to you.
10. Let flowers serve a double purpose. If your florist budget is tight, have ceremony flowers do double-duty by repurposing the bridal bouquet for floral decor at the sweetheart table, and placing bridesmaid bouquets in other common areas of the venue like the lounge area, bar or restrooms.
Jennifer Calonia writes for GoBankingRates.com, a source for online banking, the best CD rates, savings account rates, personal finance news and more.
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