I am sure by now you have seen the well publicized phrase: "The average wedding will cost $20,000".
Well, who said you were "average"! You are a smart wedding planner. As a wedding present, we have HUGE savings for you.
As you start your wedding planning and wedding budgeting, you will need to pay close attention to both fixed and variable costs. Variable costs are based on how many wedding guests you have, and fixed costs you will have to
pay regardless of the size of the guest list. Managing costs means paying attention to both, but, you should recognize that you will receive the biggest savings by lowering variable costs, since they are multiplied by the number of guests and can add up quickly. But, let's start with the fixed costs.
Fixed Costs
Don't buy "wedding" things
Anything that has the word "wedding" attached to it can instantly fetch a 25% or more premium. Here try this exercise:
Take a word: Add "wedding" and the price instantly goes up:
Dress / Wedding dress
Shoes / Wedding shoes
Disposable Camera / Wedding disposable cameras
Bubbles / Wedding bubbles
Wherever possible, try to purchase a "normal" (or "non-wedding") equivalent.
Savings: $50
Wedding dress
We are not suggesting that you don't wear clothes for your wedding, just strongly encouraging you not to buy a wedding dress. Wedding dresses are custom made in small lots, using expensive fabrics, all of which contribute to very high prices. There is a real danger in that, after a day of trying on $4000 dresses (of which there are many out there), $2000 will start to seem reasonable. $2000 is a lot of money.
Our experts recommend borrowing a dress: Wear your mom's dress, your mother-in-law's dress, your godmother's, your sister's, your best friend's, they will all be flattered, you'll be starting a family tradition, and these are all dresses that have been worn just once. Other sources are consignment shops or finding a beautiful formal dress that happens to be white or cream. Do not rule out the possibility of using a white bridesmaid dress for a less formal wedding.
Savings: $2,000
Variable Costs
Less is more
You are very popular. Many people like you, and you like many people. You should work very hard to reduce the number of guests. Starting with the average of 200, we recommend trying to cut 50 people. At up to $80 or more, per person for food, wine, cake, napkins, and every one of your variable costs, this is the fastest way to save. And, there is an upside: a smaller wedding means you can spend more time with the people who mean the most to you. You will have time to dance with your favorite aunt. You will be able to celebrate in an intimate room; where your guests will mingle, instead of become lost from sight in a cavernous ballroom. Consider cutting out co-workers "and guests," distant cousins, and friends from college that you have lost touch with.
$80 x 50 people
Savings: $4,000
Location, location, location
Orange juice in a Manhattan hotel costs $8 a glass. Imagine how much a sit-down five course dinner will cost. Modern Bride estimates that the same reception in San Diego costing $4,000 would cost $9,000 in Chicago and $15,000 in New York City. Although Louisville Kentucky and Southern Indiana are not quite New York City or Chicago, you should keep in mind you will encounter a wide range of quoted fees for banquet facilities and catering costs, as well as, all the services you will require for your wedding.
$5 x 150 people
Savings: $750
Time is money
The easy complement to location is date and time. A wedding during off-season September or April, will be half the price and half the complication of that same wedding during the busy season. Having a Saturday night June wedding means competing with a million other June brides and grooms for the attention of caterers, photographers, DJs, and even locations, all of which are going to the highest bidder. Ask your reception site or caterer what the price difference is for a brunch vs. a lunch, or what the price for another month would be, it may make you reconsider a Saturday in June. Even if you are having a June wedding, you can still take advantage of timing by choosing in-season flowers and in-season food ingredients. Tulips are cheap in June, but much more in September.
$5 x 150 people
Savings: $750
Skip the favors
No one leaves a wedding saying "I had a great time because I got a picture frame" or "They must be in love because I have some chocolates." Wedding favors are an easy item to cut out. This same restraint can also be applied to monogrammed cocktail napkins and match- books.
$3 x 150 people
Savings: $450
Have a cake in the back room
This is one of the easiest ways to cut wedding day expense. The cost of a wedding cake is not the cake; it is the labor of decorating the cake. Decorating a big cake takes longer than decorating a small cake, bakeries and cake designers charge between $2.00 and $15.00 per slice of wedding cake. You can cut that cost to $0.50 per person by having two cakes. Have a small, beautifully decorated cake to photograph, cut into, and to put on show. Serve your guests slices of plain sheet cake, cut in the kitchen, they will never know that it didn't come from the pretty cake.
$2 x 150 people
Savings: $300
Eliminate response cards
Response cards are small cards where guests can check a box indicating that they are attending. Etiquette dictates that a formal written invitation deserves a formal written response. Response cards when printed, cost nearly as much as the invitation and will increase the weight of the original invitation. So, a vote for frugality is a vote for etiquette!
$2 x 75 couples + $50 from stamps & additional postage weight
Savings: $200
Grand Total Savings $8,500
Congratulations, again! Have a wonderful time planning your wedding and celebrating your marriage. Feel free to pick and choose among these suggestions. Consider offsetting savings in one area so you can splurge on something that screams "wedding" for you. Like all planning, wedding planning means prioritizing and pursuing the truly important "to you" things. Happy planning!