Weddings are a special day in your life, and that should be true in every scenario, regardless of whether you have a huge budget or a tiny one. Luckily, you’ll be delighted to know that there are plenty of alternative ideas for your wedding, that doesn’t need you to spend a huge amount of money.
A wedding should be something that is special to you and that doesn’t have to require spending thousands and thousands to get the end result you are looking for. It’s more about the company you have on the day and letting the person you want to spend your life with the know how much they mean to you.
Consider Other Days of the Week
The most expensive days of the week for pretty much every aspect of a wedding are the weekends. The venues cost more, and so do caterers and other services. Think about whether you really need your wedding to be on a weekend or whether a weekday might work. You can make it a little later in the day if you want, to ensure everyone can come even if they have to work.
Saturday and Sunday weddings can be very expensive, especially if you are looking for a very traditional wedding venue that is fully booked. ~Think about whether there are any other options. Seasonality can also play a big part.
Make your own printed wedding items
This is something that can add a little bit of fun to the day, custom printing allows you to get some amazing keepsakes and even let everybody take something home without having to spend a lot of money on these items. Whether you are looking for centerpieces or funny t-shirts, there are many options for printed items that you can incorporate into your wedding day.
Rethink your catering
Does catering really have to cost you a fortune? There are plenty of ways that you can get nice food for people without spending so much. People don’t necessarily expect that you will feed them Michelin-starred food. A buffet is often absolutely fine.
Perhaps you know a family friend who could do the cooking or you could even have a huge BBQ for people. It doesn’t have to be overly costly. This can even be part of the fun, if you have people who like to bring their own food or get involved with the catering or cooking, then it can be a very good idea to get involved.
Rent and return
The chances are that you are never going to wear your wedding dress or tuxedo again. There’s a chance you may never even look at it again. There is a huge market for rentals and there is nothing wrong with renting your wedding outfits. You will always have them immortalized in the photos of the day and this can be a way to save an enormous amount of money.
Hire a DJ
DJs don’t have to be overly expensive, and they can be a brilliant alternative to having a full band or even having to pay for other kinds of entertainment.
If you know someone who is capable of doing some basic DJing then this can also be a good option. They don’t have to know the advanced techniques, wedding DJing is more about selecting and playing songs people will love.
Your wedding needs some sort of entertainment and something for people to sing and dance along to, so a DJ can be a very good option.
Seek Out Up-and-Coming Photographers
The photographer can be one of the most expensive aspects of your wedding, but actually, there are some ways that you can reduce the price of the photographer. One of these is to find an up-and-coming young photographer who is willing to work with you.
A lot of the photographers who haven’t broken into the industry yet still have a lot of quality and skills and can spend the time and effort to make an amazing set of wedding photos for you. The best photographers can cost thousands of dollars and this is not something that you should have to shell out for a wedding.
Think about whether you know anyone who might be able to do this, or check out some portfolios on Instagram of local photographers.
Elopement
There are loads of places where you and a small group (or just the two of you) can go to elope, saving money in the process. This is particularly good if you re not the kind of person who is worried about having hundreds of guests having to come to your wedding.
For instance, Las Vegas is one of the most popular places in the whole world to get married. Flights and accommodation are likely to still be much cheaper than a big wedding.
Vegas can require you to remember a lot of different items, so take a checklist for your first time in Vegas so you feel prepared for all of the sights and sounds of the Strip (and beyond).
Minimize the size of your guest list
A lot of people invite huge numbers of people to their weddings, but do you really need this? Think about the people that you really want to be there and don’t worry about who you might be offending, you don’t have any duty to invite others if you don’t want to. It is your special day.
Have an adult-only coupling ceremony
This is a way to cut the guest list somewhat and avoid having to worry about the children and how you are going to keep them amused and entertained.
Choose a favorite family-owned restaurant
A lot of the time, a family-owned restaurant will be happy to host you and your family for a wedding. You don’t have to worry about the huge price tags that tend to go along with booking a specific wedding venue this way.
As well as potentially being a lot cheaper, this can also be a way to make things more special, spending more time somewhere you know you love and allowing more of a community spirit to enter your wedding.