Guest post from Bronwyn
When my wonderful boyfriend proposed to me, I immediately bought a pile of bridal magazines and began looking for inspiration online.
I quickly learned one thing: Love may be free, but weddings can be expensive!
A quick google search showed that the average price of a wedding in the US is a little over $25,000. I initially laughed at this number, but having now planned a wedding, I can see how easy it would be to spend this amount of money.
In an effort to help other brides who are in the process of planning their big day, I wanted to share some money saving tips I knew going in, and some I learned along the way:
1. Decide how much you can afford.
I didn’t want to dip into savings to pay for a wedding, and I was definitely not going to put anything on credit. So I reviewed my monthly budget for areas where I could cut back each month. I multiplied this by the length of our engagement to determine my total budget.
2. Cut that amount by 10%.
There will be overruns, there will be items you forgot to include in your detailed budget, and trust me, as the day approaches you will want to throw money at problems just to make them go away.
My advice would be to cut your initial budgeted amount by 10% just to give yourself a little cushion.
3. Choose your top three priorities.
These are the items you will “splurge” on (splurge being a relative term). You may want to get your fiancé’s input on these!
4. Create a detailed budget.
Make sure this budget doesn't exceed your total budget (including your 10% cushion). If it does, go back and revise.
5. Be upfront about your budget.
Don’t be afraid to tell vendors what your budget is for their particular area
Our baker and florist were both happy to offer us options that fit our rather modest budget. (Our florist even said, “Honey, more flowers aren’t going to make you any more married.”)
6. Be careful when dress shopping.
Although it might be tempting, DON’T try on a dress above your budget as you could fall in love with it.
Also, make sure to budget enough money for alterations and bear in mind that different styles will cost more/less to alter.
7. Consider if it’s something you actually need.
Yes, that ring cushion marked down from $50 to $25 may be a great deal, but do you actually need a cushion to put your rings on?
8. DIY can be your money-saving friend OR foe.
Buying a print-at-home invitation kit from Michaels was substantially cheaper than paying a professional to print them. However I have also seen brides spend a fortune on DIY projects.
9. Don’t feel guilty for not saving every penny.
Not every suggestion is right for every person (I wasn’t willing to have my wedding on a Tuesday to cut costs), pick and choose the ones that are right for you.
10. Remember what it is all about!
At the end of the day, you will be married to you best friend. And you can’t really put a price on that!
What are YOUR tips or tricks to save money on wedding expenses?
Bronwyn married her best friend in 2012, and is now a part-time bean-counter, full-time penny-pincher, wife, and mom to the world’s most adorable toddler (she may also be a little biased!)
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