The average wedding currently cost around $22,000. You want your wedding to be the beautiful and special event that you’ve always dreamed about, but you don’t want to go into major debt realizing that dream. The first thing you should do is take the time to develop a detailed wedding budget. Decide what aspects are most important to you, and spend the bulk of your money on those areas. Then use the ideas below to save money on all of the other parts of your wedding. You’ll still have your dream wedding, but you won’t break the bank doing it.

Have a winter wedding. May through October is when many people chose to have their wedding. By choosing to have yours off-season you may be able to save money on banquet facilities, lodging, and other vendors.

Have your wedding on a Friday or Sunday. Saturday is the most popular day for weddings; so most banquet facilities charge more to have your event then. You can often save a lot by booking on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon.

Limit the number of attendants and guests. By having more attendants you will spend more on clothing, flowers, gifts and transportation. The more guests you have the more you will spend on catering, cake, alcohol, and favors. Invite only those close to you and send announcements to acquaintances.

Look for a dress at sample sales and outlets. You can often find designer gowns for half of what you would normally pay. Be prepared to do a lot of looking however, since most of the dresses you find will only be available in one size.

Don’t assume a buffet will cost less. You won’t have to pay for servers with a buffet, but guests will eat more. The caterer will also want to keep the buffet stocked so it looks nice, but this means you may pay for food that is not eaten.

Serve breakfast, brunch or dinner at your reception. These meals cost much less than a traditional sit-down or buffet dinner. This is a good option if you don’t mind having your reception earlier in the day.

Have a dessert reception. Nowhere is it written that you have to serve a meal at your reception. Serve your wedding cake and a variety of delicious desserts along with champagne. Just make sure you are clear in your invitations so guests don’t come expecting a full meal.

Display a small wedding cake. Intricate wedding cakes can cost up to $10 a slice. So have your baker make a small display cake and a large sheet cake to feed the guests. It will taste just as good but cost much less.

Use fresh flowers on your cake. Every little squiggle adds significantly to the cost of your wedding cake. You can save a lot of money by using real flowers to decorate your cake instead of ones made with icing.

Limit alcohol to beer and wine. By limiting your open bar to beer and wine you will save money on costly mixed drinks. You can also consider offering one signature drink. No one ever complains about free drinks, even if the selection is limited.

Choose flowers that are in season. If you decide right from the beginning that you want a certain flower that is not in season when your wedding takes place, the flower bill can skyrocket. During other times of the year flowers can cost 2-3 times the amount they would if they were in season. Ask your florist what will be in season during your wedding.

Choose a color scheme instead of specific flowers. There are a plethora of flowers to fill any color scheme. Your florist can tell you the most affordable options that are available in the colors you want. This way you can avoid paying top dollar for a hard-to-find variety.

Use your ceremony arrangements at the reception. Make your flowers do double-duty. If you are having your ceremony and reception at the same place, this is easy to do. If they are happening at different locations, find someone reliable you know to transport them for you.

Be creative with centerpieces. Large floral centerpieces carry a hefty price tag. Try floating a few flowers in pretty bowls filled halfway with water. Or instead of flowers, use baskets or bowls filled with seasonal fruit.

Hire a DJ instead of a band. Not only do bands cost more than DJs to hire, but you may need to hire numerous musicians to cover all the music you will need throughout your wedding. A DJ can play any variety of music you desire and can even handle your ceremony.

Have one limo drop you off and another pick you up. It may be nice to have the same limo and driver do both, but the meter is running while the driver sits in the parking lot during your wedding. You may be able to save a lot by only having the limo around when you need it.

Rent a town car instead of a limo. If you only have a small wedding party, a town car will do just as well as a limo. Be sure to go through a reputable company that deals mostly with corporate clients and not an airport shuttle company.

Have a friend chauffeur you in your own vehicle. This options works well if your wedding party is supplying their own transportation. A limo is really only necessary if you have a lot of people to transport.

Hire a wedding consultant. You may think that hiring a wedding planner will add to your wedding cost. But a professional consultant can actually save you a lot of money. They know which local vendors have the best prices, can make suggestions on ways to cut costs, and often can acquire flowers, invitations, and other wedding items at wholesale prices. Add this together with the time and frustration they can save you, and you can’t afford not to hire a consultant.

By Lisa Watts

Cold Spring Events

Belchertown, MA

413-323-6612

lisa@coldspringevents.com

www.coldspringevents.com