Saving Money on the Wedding

$3000 for a wedding DJ?  $600 for a wedding album? ! $400 for bouquets? !

This is the part of wedding planning  that everyone is waiting for: How to save cash so that you can stay within your budget  but still have a fabulous wedding. There is no end to the number of ways that you can save for your wedding and cut costs during planning. Think that Vera Wang gown  is out of your budget? Can't stand to not have a hundred white roses?  Feel like your top of the line wedding invitations  are just a bit over the top? There's no reason why you can't have your wedding cake  and eat it too.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started saving cash so that you can have the wedding of your dreams without skimping or breaking the bank.

The Reception and Ceremony

The Basics

• Location, Location -- Compare the price of a cup of coffee in New York City to the one in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Wedding costs are no different.
• You live on the east or west coast or in a major metropolitan hub -- the places where weddings cost the most. If your fiancé's family lives somewhere off the coasts or in a more rural town, have the wedding there instead. It'll save you quite a bit in overall costs.
• Have a destination wedding. Less people, less planning, less hassle, and less money.
• Stay at home! Have a simple summer wedding in your own backyard and save a large sum. Just beware that costs for rentals  and catering add up quickly. See the article on outdoor weddings for more information on how to make it work best for you.
• Choose one location to host both the ceremony and reception. Not only will it cut down on transportation costs, but it will cost less overall.
• Know someone who has a VFW or a country club membership? Get them to help you get a discount on the site.
• Check out the guide to Choosing a Wedding Location for more helpful advice.

• Timing -- Changing when you marry can drastically reduce costs.
• Time of Day
• While dinner may run up to $200 per person, a brunch or lunch may only run around $150. Multiply that by 100 guests and you've just saved yourself another $5,000.
• See the guide to Reception Food and Drink for some inspiration for having a morning or afternoon wedding.
• Time of Year
• May through October are the busiest months. November through New Year's Day are the runners up.
• January through April are the least expensive (minus the weeks around Valentine's Day).
• A March wedding can save up to 20% on ceremony and reception costs.
• Day of the Week
• Saturdays are highly coveted days to get married.
• Choosing a Friday or Sunday reception will save another 20% on your bill for the reception and ceremony.
• Choose a day during the week and you'll rack in even more savings.
• Be sure to see the guide on Choosing a Wedding Date for more useful tips.

• Downsize the Guest List -- At $100 a head, imagine cutting 50 people from your guest list, such as people you don't know, distant relatives, and other people who aren't directly related to your closest group of friends and family. You'll save $5,000 right off the bat.

• Downgrade the Affair -- A black tie sit-down dinner affair will cost the most. However, getting creative with less formal options that will save you bundles in the end.

• Reception Length -- Partying until dawn may be great fun, but it doesn't help cut costs. By reducing the time you spend at your reception, even by an hour alone, can help cut catering charges by 10%.

The Food and Drink

• Supply Your Own Alcohol. Not only can you keep opened bottles, but you can be picky about what's served and where you buy it from (think buying bulk from a wholesale club, for example). Keeping a limited stock means that you can curtail your costs before they start to soar. Plus, you can hire your own bartender, which will usually cost much less than the one supplied by your caterer. One warning though about BYOB weddings. Some reception halls charge a "corkage fee". Always double check on their rules beforehand.
• Choose a Theme. A Mexican wedding and serve only Coronas,  tequila,  and margaritas ; a beach barbecue means buckets  of beer and sangria  are the options; Italian thoroughfare is strictly kept to wine  and after-dinner liquors; or, make the wedding Asian themed and only serve Japanese beer  and sake.  Check out the guide on Reception Food and Drink for more ideas.
• Nix the Bubbly. Serve the pricey bubbly  for the toast only or don't serve it at all since most guests won't even drink it. Swap out expensive champagne  for prosecco  or cava and you'll save $20 a bottle.
• Check out these two articles from USA Brides about stocking your own bar and liquor guidelines.
• Also see the guide at ShopWiki about Stocking a Bar for a Wedding.
• Alter the Menu. By slightly tweaking the menu, you can keep guests happy and stay within budget.
• Instead of filet mignon  and greens, opt for something that is geared to a theme, as mentioned above.
• Cut the options. Having chicken,  beef,  and fish  to choose from significantly increases costs.
• Reduce the number of courses from five to three and make them spectacular.
• Stay seasonal and regional. If you are having a wedding on the coast take advantage of fish, but enjoy beef in the Mid West.
• Serve cold dishes versus warm ones. Less hot foods to be prepared and served means less staff is needed since foods can be set out before the guests arrives.
• Have waiters pass appetizers  instead of having appetizer stations. Not only will people east less so that they can enjoy the main meal, but you can also control portions and costs.

HOW TO SAVE ON...

The Gown and Accessories

If you absolutely love a style but can't cope with the price, simply swap to a less expensive fabric. Get the dress to fit as well as possible from the beginning. Alterations, especially on designer dresses, can cost up to $300 a pop and you may need two or more alterations before the wedding, especially if you are doing a special exercise program. Buy a dress that isn't a wedding gown.  There are hundreds of white dresses  out there to choose from, even bridesmaids dresses  and other formals that will cost much less than their "bridal" counterparts. If you want something designer, but don't want to spend a fortune, opt for a simpler style with less fabric. Naturally, it will cost less. Visit the warehouse stores and sample sales. Sometimes you can find great bargains on designer dresses. Opt for the plain dress in the style that you want. Buy the lace,  beads,  or other fancy add-ons yourself. You'll save around 25%. Do your own hair and makeup  instead of spending several hundred at a salon. Want to learn more about Wedding Gowns?

Flowers

Go for what's in season! Choose a color over the flower. You'll get the same look for less. Stick to less expensive flowers in larger quantities and you'll get a gorgeous look of lush arrangements without the high price tag. Consider renting flowers or plants from a local nursery. Buy your own flowers  from a wholesaler. Get the vases  and any adornments from a crafts store and get the bridesmaids to help out the morning of the wedding to put the arrangements together. Here are the guides on Hiring a Wedding Florist and buying Wedding Flowers.

Stationery

Instead of hiring a calligrapher, hand address your own envelopes.  There will also be less of a chance that you'll make a mistake on a name or address. Save money on postage buy purchasing normal sized envelopes, not oversized ones. Simply compare 100 stamps at 42 cents versus 67 cents. Get preprinted RSVP postcards.  They are smaller to send and cost less to print. Use your computer  to mock up a great looking ceremony program on your computer. Then you can just print them off on nice paper. Do the same with directions and wedding schedules. Don't forget to check out the guide to Wedding Invitations and Stationery.

Decorations

Let a beautiful location take center stage. More natural beauty around your wedding location means less money spent on decorating. Outdoor weddings can be a great alternative to renting an expensive ballroom. Reduce the size of the tables  used for the reception. At a 36-inch-wide table, the food serves as a decoration along with a small area of decorations (usually about a square foot). Wedding favors  can run you several hundreds of dollars, but making them yourself will save at least 10% on the overall costs. Have place cards  double as wedding favors.  By adding little tags on the favors with guests' names on them you kill two birds with one stone. Be sure to see the guides on Ceremony and Reception Decorations.

Music

Cut costs by reducing the size of the band. Have the band play both the ceremony and reception. Get a DJ  instead of a band since they cost less. Use your iPod  and several playlists instead of a DJ. You can get a small band to accompany dinner if you want. You may also be interested in the guides on Hiring Wedding Musicians, Ceremony Music, and Reception Music.

The Cake

Opt for cupcakes instead of a wedding cake.  They only cost about two or three dollars a piece versus a four dollar piece of wedding cake. Keep the cake simple and small or spend the most on an elaborate but tiny cake for you and your spouse and serve sheet cake for your guests in the same flavor. Use pretty plate sauces instead of flowers to save time and money. Get a plain cake and dress it up with crystals  and cake jewelry  for an elegant look that costs less than fancy sugar flowers and hard to make molds. You might also be interested in the guides on Wedding Cakes and Hiring a Cake Designer.

Related Guides
Wedding Budgeting	The Wedding Cost	Wedding Budget Breakdown	Wedding Budget and Who Pays	Wedding Insurance