A wedding is an expensive business. However, if you want to have a wedding, and have only modest savings at your disposal, you should not refuse the holiday. Later, other worries will appear, and “that very moment” will be missed. Using our tips you can greatly reduce your wedding expenses. How can you save money? At least on 10 expense items. All you have to do is determine where you can save money by prioritizing and correctly planning your budget based on your available finances.
Wedding dresses
Designer wedding dresses from Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta are the dream of any bride! But are you ready to shell out hundreds of thousands of rubles for them? If not, then there are at least 5 options for how to get your “dream dress”:
- Wait for a sale or take a closer look at outfits from previous collections, which are sold at pleasant discounts and are no worse than new designs;
- Choose a wedding dress model that is similar to the designer dress you like, but from a more budget-friendly manufacturer;
- Rent a dress in a wedding salon. This way, you can afford a chic wedding dress for a low price and you won’t have to worry about where to put the outfit after the celebration. As a minus, you will have to handle the dress carefully, because... If it is damaged, a fine will be deducted from the deposit.
- Buy a used dress. By purchasing such a dress, you will be able to evaluate how it will look during the shooting itself thanks to photographs of the previous bride.
- Refuse a special wedding dress in favor of a romantic white dress purchased in a regular store.
You can save on a groom's suit using the same scheme, or you can choose a high-quality classic suit in a store, taking into account the fact that the newlywed will wear it after the wedding. But it’s important: you don’t have to chase the cheapest suit, because... price usually affects the quality of the fabric. You don’t want the groom to be in a wrinkled suit the entire wedding day, do you?
How to save money on engagement rings
Weddings usually also require wedding rings. Gold jewelry is expensive, and it’s not always possible to get into a promotion at a jewelry store. To reduce costs, you can use your own material and pay only for the work of the master. For example, find old earrings with a broken lock at home, a broken chain, or just a boring pendant and exchange them by weight at a jewelry shop for gold for rings.
If you don’t have anything in your supplies, ask your mothers and grandmothers: you’ll probably be able to collect a few grams of unnecessary gold jewelry. Seven grams were enough for our rings, and the cost of a pair was two and a half times cheaper than ready-made rings from the same master: 15 thousand rubles instead of 40 thousand.
Makeup and hairstyle
Hair styling and makeup should last all day and highlight the bride's assets. Only professional make-up artists and hair stylists know what cosmetics to use, how to apply them and style your hair so that you look flawless and fresh throughout the holiday. Saving on the services of specialists can lead to the fact that by the start of the banquet your makeup will be smeared and your hair will fall apart, and all this will be noticeable in the photographs. Therefore, it is better not to save on this item of the wedding budget.
Wedding banquet
How to choose a banquet venue? It is quite possible to find a good restaurant or cafe with reasonable prices. It is advisable that there is no corkage fee - this will save several hundred rubles from each bottle of alcohol you bring with you. Also ask the administrator if you can bring your own fruits, expensive snacks, cake and loaf - these are the ones that have the biggest price markup in restaurants.
Pay attention to new yet unpromoted restaurants, because... They often offer good discounts on wedding banquets for advertising purposes.
It is also important to choose wisely. If you don't take into account people's taste preferences or order too many dishes, food can end up on the table.
As a budget option, it is worth considering a buffet. This option is especially convenient if the newlyweds are leaving on their honeymoon on the wedding day itself.
Floristry and decoration
The bride's bouquet, and with it the groom's boutonniere, are important details of the wedding look. In addition, the bride's bouquet takes part in traditional wedding rituals such as ransoming and throwing the bouquet into the crowd of unmarried bridesmaids. For this reason, the bride's bouquet and the groom's boutonniere are always considered mandatory expenses.
The decoration of the banquet hall creates a festive mood, and photographs against the backdrop of exquisite decor turn out spectacular and beautiful. However, you can find a restaurant that does not require a lot of decor, because... its design already suits the style of the planned wedding.
Decorating the table of the newlyweds and guests with fresh flowers is also desirable. To save money, you can order seasonal or less expensive flowers, for example, tulips instead of orchids. Tell the florist the amount you are willing to spend on flowers, and he will tell you how to distribute it better and more economically.
In addition, you will need invitations, table numbers or guest cards, a floor plan, a pillow for rings, a chest for money, design of napkins and invitations, and other attributes. But you can make them yourself, especially since handicraft stores have special kits that contain everything you need to create beautiful accessories. Remember that these little things take several weeks to make, so it’s important to start this work early.
Scenarios for economical weddings
Some people have long realized that a wedding is not a reason to spend money thoughtlessly. It is much more profitable for a young family to save up money than to waste huge sums of money. A budget wedding is the choice of wise people, those who care about their well-being, save from a young age and take good care of their earned money.
Painting in the registry office
Surprisingly, many couples do not realize that this joyful day can be spent together. It is understood that young people will simply start formalizing the relationship. Excess pathos is omitted. There is no need to invite numerous relatives, since the magnificent banquet is cancelled. A guy and a girl decide to spend time alone with each other to celebrate a wonderful event. The painting in the registry office marks the beginning of a new life, the creation of a social unit.
Secret wedding
Another interesting option that will appeal to those who do not like lavish feasts and large numbers of people. A secret wedding gives freshness to relationships, because intrigue arises in them. It is chosen not only by those whose parents are against a new marriage. People can be so passionate about the idea that they want to organize everything themselves.
An important life hack: you should organize a wedding celebration solely at your own request. It is necessary to be guided by minimal resources and at the same time try to satisfy your internal needs. No one will know that the young people have officially gotten married. Such a thought warms, fills with intrigue, allows you to have a wedding economically and not waste money on trifles.
You can give each other gifts - this is an amazing opportunity to declare your love to a loved one, without unnecessary witnesses.
In a cafe with friends
A wedding doesn't have to be an eye-popping expense. Few people think that an inexpensive option is also acceptable. Instead of taking out a huge loan for lack of funds, perhaps just sit with friends in a nearby cafe. Let there be real friends nearby, then positive emotions are guaranteed. You can simply spend a few hours at McDonald's, and this event will bring more joy than an official celebration where you need to follow conventions.
Outdoor party
If the weather and time of year permit, you can go to a camp site, or simply go to your favorite and familiar place.
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Such a trip will bring a lot of positive emotions, give you a feeling of joy and satisfaction. This is a cheap way to feel genuine emotions and get vivid impressions. A party in nature brings people together, helps to better understand each other, and find common ground.
With parents at home
What could be better than being close to your loved ones at the most crucial moment in life? Parents are those people who will not betray you and will not make you feel unnecessary. This holiday fits the category of an economy option. It makes sense to gather with your beloved relatives at the same table and gradually discuss plans for the near future, and maybe even for life. A home holiday is cheap and beautiful. The memories will remain tender and bright. Surely, after many years you will want to look through the family album.
Photo and video shooting
Photographer services are something you shouldn’t skimp on. Unprofessional work by an amateur photographer results in low-quality, boring photographs. The wedding lasts only one day, and it will not be possible to bring back the joyful events and feel the same emotions again. But the wedding album will remain with you forever. To make sure you don't miss out on a photographer, ask your friends who they can recommend. Often professional photographers do not actively advertise, but offer lower prices.
Video shooting is also not a cheap pleasure. But answer these questions: “Do you really need a video of your wedding? How often do you plan to view it? You may decide to abandon this expense item completely or limit yourself to filming the registration ceremony at the registry office.
We take a smart approach to compiling the guest list
How can you save more money on your wedding? Yes, very simple! Well, there is no need to invite all your relatives up to the ninth generation and those whom you may have never even seen to celebrate one of the most important events in your life. They eat and drink no less than their closest and acquaintances, and sometimes even more. And even if your parents insist on this and set conditions for you, don’t agree! After all, it's your holiday. It's up to you to decide. In addition, the more guests, the more spacious the banquet hall will need to be, the more staff and food and drink will be needed. In general, just continuous “more”. While you are looking for ways to save money on a wedding, and not give away the last to please other people's uncles and aunts. Therefore, feel free to cross off every unknown name from the list and do not be tormented by pangs of conscience. On this day, may you be surrounded only by your closest people who came to rejoice for you and wish you happiness from the bottom of their hearts.
Host and entertainment
A good host is able to lift the spirits of the guests, unite them and entertain them. In order to save money, you can invite him for fewer hours, and the guests will continue the fun as they have already done.
But as an alternative, you can ask your friends to create a script and come up with competitions. It is welcome if guests prepare their own congratulatory numbers.
Shows of soap bubbles, caricature artists, professional dancers, Fire Show magicians and other entertainment - the holiday can easily take place without them. This means that spending on them is not at all necessary.
Is a limousine really necessary?
Let’s not beat around the bush and say right away – it’s not needed! The peak of popularity of these cars for accompanying wedding celebrations has long passed. Ordering them falls into the category of “showing off”, and therefore especially smart and economical people go the other way. Today no one drives broken Cossacks. It won’t be difficult to find a few people you know with decent cars. A couple or three cars for those closest to you is quite enough. And for guests you can order several minibuses. As for decorations, you can purchase them inexpensively at any specialized store and decorate the car in an original way with your own hands.
Wedding for two only abroad
A practical, but at the same time fabulous option for holding a wedding is offered by travel companies: getting married in another country. It combines a ceremony and a honeymoon.
When going abroad, take your wedding dresses and rings with you, or be prepared to buy them on the spot. And another mandatory expense item is a photographer, whose work will result in magnificent wedding photographs in an exotic location.
Can't imagine a wedding without friends and relatives? Plan a trip during the holiday season, and then they can go with you for company at their own expense.
Tips for those organizing a wedding themselves
- Look not for the most famous, eminent contractors, but for those who have positive reviews.
- After the new year, as a rule, everything becomes more expensive. This also applies to the wedding industry. In this regard, it is better to conclude contracts before January arrives. Although it is possible to hold a wedding in the “off season” (May, Lent, November, etc.), when due to a drop in demand, markups are reduced.
- The principle of “everything is cheaper” is not suitable for a wedding: low cost almost always means a drop in the quality of the service provided.
- Sometimes, based on acquaintance, contractors are ready to provide a discount, but this should not be the only criterion for their choice. Be objective and attentive so that you don’t later make claims against your friends for recommending an unreliable contractor.
