BRIDES MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020
How to Cut Wedding Costs
Y
ou’ll remember your special day
forever. If you rack up tons of debt in
the process of planning it, your financial
situation can also last a while, and not in
a good way.
The minute you start planning your
wedding, it’s time to put on your cost
control cap and get to work. With a few
simple tips and some discipline, you
can make your wedding a cost-effective
event while still wowing your guests and
making special memories.
Hiring Help
A strong local wedding planner is an
essential piece of pulling off a successful
— and budget-friendly — wedding day
experience. Once you budget for a wed-
ding planner and define their roles, you
may still be concerned at the amount of
work that has to be done leading up to
your wedding.
When it comes to hiring help for
your special day, don’t be afraid to rope
in your friends and family members.
Asking a friend to bartend or make
decorations can save you big bucks in
the long run without compromising the
overall quality of your ceremony and
reception.
Location, Location, Location
Where you get married matters,
especially in the wintertime months.
There are many holidays that may
compete with your wedding day at the
end of the year, making locking down a
venue a more difficult and costly feat.
On the other hand, if you can wait
until January or February, you may be
able to find a lower price tag on venues,
as many ceremony sites, reception halls,
photographers and other vendors will of-
fer lower rates during off-peak months.
Looking to tie the knot in a major
4
metropolitan area?
You can expect higher
prices and increased
competition for venues
and other services as
well. Consider looking
outside major cities
for cheaper locations.
Trade in city skyscrapers
for country landscapes
and you may find your
venue cost substantially
decreased.
Stay Disciplined
If you’re feeling
pressure from your
relatives or friends
on how your wedding
should go down, don’t
forget this day is all about you and your
spouse. Your wedding spending should
align with your income, regular expenses
and other financial goals versus breaking
the bank to make other people happy.
Once you’ve established a budget,
decided the kind of wedding you want
and begun to compare costs. And then
stick to your number. Expect a few
pop-up expenses along the way but
be steadfast in hitting your budget so
you start your marriage off in a smart,
financially responsible fashion.