24 Ways to Have a Cheaper Wedding
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First comes love, then comes marriage — and then paying for the wedding. Guess what? There’s a reason no one writes fairy tales about the latter.
A 2023 Harris Poll developed by NerdWallet and wedding site Zola.com found 70% of engaged Americans faced money challenges during the planning process, with 22% of them saying that going over budget on their wedding was a problem they encountered.
You don’t need to spend a ton of money to make your day memorable, though. We've rounded up two dozen ways you can save on your wedding.
Note: Average cost figures are from research site The Wedding Report, which found that the average wedding totaled $30,119 in 2023.
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In this article:
The venue (average cost: $5,761)
1. Pick an off-peak date
Not all wedding dates are created equal. If there’s more demand for a given date, you’ll usually pay a higher price for a venue. You could score a discount for choosing a less popular month, such as January or February.
2. Skip the Saturday wedding
Saturday is a popular day for weddings, but it’s also generally the most expensive day to get married. You can likely reserve your venue at a lower price if you hold your wedding on a Sunday, or even a weeknight.
3. Try a nontraditional venue
A restaurant. A brewery. A vacation house. All these options are potential affordable wedding venues. Picking a spot that doesn’t usually cater to weddings can help you save money — and give your nuptials a unique feel.
Make sure the venue is equipped to handle a large event, and don’t forget to factor in rental fees for things such as tents, lighting or portable restrooms, if necessary.
Restaurants, for example, typically don’t charge a venue fee. Instead, you pay for the food (and maybe the booze). Pick one with stellar decor and you can shave that cost off your budget, as well.
4. Negotiate unexpected costs
Lots of unexpected expenses can pop up during planning, including cake-cutting and corkage fees or power for your DJ and a photo booth. You don’t have to accept them unquestioningly. If a cost seems unreasonable, respectfully request to have it removed.
5. Use the venue's resources
Ask each venue what’s included in the rental fee. Some will include items such as tables, chairs or linens, which can translate into hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in savings. Beware of upcharges for higher-quality items. If you opt for a DIY venue or a backyard wedding, you’ll likely have to buy or rent everything from flatware to serving dishes to lighting.
The wedding invitations (average cost: $215)
6. Go paperless
You can send electronic invitations for free using a digital invitation site. For instance, the Joy wedding website also lets you manage your guest list (including those tricky plus-ones) and track RSVPs. Not ready to go fully paperless? Emailing your save-the-date reminders will still help you save on stationery and postage.
7. Print your own
You can also get cheap wedding invitations by simply doing it yourself. Tap a design-savvy friend or buy a downloadable template on a site such as Etsy. Then print them at home or at your neighborhood FedEx Office or another store. Either way, you’ll save a couple of hundred dollars over going with a professionally printed invitation suite.
The wedding dress and accessories (average cost: $1,907)
8. Check out department stores
Brides aren’t finding dresses at just the bridal shop these days. You can check in more general dress stores for formal gowns that could double as cheap wedding dresses. For example, you can pick up a white dress in the prom or party dress section of any department store. The popularity of colored dresses makes formal gowns a nice substitute, too.
9. Consider bridal consignment
A secondhand wedding dress isn’t for everyone, but it’s a budget-friendly option for brides willing to think outside the box. Look for bridal shops that specialize in pre-owned wedding gowns, or check out websites like Stillwhite and Nearly Newlywed, which have tens of thousands of once-worn and never-worn wedding dresses. Also check social media, such as Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor and local buy/sell groups, to find secondhand dresses and rings, sometimes unworn. You can also sell your dress via these sites after the wedding.
10. Shop sample gowns
Most wedding dresses are made to order, but brides can score a discount by buying a sample gown (what you try on in the store). The downside: The detailing on sample gowns can get worn from frequent handling, and the available sizes are often limited. But some discount bridal shops primarily sell sample gowns and tend to have a wider size selection.
11. Borrow accessories
There’s more to your wedding attire than the dress (think jewelry, a veil and shoes). Save on your accessories by using family heirlooms. Not only will you save money, you’ll also cover your “something old” and “something borrowed.”
Flowers and decor (average cost: $2,639)
12. Ask about excess inventory
Some floral designers have warehouses with excess inventory they’re willing to give away or lend for free. Once you’ve placed an order, ask about expanding your options.
13. Borrow from other newlyweds
Another way to get cheap wedding flowers is to ask recently married friends if you can borrow centerpieces or other items left over from their events. Craigslist and Facebook groups are also a great resource to find (and later sell) low-cost wedding decor.
14. Scout out decorations at craft stores
Look for wedding decorations — especially light-up decor — in places such as craft stores. Dollar stores are also a great place to score low-cost wedding decor. Examples of inexpensive items you could find at these stores include candles, paper lanterns, twinkle lights, and mason jars you can fill with sweets or flowers.
15. Stick to in-season blooms
You may have your heart set on a particular pink flower to accent your bridesmaids’ bouquets, but consider settling for a different shade or variety. Utilizing in-season blooms at the time of your wedding could make the cost of flowers less expensive. A good idea may be to ask your florist about which flower swaps will work out cheaper, says Stephanie Cain, a journalist who covers the wedding industry and former editor at The Knot.
She provides some examples: “Florists can make garden roses appear more like peonies,” she says. “Potted trees and other plants can be used for large arrangements and are cheaper, because that same size may have taken hundreds of individual flowers.”
16. Get the most out of your flowers
A larger flower, such as a hydrangea, naturally looks fuller and takes up more space with fewer stems, Cain says. And you can repurpose ceremony flowers for the reception instead of buying more. For instance, use a ceremony arch to adorn your sweetheart table at the reception.
“Botanicals and fruit can be added to tabletop decor, along with candles, to add ambience, and often at a lower cost than fresh blooms,” she says. “Another one is to use silk flowers for big arrangements such as a floral chandelier above a dance floor or a ceremony arch behind the couple — and save the real ones for the tabletop, bouquet, boutonniere, and other moments when a fake flower would be noticeable to a guest."
Food and drink (average cost: $8,176)
17. Price out multiple meal options
Seated, plated dinners tend to be the most expensive option for catering. So ask each potential caterer about alternatives, including buffets, family-style stations or heavy hors d'oeuvres.
18. Simplify your drink options
An open bar stocked with liquor, mixers, beer and wine can be pricey. Consider sticking to beer and wine to save money while still keeping your guests, um, hydrated. Scaling back options will also help scale back the costs.
Cake (average cost: $516)
19. Go for a shorter cake
The more tiers on your cake, the more it’ll cost you. Cain suggests sticking to two tiers and having sheet cakes to serve. The cake you cut for your pictures doesn’t have to feed all of your guests.
20. Dress up a store-bought cake
Don’t overlook grocery store bakeries. Their cakes can be delicious, beautiful and affordable. Pick a simple design and dress it up with a few flowers — your guests won’t know the difference (nor would they care).
21. Pick a nontraditional dessert
There's no rule that says you have to serve cake at your wedding. If you’re indifferent about cake, serve pie or ice cream. Or cookies from your favorite bakery. Picking something you and your partner love will make the day feel extra special, and will likely save you money in the process.
Guests and the rest
22. Keep things intimate
The guest list is often a point of contention. All vested parties — you, your partner, your respective parents — have friends and family you want to invite. But keeping your guest list small can help you save on all aspects of your wedding. Perhaps consider limiting the plus-ones for single guests. Trimming your guest list by just 10 to 20 people can save you $1,000 on food, alcohol and rentals.
23. Choose a charitable favor
Don’t want to buy a favor for each wedding guest? Make a charitable donation on behalf of all your guests, says Anne Chertoff, who has been a trend expert for WeddingWire and is chief operating officer at Beaumont Etiquette. That way, you can determine the amount that you’re comfortable spending, donate to a cause you care about and maybe even write off the contribution on your taxes.
24. Limit photographer and videographer hours
Save money by shaving off some of the time your photographer and videographer are present, Cain suggests. You’ll likely want them there for the ceremony, but you might not need footage of the end-of-reception dancing.
The bottom line: Devote the biggest parts of your budget to the areas that are most important to you and be willing to compromise on the rest. “Anybody — whether they have a $10,000 budget or a $500,000 budget — is still working on a budget,” Cain says.
