Good morning Dinks. We are well into February and that means spring will soon be here. Spring is wedding season and we want to help you enjoy your special day without spending a small fortune. Let us help you plan your wedding on a budget.
What was the biggest expense at your wedding?
I personally don’t understand why people want to spend tens of thousands of dollars in one day. Maybe it’s because your wedding may be the biggest party night of your life or maybe it’s because some people think the bigger the wedding the better the love. Yes maybe that’s it but I personally don’t think that’s true. But don’t take my word for it because I am not even married.
However as a single (in a long term relationship) 33 year old girl who has attended several weddings over the last few years let me tell you the party has nothing to do with the marriage. As a frequent wedding guest I confirm that I am there for the couple. It doesn’t matter if I have a five course meal, if the bride wears a $5,000 dress with a $10,000 engagement ring. I just want to dance and have a good time.
Plan your wedding on a budget
Our friends at SaveUp recently posted ways to save money on your wedding. Did you know the average wedding in America costs over $28,000? I couldn’t believe it. I haven’t put too much thought into it but off the top of my head I can think of at least ten other things I would rather do with $28k other than get married.
If I ever do get married to my boyfriend of almost 15 years I don’t think we would spend a lot of money on our wedding. As long as there is really good food and a whole lot of dancing I will be happy. I think that a wedding is more about the party than the event. I prefer to spend money on people having a good time as oppose to showing off with an elaborate day that includes expensive cars, lots of flowers and a full orchestra. Give me an awesome DJ with a non slip dance floor and I’m good to go.
Cut the cost of your wedding in half with these tips:
Don’t get married in the summer. Venues over price their services during peak wedding season, so try to get married in the spring or the fall.
Plan with your friends. A wedding planner costs over $2000 and I think we can all agree that money can be better well spent. If you aren’t planning an over the top event then you don’t need a wedding planner.
Go green with the invitations. Wedding websites are the new way to invite guests to your special day. Create a website that allows people to RSVP online. It saves money, it saves time and it helps the environment. You can also post venue details, maps and pictures of your gift registry online. It’s actually quite brilliant, that’s how I’d do it.
Photo by Katsunojiri
Kristina Tahnyak
Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.
There are so many ways to save on your wedding. It is incredibly insane/irresponsible to spend almost 75% of one year’s wages for one day (average wages: $50,000 x 0.2 (taxes) = $40,000 x 0.75 = $30,000).
There is no reason to not get married in the summer, you just need to be more creative with venues. Some local parks can be reserved for gatherings. I have some friends who got married on a friend’s farm (for free) and held the food/dance in the barn. It was an awesome experience.
You can ask musician friends if they would play at the service for a reduced rate.
My wife and I made all of our own decorations. We bought bulk flowers and mason jars and had created our own center pieces for each of the tables.
This is an old suggestion, but rather than hire a photographer, ask guests to bring digital cameras to the wedding and provide them with a memory card. Collect the cards at the end of the night. You only ever look at a few pictures anyway.
Through a little foresight and creativity, it’s quite easy to save a bundle on your wedding.
Great Points Liam – my wife and I also saved for the better part of a year to afford our wedding. We did some of things you recommended like getting friends and family to participate.
I agree. I just couldn’t be happy knowing that I spent $30k in one day.
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