Weddings can be very expensive. The average wedding cost in the United States is $26,444. Couples typically spend between $19,833 and $33,055 but, most couples spend less than $10,000. This does not include cost for a honeymoon. Understanding wedding costs now can help you with your wedding budget later, reports Costofwedding.com.
So who better to give you tips on saving money than those who just got married. Buzzfeed compiled a list from readers who sent in their best cost cutting ideas.
1. Don’t get married on a Saturday.
“We moved our wedding to a Friday (originally planned for Saturday) and saved a few thousand dollars by doing so.” —Kim Ryba White, Facebook
“We got married on a Sunday and they offered a 15% discount. It was a holiday weekend so many had off from work on Monday — it worked out really well!” —Ashley Fizzarotti, Facebook
2. Take your time.
“Having a two-year engagement has saved us a ton of money! We booked our venue and caterer super early so the prices would not go up. We have been able to do a ton of research on what places/vendors are the least expensive without sacrificing quality. We saved a lot of money on save the dates and invites by waiting for deals to be emailed to us. It’s also nice because we had four birthdays, two Christmases, and two years worth of tax returns between the time we got engaged and our wedding.” —Alexis Ziegenfuss, Facebook
3. Get married at the end of the “off-season.”
“My hubby and I got married a week before peak season started. So we had nice weather but cheaper prices!” —jessicaa4ce278f9b
4. Find a venue that doesn’t require you to use their vendors.
“My best wedding saving tip is to find a venue that doesn’t require you to use a particular caterer/bartender/DJ. I saved so much money by being able to select my caterer ($1,300 for service for 100), bartender ($500 for the bartender, beer, and bar necessities — we bought most of our own alcohol for $400 from a wholesale liquor store and had a full bar), DJ ($350 flat rate, and they even did our ceremony music!), and photographer ($795 for all rights to our photos, an online album for a year, and a flash-drive with all of our photos — not to mention he stayed for the entire day, 3 p.m. to after 12 a.m.)! I ended up paying $3,345, when I would’ve paid $10,700 for those things ($4,000 for catering, $4,000 for the bar, $700 for four hours of a DJ, and $2,000 for photographer) at the other venue I was considering. I saved $7,355 for just picking another venue.” —Lyndsey Gallian Thompson, Facebook
5. Rent a house for the wedding and for lodging.
“We rented a house, which tripled as wedding venue, housing for out of state wedding party participants, and secluded honeymoon venue the following week. (Off-season is a great time for a romantic getaway in a vacation destination.)” —margueritew2[/caption]
“We rented a huge vacation home and had a house party! It was low-key, intimate, yet still was major cause of celebration. Hiring a caterer with a kick-butt menu to do a party was so much better than a sit-down meal. We didn’t even do tables — lots of bar tops and existing comfy furniture for perching. We also were able to have our entire bridal party stay in the bedrooms of the house, cutting their expenses too.” —alixei
6. Have your ceremony and reception in the same place.
“We had the ceremony and the reception in the same room. The guests sat at their tables during the ceremony and were able to start the cocktail/appetizer hour immediately after the ceremony while we took pictures. This saved on transporting the bridal party — no limos, less time restraints, and out-of-town guests didn’t have to worry about getting lost.” —Heather Watkins Imani, Facebook
7. Consider getting married on campus.
“I work at a college with a beautiful dining hall, so we got married there, and they gave me an amazing discount on the venue!” —Kayce Taylor, Facebook
8. Have your reception at a restaurant.
“After an exhaustive search, I realized that getting married at a fancy restaurant was our most affordable option. Instead of paying $1,000 or more (sometimes much more) to rent a space and then bring everything in, I had to buy only food and alcohol. The room, furniture, linens, lighting, beautiful decor, dishes, silverware, fancy display items, etc., were all included. So much cheaper than renting a space and having to bring in everything from forks to outhouses.”
A courthouse wedding doesn’t have to feel like a trip to the DMV; you can still wear a fancy dress and invite a decent amount of guests! Look for historic courthouses in your state — the buildings are often gorgeous but they are still budget-friendly.[/caption]
9. Get married at the courthouse.
“We had a courthouse wedding and a family and ‘friends like family’-only reception. Having the wedding at the courthouse was so much easier because they guide you through all the paperwork so there is absolutely no confusion. It also took the pressure off of having to create a fairy tale for everyone to watch me. We put more effort into the reception and it was beautiful.” —Rachel Luttrell, Facebook
10. Don’t serve a sit-down dinner.
“We had a small ceremony at our hometown church, went back to our place for cake, champagne, and gifts, and then went to a local bar in our wedding clothes and didn’t have to pay for anything all night!” —Amanda Weber, Facebook
“Instead of having a dinner, I held an evening wedding and served hors d’oeuvres, saving another $1,000 at least.” —Emily Olson, Facebook
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