Wedding is by no mean cheap. After all, you’re throwing a big feast for your guest – a complete set meal from appetizer to dessert. Not only that, the venue cost, attire, and other expenses like photographer and wedding favors – together they will cost you a fortune.
However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t throw a wedding if you don’t have a fortune. Wedding, like any other event, depends on the budget. No matter how much money you have, if you don’t plan the wedding expense carefully, you may find out later that it isn’t enough. On the other side, even if you have only little saving for wedding, if you budget the expense carefully, you’ll still be able to throw a splendid wedding.
So, you fall to the latter category? Don’t worry. Scroll down and you’ll find 15 wedding ideas on a budget that we’ve compiled for you.
- Save on the venue: backyard wedding: If you live in countryside, or if your house is big enough for all the guests you’re planning to invite, then why don’t use your own backyard for the venue. Venue, after all, is expensive, especially if they have catering package rule. Not to mention the amount of time and effort you have to give in search of the perfect venue.
Backyard wedding has several advantages. First, it is completely free. Second, there is no catering rule, which can save your budget as well. Third, there is unlimited idea for decoration. While the décor may cost rather much, you can choose decoration that last for long and consider that as an investment. For example, if you need to buy long wooden benches for the guests to sit, then might as well buy a good quality one to use even after the wedding. - Save on the menu: buffet instead of sit down dinner: Letting your guest sit down and enjoy a full course meal is obviously more expensive than provide them with buffet of appetizer, main course, and dessert. If you don’t have a problem with buffet, or if you prioritize cost more than luxury, then by all mean choose buffet.
These are the advantages of buffet. First, guests can choose what they want to eat, so there won’t be any wasted food. Second, it allows them to mingle with more people, making your wedding more festive and friendly. Third, you don’t need a lot of space and tables – this will reduce your decorating cost as well. - Save on the drink: signature cocktail : If you have your wedding on the venue, pick one that allow you to bring your own beverage because beverage is one of the post that venue likes to increase the price. Aside from that, to reduce cost, open two bar of alcoholic and nonalcoholic bar instead of full alcoholic bar. Nonalcoholic bar definitely costs less than the alcoholic one.
To reduce the cost of alcoholic bar, serve only beer and wine for your guests because these two are the most universal alcohol that everybody won’t mind having – a safer guess than liquor. However, if you still want liquor, then pick one signature cocktail to serve instead of providing various types of them. - Save on the cake: cupcake instead of traditional cake: Cupcake has been steadily rising in popularity as the substitute for traditional wedding cake. There are two reasons for this. First, it is uniquely pretty. Cupcake nowadays comes with most detailed frosting that can even be personalized, so visual is never a problem with the presence of cupcake in a wedding.
Second, cupcake is far cheaper than traditional cake. This is because baker requires fewer amounts of ingredients for cupcake than traditional cake. Four layers of cupcake use roughly only one-third of traditional wedding cake. This is because the inside of cupcake wedding cake is empty – as it is used for the tray. - Save on the planner: DIY wedding : Planner helps a lot during wedding, yes, but planner also costs a lot. If you have time to spare and enthusiasm to execute, why don’t you be your own wedding planner? There are a lot of website that will help you to plan your own wedding. Of course Wedding Engage is one of them.
In Wedding Engage, you can see lists of wedding vendor you will need, check their profile and rating, then compare them with each other to get the right one. You can do all of that in the comfort of your house, simply by accessing the website. Of course, you will still have to visit some certain vendors – like venue or catering – but you don’t have to for most of them – example for stationary or wedding favors can be sent to your place. - Save on the attire: buy second instead of buy new: Wedding dress and wedding suit are another source of big cost in wedding. Not only that, you will also need to spend more money for the bridesmaid dresses and best men’s suit. It also seems a lot of pity that you won’t wear the dress and suit anywhere else as it will be simply inappropriate.
To reduce the cost, there is a simple solution. Buy someone else’s dress instead of new one. In website like OnceWed.com, you can meet former brides who want to sell their wedding gown at heavily discounted price. Don’t worry about the look – the dress has only ever been once. After the wedding, you can even put it on sale again – of course the price will be discounted, but overall it is cheaper than buying a new dress. - Save on the jewel: old instead of new: Jewel is a durable thing, oh yes, it is. In fact, it may even look like wine: the older it is, the prettier. A diamond necklace made fifty years ago, provided that it is well taken care of, will be just as shiny as the newly designed one.
So, if there is a family member who owns a jewelry that go well with your wedding dress or overall theme, ask them to lend it to you. Usually they will easily grant your request, after all you’re a family and it is your wedding. This way, not only you will have some jewelry to show to people, you’re strengthening the family bond as well. - Save on the flower: green over colors: Flowers may not be the most expensive expense on your wedding, but it is still quite a strain for your budget because you’ll need a lot of them: for centerpieces, for bouquet, for decoration, and so on. You can reduce the cost slightly by choosing flowers that is in season, or by choosing flower that is less exotic – for example roses instead of peonies.
To reduce a lot of cost instead of slightly, omit the flowers altogether except for a few that can’t be compromised (like bouquet) and replace them with greeneries and branches. It helps a lot that greeneries are this year’s predicted trend for wedding. - Save on the service: get your friend to DJ and MC: If you know friends who can do DJ-ing or MC-ing, then invite them to be the DJ and MC for your wedding. They will require far less payment than paying professional one, or might even agree to do it for free as their wedding gift for you. If you don’t know, ask your friends if they know someone.
Another advantage to have MC and DJ that is close to you or already know you personally, you can count on them to make the situation friendlier and intimate. He or she will know many little anecdotes about you and the guests, therefore helping guests feel closer with each other.