Planning a wedding can easily be a costly endeavor, considering how many things and vendors have to come together to make such an event possible. Add a large guestlist and extravagant decoration to this and you will be breaking the bank in no time. But with skillful planning and good decision-making you can plan a budget friendly wedding with no problem. On this guide you’re going to find every tip you need to plan a wedding for less than $15,000 while still following your vision.
- Choose a Low-Season Date
Weddings all around the world have peak seasons, where the weather is almost perfect, the venues are booked to the limit and every vendor is already taken for weeks. This elevates the costs of everything wedding related, making the overall market for these services very expensive, and the availability rather low.
The season you have your wedding on will decide the cost of almost everything on your wedding, and how easy it will be to get it. That’s why being flexible on your wedding day date can be so helpful. By having your wedding take place in a not so popular season, you can reduce the cost of many things and services.
If you’re choosing an indoor wedding venue, you could consider doing it during colder days, or perhaps on the edges of peak wedding season, either really early or right after. A great tip is to ask venues about their weekday costs, as this is also considered an off season for weddings, since most weddings are during the weekend. You don’t have to choose the worst day possible for your wedding, but having a little flexibility will let you be on the lookout for special deals and packages.
- Trim the Guestlist
Another aspect of a wedding that impacts the cost of many services is the size of your guestlist. Each guess you add to your list will be an extra plate, chair and place at the table you’ll need to take into account. At some point, the number of guests can even push you to require a bigger venue.
Because of all these reasons, your guestlist is a great indicator of how much you’re going to spend and managing the number of guests will also manage the budget of your wedding. Keeping your guestlist short and your wedding intimate is the best way to reduce costs, since you can have a smaller event that prioritizes the quality or presence of other aspects of your wedding.
- Find an Affordable Venue
Venue rental is one of the single biggest expenses when it comes to weddings, and reducing the cost of it is an essential step towards a budget-friendly special day. You can use the last tip with this one to secure a smaller venue with a smaller guestlist and greatly reduce your expenses.
You should consider alternatives to traditional venues too, such as parks, community centers and even backyard spaces, which are way more affordable than regular venues, while allowing for smaller gatherings though. You can also host both the ceremony and reception at the same venue, cutting spending on transportation and a second location.
- Save on Decorations
Decorations make up around 10 to 15 percent of your wedding budget, and while this might not seem like a lot, it’s also one of the parts of your wedding that allows a lot of cost-friendly alternatives and solutions. Incorporating natural elements such as flowers and foliage is a free solution when foraged, especially if you’re going for a rustic or bohemian look. Arts and crafts are also a great skill to have when you’re looking to save on wedding decor, since there are so many projects you can do.
DIY solutions are a big part of saving on decoration, and with our ShipOurWedding rentals, you can achieve a professional look with minimal spending, just like with our Floral Arch Stand, which will cost you thousands with natural flowers, and our Summer Flower Wall, both perfect DIY rentals for a budget-friendly wedding.
- Negotiate with Vendors
Many couples are afraid to do this, but negotiating is a big part of wedding planning, allowing people to get the most value out of their money by just being honest about their limitations and working together to achieve the perfect deal for both parts.
A good piece of advice when negotiating with vendors is to use something as leverage, such as booking them during the off season to see if they do a discount for you, or maybe hire two services from a single vendor and ask if that would reduce the cost some way or another. Make sure to be honest about your economic constraints and what you’d like to see at your wedding, this can help your vendors offer you alternatives or solutions that are less costly.
- Keep it Simple
Spending is a balance game, and weddings are not any different, you should look at saving money on something as freeing up resources for something else. Knowing exactly what you want for your wedding and knowing the different alternatives to reach it will give you clarity when deciding where to allocate your budget and how to use it.
If you’re looking for a wedding that doesn’t break the bank, the best advice is to keep things simple and adopt a minimalist theme for your wedding, where with less you achieve more. Looking for inspiration in a simple style is the best way to pull off a wedding on a budget.
By following each tip in this guide and recognizing the priorities you have as a couple for your wedding, you can have your big day for less than $15,000. Keep in mind that this day is a celebration of your love and commitment to your partner, and that doesn’t mean you have to empty your bank account to do it. With a lot of planning in advance and some creativity, you will have the wedding you’ve always dreamed off without having to pay full price.
Author Credit: Robert Reno