by June Hoffman of Megasound
Couples are always looking for deals and discounts and ways to save money on their wedding. Regardless of the state of the economy, the following are five ideas to reduce your wedding expenses right now.
Streamline your guest list. Gone are the days of having 400-500 guests at your wedding reception. Do the math for yourself. If your food menu (including fees, taxes, and gratuities) is $50 per person and you have 200 guests, you are sitting at $10,000. Trim your guest list by 50 names and you are saving $2500. So you would have a reception with your closest 150 friends and family instead of 200 people that you know fairly well (and some not at all). Even reducing your 200 head count guest list by 10% saves you $1000.
Deal with local wedding professionals. It may sound “cool” to brag that your DJ is from Chicago or New York or you got your wedding gown in Indianapolis. It may shock you to pay the additional fees for appearance, transportation and lodging. As for your gown (or bridesmaids dresses), you will rack up a lot your time (and money) for fittings, consultations, and appointments.
Use the internet to do wedding research. Be extremely cautious about purchasing your major wedding items on the internet. Too often, unscrupulous sites over-promise and, in some cases, deliver poor quality products or deliver nothing at all. Why would you want to scramble around a couple of weeks before the wedding to find suitable replacements? Expect rush fees and, possibly, items that are not your original “vision.”
Decide whether you should rent or purchase items for your wedding. Check with your vendors to determine if “renting” certain items is less expensive (and time consuming) than purchasing items. Rental stores, florists, and other wedding vendors have rental options on a wide variety of (generally) “one-time-use” items that you would never think of using daily in your own home (such as candelabras, 200 chair sashes, ivy bowls, and other wedding-themed items).
Ask about vendor “bonuses”. Take advantage of packages from vendors that cover things such as throw-away bouquets, customary linens and flatware, cake service, and more. Many reception facilities have a “standard” set up that is already part of their wedding package. One local shop lets you “borrow” a decorated card box for your wedding weekend when you purchase your invitations through their store. Ask about storage, pressing and other “perks” when you purchase your gown at a full service bridal salon.
Streamline your guest list. Gone are the days of having 400-500 guests at your wedding reception. Do the math for yourself. If your food menu (including fees, taxes, and gratuities) is $50 per person and you have 200 guests, you are sitting at $10,000. Trim your guest list by 50 names and you are saving $2500. So you would have a reception with your closest 150 friends and family instead of 200 people that you know fairly well (and some not at all). Even reducing your 200 head count guest list by 10% saves you $1000.
Deal with local wedding professionals. It may sound “cool” to brag that your DJ is from Chicago or New York or you got your wedding gown in Indianapolis. It may shock you to pay the additional fees for appearance, transportation and lodging. As for your gown (or bridesmaids dresses), you will rack up a lot your time (and money) for fittings, consultations, and appointments.
Use the internet to do wedding research. Be extremely cautious about purchasing your major wedding items on the internet. Too often, unscrupulous sites over-promise and, in some cases, deliver poor quality products or deliver nothing at all. Why would you want to scramble around a couple of weeks before the wedding to find suitable replacements? Expect rush fees and, possibly, items that are not your original “vision.”
Decide whether you should rent or purchase items for your wedding. Check with your vendors to determine if “renting” certain items is less expensive (and time consuming) than purchasing items. Rental stores, florists, and other wedding vendors have rental options on a wide variety of (generally) “one-time-use” items that you would never think of using daily in your own home (such as candelabras, 200 chair sashes, ivy bowls, and other wedding-themed items).
Ask about vendor “bonuses”. Take advantage of packages from vendors that cover things such as throw-away bouquets, customary linens and flatware, cake service, and more. Many reception facilities have a “standard” set up that is already part of their wedding package. One local shop lets you “borrow” a decorated card box for your wedding weekend when you purchase your invitations through their store. Ask about storage, pressing and other “perks” when you purchase your gown at a full service bridal salon.
Leave me a comment with your questions and I will be happy to give you more sensible ways to stretch your wedding dollars.
Happy Planning!!
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