The insane cost of weddings these days is something that many Americans struggle with. Some people start saving years in advance of their wedding or going into thousands of dollars of debt. From hiring wedding planners to covering venue costs, catering services, hotels and transportation, it all adds up to a hefty amount. That’s why we’ve found some cheap wedding ideas to help you save a few bucks on your big day.
Rent a Cheap Venue
One of the first steps to saving money is finding a venue that’s not outrageously priced. It’s quite normal these days for wedding venues to charge a ridiculous sum of money simply because that’s the nature of the market. A barn gets a slight renovation, and bam, it’s advertised as a wedding venue. You could try Googling event spaces instead of wedding venues and see how the prices compare. A tastefully decorated ballroom could serve just as beautifully as a dance hall that’s marketed as a wedding venue.
Backyard Wedding
There’s no place like home! This goes for weddings as well. Having a ceremony within the comfort of your own home not only could help you keep your wedding super cheap, it gives you the freedom to use whatever props, extra decorations or modifications of your choice.
DIY Decor
Scrap hiring someone else to decorate for your wedding. Look online for wedding decoration inspiration and find something that you could decorate on your own. It could be as simple as having your own balloons, creating hand-written invitations yourself or using online tools.
Have a Potluck Reception
Why not switch things up and have a potluck reception dinner? It’s not only a chance for your guests to show off their culinary skills, potluck dinners allow for a more personalized dining experience. Create a list of dishes that wedding guests can sign up to cook themselves. Charcuterie boards, veggie platters and cookies are simple items that your guests could either put together themselves or even purchase if necessary.
Rent Your Wedding Clothes
It’s becoming a lot more popular these days for couples to rent their wedding attire. Agreed, it’s special to have a custom wedding dress, but it could also add an extra couple thousand dollars to the budget. Let’s be real gentlemen, you might never need to wear a tuxedo again in your life. And for you ladies, it’s rare that you’ll ever be wearing your wedding dress to an occasion other than your wedding. Renting wedding apparel means you might not be able to make as many adjustments and customizations. However, rental shops are generally keen on helping you find something that fits well and makes you look sharp, regardless of your body type.
Have a Friend Officiate Your Wedding
This one is a no-brainer. Is one of your friends or family members a good public speaker? Why not ask them to officiate your wedding? This way you save yourself a bunch of time and energy trying to find someone in your area who officiates weddings professionally. You might have already heard about it, but getting ordained online so you can legally officiate weddings is super easy. There’s a bunch of websites that provide this service for free like American Marriage Ministries and Universal Life Church. Signing up only takes a couple of minutes to complete and the service is completely free. Having your friend get ordained is a great way to save money on your wedding day.
Hire a Friend as Your Wedding Photographer
Wedding photography is another area where you could save a lot of money if you don’t mind asking a friend to take your wedding photos. We have a whole article discussing the pros and cons of hiring a friend as your wedding photographer which you can check out here.
It’s About Love not Money!
Your wedding day is all about celebrating love, not breaking your bank. This is an encouragement to break the trend on weddings that are all about unnecessary consumerism and get back to the heart of what makes this day so special. Hopefully this article illuminated some ways to save a buck or two, but still celebrate in style.
That’s all the cheap wedding ideas we have for now!
– Bernard King