Let’s be honest, weddings are a BLAST but they can be really expensive for a couple who are just starting their lives together. According to NerdWallet the average cost of a wedding in 2019 was about $33,900 (which included the cost of engagement ring, ceremony and the reception).

$33K is a lot to spend on one day for one event; now if you’ve got the cash laying around to fork out for a lavish wedding, kudos to you! But if you’re on a tight budget, $33k might be a bit of a daunting number when thinking about your big day.

Luckily for you I have some tips for you on saving big $$ on your special day!

Ceremony

1. Trim down the guest list. By trimming down the guest list you will save a TON on food, cake, drinks, invitations, stamps, chair rentals, decor for each table, etc. narrow down your guest list to only CRITICAL must be there people. Your friend from high school you haven’t talked to in ages, I’d consider omitting her for the guest list.
2. Don’t worry about lavish decorations for the ceremony; you’ll spend no more than 45 minutes and sometimes as little as 15 minutes in the ceremony venue. Don’t go overboard with decor and you’ll save quite a bit of cash for more memorable things.
3. Have your ceremony and your reception at the same location. This will cut costs in travel for the vendors who are likely paid by the hour or will add additional cost to your event for traveling between two locations. This will also cut travel down for your guests and prevent those who are out of town from getting lost between the two venues.

Florals

1. Use artificial florals & greenery to not only cut costs but recoup funds. According to The Knot the average cost of wedding florals in 2019 was $2,000. Consider purchasing from a reputable artificial florist such as The Faux Bouquets or taking advantage of sales at Michaels or Hobby Lobby and get crafty with the bridal party!
2. If real flowers are a top priority on the wish list consider selecting florals that are in season. Florals in season tend to be less expensive.
3. Consider creating your own bouquets with real florals. Places like grocery stores, Costco & Sam’s Club all have florals for purchase.
4. Opt to skip on the bouquet & garter toss. According to Value Penguin a toss bouquet can cost you anywhere from $18 – $30. Consider skipping this to not only reduce costs but also gain some extra time during the reception for dancing and socializing.

Cake

1. Select a small one or two-tiered cake for cutting & display versus a large lavish cake. According to Wedding Wire the average cost most couples spend on wedding cake ranges from $300 to $700 and can cost up to $1,000 or more. Cutting the cake is a simple way to cut costs on your wedding date.
2. Consider cupcakes rather than a large cake or large sheet cake. Costs are incurred when a cake must be cut and passed out to guests. This is an easy way to seamlessly and unnoticeably cut costs on your special day. Sugar Darlings Cupcakes is a family owned and operated bakery in the Northern Tampa Bay Area (Lutz, Tarpon Springs, Tampa) whose cupcakes are SUPER affordable and they have a TON of awesome flavors such as Banana Fosters, Cannoli, Maple Bacon French Toast and my personal favorite Creme Brûlée.
3. Keep the design work simple on the cake. The more intricate in detail on the cake the more time is spent decorating which equates to more dollars spent. Forego the detail work on the cake, keep it simple and you’ll save some $$$.

Food/Booze

1. Skip the fancy plated dinner or even using a catering company altogether. Local restaurants are HAPPY to not only cater your wedding but also give you a great deal on costs! For example, for my wedding date we needed a mixture of vegan and non-vegan foods, a local, awesome catering company quote came to $2500 for 75 guests. That cost did not include servers or appetizers of any kind. We ventured out for lunch at a local taco joint in South Tampa, Florida and were were BLOWN away by how authentic and delicious their food was. I mentioned to my fiancé it might be good idea to see if they would be willing to cater our wedding. And guess what? They did for half the cost of the reputable catering company, included servers and MORE than enough food for everyone on the special day! And to top it off, we had a queso fountain included in the quote! WHO DOESN’T WANT A QUESO FOUNTAIN???
2. Skip the full liquor bar and offer a small selection of beer, wine and 1-2 signature cocktails. I promise your guests will not be upset by the decision and it will cut back on costs significantly!
3. Forego the champagne toast. This one is fairly straightforward, no one is going to miss this champagne toast, I promise.

Miscellaneous

1. Don’t even worry about guest favors. When is the last time you were really excited about another koozie, bottle opener or a thing of bubbles? Don’t waste your money on guest favors. These definitely won’t be missed by the guests.
2. Save on invitations! Most people are going to throw the invitations away into the trash so don’t spend a fortune on invitations. Websites such as BasicInvites, Shutterfly and Zazzle all have gorgeous invites for a reasonable cost.
3. Cut out response cards and collect RSVPs virtually through your wedding website. Not only is this more eco-friendly you can RSVP for your guests should they tell you via text, email or in person they will be in attendance. This also cuts down on any confusion on who is invited in the home vs who is not as you specifically have to RSVP for those who are on the guest list programed into the website.

Well folks, there you have it! Some super simple & easy ways to save big money on your special day!