As I venture further down the track of planning my wedding, the more the bills and dollars seems to stack up. For a young couple, or really any couple for that matter looking to start out on a journey together in life, there are times when it seems like an awfully large investment for just one day.
That said, of course I am looking forward to our special day sharing love and happiness with all our favourite people in the one place at the one time.
If anything, I have learn’t the value of budgeting and have slowly picked up some tips to save some cash before the big day. I would love to hear what your bridal budget tips are too in the comments box below!
1. Priorities.
What is most important to me on the big day, may not be important to you. Rank all of the things you need to spend money on ranked by importance to you, and then budget accordingly. It avoids you blowing your budget on flowers that you don’t care that much about, and having to scrimp elsewhere like food or (god forbid) your dress.
2. DIY.
The idea of DIY might either be daunting or sound a little crafty for your big day but you can save some dollars in a big way.
Play to your strengths- DIY invitations might be your forte- saving you hundreds of dollars. For me, my best friend and I have taken several trips to Sydney’s Flower Markets and are planning on doing all the flower arrangements ourselves, saving me an absolute fortune!
Other DIY ideas might be your bomboniere- I recently got a delicious homemade red velvet cake in a mason jar, DIY decor.. think fairy lights or even hosting the ceremony in your backyard.
3. Guest List.
This is a really, really tough one. It is tough to cut people that either family is vying to invite, or significant others or children. But lets remember here, its your wedding, your money and your day.
Play by some hard and fast rules. If you have never met the person (think Mum’s friends from work, or that second cousin removed) they can be cut. A significant other of less than one year could be cut. Try and set a number in your head and stick to it.
If numbers are still really stressing you, maybe you could consider a destination wedding at short notice…
4. Transportation.
Maybe you don’t really need the host of Rolls Royces to transport you to the reception. I am opting for UBER, a luxury car service that costs roughly the same as a taxi fare. They have a presence over seas and have just hit Sydney, with plans to extend their services to all major cities eventually.
Its much cheaper, and usually just as luxurious.
5. Book in advance.
The longer you leave booking, the more power vendors have over you. If you book far in advance, prices are cheaper and you have time to plan.
If you want to save a bit of extra cash, try holding your wedding on a Friday or Sunday, its much cheaper as Saturdays are hot property!
6. Don’t be embarrassed haggling.
I have never been a big fan of haggling, but when you are dropping a huge chunk of your savings (or your parents savings) its prudent to get the best price possible.
Ask for ten percent less than they offer- the worst they can do is say no!
Those are my top tips, although I am sure there are many more to come! What are yours?
5 Comments
Uber are great. You even get a picture of the driver on your phone. It’s also only slightly more than a normal cab. And you can check where the cars are situated on the map of your phone. Great tips here. Always thought cars were the biggest waste of money for weddings. Everyone always looks unhappy sitting in them. Do something different. I know someone who hired a milk cart!
http://www.acnezinemyreviews.com
Don’t spend money on a photographer since almost everyone has an SLR these days – pick a few of your friends or family you trust and ask them to take the photos as their gift to you.
For our wedding we had the ceremony immediately before the reception so there’s no awkward guests waiting around in their best gear at the closest Hungry Jacks – if you can have your ceremony where your reception is, that usually cuts down the cost of venue hire as well.
Leave early. Parties don’t have to go too late, and you’ll be exhausted by the end of it anyway! We booked the venue til 11pm – hightailed it out of there at 10:30. Guests who want to keep going will find an excuse – just not on your dollar!
Use the same paper for place cards or whatever else as you did with invitations – if it’s a small wedding, a digital invitation is great.
I bought my wedding dress off the rack at Carla Zampatti, setting me back only $700. Jewellery was all borrowed from friends and family. Veil was a little handmade fascinator by my cousin the night before. I wore my favourite comfortable heels (cos couldn’t see it under my dress!)
Hope all this helps!! Best of luck with your wedding, can’t wait to hear all about it! xxx
Fantastic tips!
Consider whether you really want a traditional sit down meal – a buffet or a cocktail reception might suit better, and depending on your numbers it can be both easier to find a suitable space and maybe cheaper. And it’s better for mingling.
Great tips, thank you. We’re having a destination wedding and I was stressing about organising a car but I see that Uber operate in Paris, thanks!