// I may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post. //
When I started this blog, my primary goal was to help people save money on their weddings.
Since then, I've evolved into more of a lifestyle blog but that hasn't changed my passion for empowering people to have their dream wedding on a budget.
Top 100 Ways To Save On Your Wedding Day
You CAN save money on typical wedding bits and pieces and STILL have your dream wedding – it's all in the details and your level of flexibility.
In that spirit, I've rounded up my top 100 ways to save on your wedding day:
Save On The Wedding Reception Centerpieces:
How about an edible centerpiece?
Fill trays or bowls with fruit or bread and let people enjoy them with the meal.
Or you could even do the entire meal family-style and let the platters of food be the centerpieces!
Make The Swap
Swap out flower arrangements for potted plants or even herbs.
Pot them in tins or pretty crocks inexpensively.
A Modern Touch
Spray tall branches white, silver, gold or leave them natural and arrange in tall glass cylinders.
Candles
Candles (or LED tealights) make dramatic and cheap centerpieces when grouped together or in glass vessels.
Especially lovely for an evening holiday or winter wedding.
Buy In Bulk
Buy all of one type of flower in bulk and then fill containers with masses of them.
This is a very dramatic and inexpensive look for a modern or urban wedding.
Save On The Wedding Ceremony Altar:
A Venue With A View
If your ceremony is set against a lovely beach vista or sweeping mountain view then skip an altar altogether – nature is gorgeous enough.
You don't need to compete with it.
Skip Floral Arrangements
Skip fancy floral arrangements and opt instead for lovely potted plants or fruit trees that you can use at your home after the wedding.
A Gazebo
Borrow a small gazebo or trellis from a friend or family member.
Adorn it with paper flowers or fabric garlands.
Make a Fabric Backdrop
Love the look of a ribbon background but find it too expensive to execute?
Use fabric or old curtains instead.
We dyed, cut, and sewed old sheets into a huge ceremony backdrop for our wedding.
Keep It Sentimental
Use a large family quilt or Grandma's special tablecloth as a ceremony backdrop.
The sentimental piece will be an amazing addition!
Save On The Wedding Ceremony Seating:
Double Duty
Pull double duty. Use the same seating for the ceremony as the seating for the reception.
Just be sure to have plenty of time and people to help move them after the ceremony.
Be Flexible
Not picky about the design or color? Great!
Being flexible is the BEST way to save money since you don't have to have a particular design.
Go Alternative
Use alternative seating.
Think beyond the traditional chairs and use hay bales, tree stumps, or benches.
Standing Room Only
Skip seating entirely.
This is best if you'll be having a short (i.e. 15 minutes or less TOTAL) wedding – but be sure to have some kind of seating available for older or disabled guests.
Inclusive Package
Choose a venue that includes seating. Most churches do!
As do ballparks, some park or garden locations, and museums.
Save On The Wedding Ceremony Programs:
Nix Programs
Skip programs entirely. Really.
They are not required and everything will be just fine without them.
Print Your Own
Purchase a printable PDF wedding program (many etsy vendors sell these at reasonable prices).
This allows you to print them at home or via VistaPrint for MUCH less than hiring them out.
Double Duty
Make your programs double as something else.
For example, fan + program OR confetti container + program. Two birds. One stone.
One Big Program
Have one main program instead of individual ones.
Post a large sign at the front of the ceremony location with all the important information.
One Sided
Just list the important details and save yourself the cost of extra paper, ink, and labor.
Save On The Wedding Invitations:
Print Your Own
Buy a printable stationery suite and print and assemble your wedding invitations at home.
Design Your Own
Design your own invitations using free fonts.
Look For A Deal
Look for Groupon or LivingSocial deals that allow you to purchase stationery for a fraction of the retail price.
Nix Extras
Skip all the extras (like the second envelope and tissue inserts).
They are relatively outdated anyway and no one will even notice.
White Envelopes FTW
Stick with plain white envelopes and dress them up with pretty envelope liners made from scrap paper.
Save On The Wedding RSVPs:
Print Your Own
Buy a printable wedding suite that includes RSVP or response cards in the package.
RSVP Online
Skip making/sending RSVPs to people who will only respond online (i.e. Facebook, wedding website, or email).
Send paper ones out only to those who are more comfortable with paper communication.
This will save on printing costs and postage.
Include An RSVP Line
Instead of a separate RSVP card, if you're having an informal wedding, include an RSVP line on the invitation itself.
DIY Them
Still want to send out the traditional separate RSVP cards?
This is the place to DIY them yourself. Just use a pre-designed template and some business card printing paper.
Postcard RSVP
Skip the envelopes completely and opt for a postcard style RSVP instead – save on extra stationery AND postage!
Save On The Wedding Rings:
Lesser Metals
Love lots of bling but can’t afford the ring?
Ask if it also comes in a setting using a lesser metal.
White gold looks just like platinum but costs a fraction of the amount.
You can always upgrade the setting to a nicer metal later
Package Deal
Buy your engagement ring and wedding ring at the same time and ask for a package price.
Not Picky?
Not picky about the design or metal? Check Amazon, etsy, or ebay for some real steals.
Grade Down
If it is the rock you love but it’s too expensive, look for rings with a stone that is the next grade down.
If it is at the top of the next grade, it generally looks the same but for a lot less money.
DIY It
Have a metal fabricator friend or someone with access to a lathe?
Always wanted to take a jewelry making class? Why not ask them to MAKE your wedding ring? We did!
Save On The Wedding Reception Music:
Talent Runs In The Family
Ask a talented friend or family member to perform.
Be sure to have (or rent) a microphone and speakers, if needed.
Create a Playlist
Power up that device!
Create a playlist and hook it up to great speakers – just ask someone to press play.
This is what we did for our wedding and it worked great.
Student Musicians
Look into saving a little money by hiring student musicians.
Students are often very talented and ALWAYS looking to earn extra money.
Just be sure to check references so you know that they'll show up.
Skip Music
If you're getting married outside (and don't care about dancing) then why not skip music entirely and let the sounds of nature take center stage?
House Band
Getting married in a restaurant?
A lot of restaurants employ a regular band or musician to perform nightly so ask if you can have them perform at your reception instead of to the standard dinner crowd.
Save On The Wedding Reception Catering:
Ask your caterer to cut back on or completely eliminate any seafood. Instead, pick nicer or unique cuts of beef and chicken and pair with lots of colorful roasted vegetables.
Opt for foods that can be served at room temperature – anything chilled or heated will require more equipment to serve.
Comfort foods are incredibly popular and totally inexpensive to make. Fancy them up with unusual cheeses or make them into mini portions.
Recruit friends and family to help you DIY cater your own reception.
Remember, any food served family-style (where the platters are passed around the table by the guests) will always cost less than individually plated meals or a buffet!
Save On The Wedding Boutonnieres:
Single Bloom
Traditionally, the groom's boutonniere is made using a flower from the brides' bouquet – so why not do just that?
Pluck a single bloom from her and pin it on!
DIY Them
Save on the labor costs and DIY them.
There are a mountain of excellent tutorials out there to help you.
Just The Groom
If you must have some special little detail then just do it for the groom rather than the entire wedding party.
Keep It Simple
To cut costs, pick a boutonniere that is elegant and simple.
Fancier ones include additional material and labor costs that will increase your bottom line (you could pay 20% or more for the addition of those items).
Use Something Else
Skip the flowers or greenery and use some thing else like a feather, a seed pod, or even an action figure!
Save On The Bride's Hair:
Regular Styist
If you've been seeing the same hairstylist for years, generally, they'll be happy to work out a deal with you to do your wedding day hair for the same price as your normal ‘do.
Talented Friend
Have a friend or family member who's talented with hair? Ask them if they'd do your hair as a gift (that's what I did).
Keep It The Same
Wear your hair exactly like you always do – add a veil. Voila! Instant bride hair.
Use The Assitant
Want your hair done at a high-end salon but can't afford it?
Ask if one of the stylists that you like allows their assistant to do hair.
Often, the master stylist will oversee the entire process and design but since it's not actually them doing the work – the final bill will be much less.
Ponytail FTW
For a simple, yet chic hairdo that you can do yourself – try a sleek ponytail.
High or low, it's a lovely look with a veil, flowers, or sparkly accessories.
Save On The Bride's Gown:
Keep It Simple
Keep it simple, pick a plain dress and instead dress it up with stunning jewelry and accessories (those will probably be worn again!).
Dessy and Modcloth make budget dresses in simple styles.
Rent It
There are many online options now for people to rent fabulous dresses at affordable prices.
Hit The Mall
Skip the bridal boutiques and hit the mall.
Stores like J. Crew, Express, and Ann Taylor have great dresses in lovely styles that are totally affordable.
Big Box Stores
Try some big box stores like Nordstrom, Macy’s, and even Target for great dresses at better prices.
Clearance
Shop the off-season or clearance rack for amazing deals.
This is a really good option if you're smaller and can wear a sample size.
Save On The Bride's Veil:
Borrow It
This is the time to find your “something borrowed”!
I borrowed my best friend's veil and loved that I got to share a little bit of her happy day on my day.
Secondhand
Look for veils secondhand on eBay or Craigslist.
Generally, they are in amazing condition and a fraction of the retail price.
Rent It
Rent it. You can rent amazing designer veils for nearly a quarter of the price of buying a new one!
Handmade
Look for pretty and affordable handmade options on etsy.
A Busy Mother, Blue Sky Horizons, and Pomp & Plumage make really stunning ones.
DIY It
This is the place to try your hand at DIYing something.
Veils are stunningly easy to create and you don't even need to be able to sew to make a lovely one!
Save On The Bride's Bouquet:
Go Subtle
Go for subtle over big.
A smaller bouquet of gorgeous flowers can make more of an impact than a massive wad of so-so blooms.
This is especially true if your dress is simple, modern, or vintage.
Filler
Mix in berries, pinecones, silk leaves, or other cheap embellishments to fill-out a bouquet for less.
Use Something Else
Don’t even carry a bouquet – use a family bible, your pet dog, or even a good luck charm instead!
In-Season FTW
Select in-season flowers.
While most popular bridal flowers are available year-round, some traditional ones like peonies and lilies of the valley can be difficult to find and expensive when out-of-season.
DIY It
DIY the bridal bouquet.
Sites like Blooms By The Box sell bridal flowers wholesale and deliver them right to your door!
They also have great bouquet tutorials on their site.
Save On The Groomsmen's Attire:
Free Tux With Rentals
See if a local chain or shop will give someone a free tux if all the other groomsmen rent or buy their's there.
And don't be afraid to ask for the perk if it's not offered!
Use A Suit
Skip the fancy tuxedos and opt instead for a suit (preferably one they already own).
Rock A Different Look
Do the groomemn really need to wear a tuxedo or suit?
Why not have them rock a (much cheaper) sweater, vest, or just a dress shirt and pants?
Borrow One
Does a family member or a friend have a tuxedo or suit that they can borrow?
Often, a good tailor can temporarily alter it to fit and then take it back to “normal” after the wedding.
Wear That Uniform
In the military, police force, or a firefighter?
Then wear your dress uniform! Not only is it free but they can represent an important part of their personality and show off their career.
Save On The Bridesmaid's Attire:
Keep It Simple
Keep it simple, pick a plain dress and instead dress it up with stunning jewelry and accessories (those will probably be worn again!).
Vow to be Chic and Modcloth make budget dresses in simple styles.
Shop Their Closets
Have your ladies shop their closets.
Just assign a color and let them pick out a dress they already own!
Rent It
There are many online options now for people to rent fabulous dresses at affordable prices.
Hit The Mall
Skip the bridal boutiques and hit the mall.
Stores like J. Crew, Express, and Ann Taylor have great dresses in lovely styles that are totally affordable (and a good option if your bridesmaids are a wide range of sizes).
Also try some big box stores like Nordstrom, Macy’s, and even Target for great dresses at better prices.
Clearance
Shop the off-season or clearance rack for amazing deals.
This is a really good option if your bridesmaids are all smaller since they can buy “off the rack”.
Save On The Flower Girl's Dress:
Look for dresses in the girl's closets. Many little girls already have pretty dresses that would be perfect for a wedding.
Buy through ebates.com. Using this rebate program, you’ll save money (via member discounts) AND you’ll receive a percentage of your purchase back in the form of a check.
Look for dresses at major department stores or big box stores around the holidays. They have lots of ruffled, glittered, girly dresses at amazing prices.
See if an older sister or cousin has a lovely dress that they've outgrown and are willing to pass on to the littler one.
Skip the fancy dresses and opt instead for cute rompers, tutus, or princess costumes!
Save On The Wedding Cake Topper:
Use Something From Home
Make a topper out of something free from your house –Â a framed photo, figurine, or bit of memorabilia from your first date.
Edibles
Use something edible like berries, cookies, or candy are delicious and unique.
Filler As A Topper
Snag a few buds or greenery from a bouquet and use them as the cake topper.
Handmade
Skip the expensive topper and pick up something handmade and affordable from etsy. Here's a bunch that I love.
Have Fun
Have fun with it and use Lego figurines, action figures, or toy cars!
Save On The Wedding Favors:
Eat It
Stick with favors that can be eaten or played with.
No one wants crap with your name or wedding date on it. Food or toys are ALWAYS the best favors.
Custom Labels
Dress up plain notebooks or water bottles with custom labels or stamping.
It's an easy DIY that’s popular with guests.
Shop Holiday Sales
Shop after holiday sales for items you can use.
Mini locale-specific ornaments, a bag of red candies, or patriotic button can all be found in seasonal sales and will work for your wedding’s theme.
Nix Favors
Do you really need favors? REALLY?!?! Are you just doing it because everyone else is?
We didn't have favors and no one complained and we're still married so I think y'all will be fine without them.
Double Duty
Do favors that double as decor.
Group single blooms or potted plants together as a centerpiece for the reception and hand out as individual favors after the wedding.
Save On The Wedding Transportation:
Nix Transportation
If your ceremony venue and reception are close (or the same) – skip transportation completely. Walk or carpool – it’s fun and environmentally sound!
Rent A Luxury Car
Skip the fancy limo and opt for an affordable luxury SUV or towncar.
You can get one from any rental car agency at a fraction of the cost.
Borrow A Cool Car
Borrow a fancy sports car from a friend or family member for yourselves and arrange for your wedding party to carpool.
Try An Alternative
Look for a fun transportation alternative.
Think school bus, wagon, bicycles, fire truck, horses, or even tractors.
Not only are these generally more affordable but they are also more memorable!
Stick With Stanard
Still jonesin' for a limo?
Stick with standard black and opt-out of stretch-sized.
Skip the mini bar, stripper pole, or red carpet to help you stick to your budget.
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