// I may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post. //
Y'all remember when I got married TWICE to the same man?
That was a hell of a ride, huh?
Well, we did (twice!) and lived to tell the budget-friendly tale of it.
I mean, we really DID manage to have two weddings and come in UNDER our $5,000 budget for both of them.
Yes, the TOTAL cost of our simple civil ceremony in Alaska in 2011 and our big ol' wedding the following year in Texas all together were under $5,000!
Top 15 Budget Tips from My $5,000 Wedding
See, I'm a firm believer that with a little time, planning, and a lot of elbow grease – a lovely wedding doesn't have to cost you a lot of money.
With that in mind, I've rounded up the top 15 budget tips from my $5,000 wedding!
Semi-Homemade Stationery.
I designed some of my wedding paper goods and then ordered the rest from Vistaprint (using a Googled 50% off coupon!).
This saved us quite a bit in designer fees and labor costs.
Used Groupon and Living Social to score amazing deals on little extras.
We all want our wedding to have a few something specials that aren't really needed – we just want them.
For those, I scoured LivingSocial and Groupon daily for good deals that would cover those little details.
Score a great deal on your photographer.
I know from the very beginning that getting an amazing photographer was priority number one for me.
I also knew that in order to get that photographer, I'd have to look for an amazing deal. And I got one – at a bridal show!
DIY what you can and buy the rest.
Rentals can send you budget through the roof! So, whenever possible,
DIY what you can (we made our own reception tables out of old wood and I sewed all the napkins) and buy the rest.
You can donate anything you buy after the wedding for a nice tax write-off.
Look in your closet for wedding attire.
The Boy wore a nice suit that he already had in his closet.
For our first ceremony, I wore a pretty white dress that I already owned.
Easy meet peasy AND FREE.
Always think “How can I do this cheaper?”.
Most of the best bits from our wedding were simply us brainstorming about ways to cut costs on that particular item.
So our amazing HUGE ceremony backdrop?
Should have been hundreds of dollars and instead cost us about $10.
Go non-traditional to save a few bucks (and really personalize your wedding).
The flower girls don't need flowers.
The bridesmaids don't need matching dresses.
No one needs a favor.
Have cupcakes instead of a wedding cake.
Do your thing and you may be pleasantly surprised by the savings.
DIY your reception food.
Yes. It CAN be done and be lovely.
It will take lots of planning and helping hands but it CAN be done.
And it will save you a bundle.
Cut out the middle man.
I wanted bunches of lovely Texas wildflowers but just couldn't afford the amount we needed.
Then, a local florist told me all about a great wildflower farm nearby who sold flowers directly to consumers.
I contacted them, legged it out there, and scored!
Don't overlook the generosity of strangers.
The wedding gown that I wore for our Texas ceremony was free.
Yep – my $500+ wedding dress was 100%, completely free.
F R E E.
And all because I took a chance of a stranger's offer.
Say ‘yes” to talented friends and family.
My best friend is great at make-up and hair so she did mine for me.
My mother-in-law is a great cook so she made dessert for our wedding rehearsal dinner.
My mom sewed the flower girl dresses.
People want to help! Let them.
Garage sale, thrift, and dumpster dive.
A ton of the reception dishes and glassware came from garage sales and thrift stores.
We dumpster dove for the wood for the reception tables.
Make your own cake decor.
The topper and cute bits are temporary – so why spend money on them?
I made ours and loved how they turned out.
Skip the professionals and bust out that iTunes playlist (or Spotify).
We didn't have a band or a DJ.
I just made some playlists for the pre-ceremony music, the ceremony, and the reception and a good friend pushed the play button at the right times.
We jokingly called him the Master of Ceremonies and he was happy to help.
Limit the booze menu.
Most weddings have alcohol – but there is no rule that says you HAVE to host (i.e. PAY FOR) a full bar.
We had a single keg, water, unsweet tea, and lemonade.
And people didn't care.
So why spend money on it?
Images Courtesy of: Miranda Laine Photography
Loretta Spradlin says
If timing permits….. shop for gown(s) off season… I.E. – after prom & homecoming season, end of fall/winter or spring/summer if time permits. We scored my daughters dream wedding gown from Davids Bridal for $200.00. Amazon also has amazing MoB/MoG gowns. my son and daughter got married withing 4 months of each other, there was no time to “shop around” for all the gowns…. Amazon driver and I were on a first name basis. My daughter used butcher paper on her reception tables and gave her guests crayons and markers….. so much fun…. she got well wishes and decorations at the same time.