Wedding Budget: Where to Save the Most Money

The wedding season is gearing up as summer progresses, so I’ve been browsing the hottest trends which
are utterly overpriced. It is not simple to get an exact number on what blushing brides spend on their big day, but according to Credit Sesame’s analysis, an average wedding costs a whopping $26,984 (excluding honeymoon).

Here are things I believe can work on a budget but still make your wedding an unforgettable occasion.

Engagement Ring

Duke of Cambridge may have been onto something when he finally proposed to his darling Kate – instead of giving her a blinding diamond ring, he proposed with an 18-carat sapphire. Of course, Prince William was not trying to save money when giving Kate his mom’s £30,000 wedding ring. But the point is if sapphire is good enough for British Royalty, then I guess it’s good enough for me too.

Since the average cost of an engagement ring is $5,592, a non-diamond stone is probably the best way to significantly reduce the cost of your wedding.

Math: $5,592 $1,875 (you save $3,717)

Wedding Transportation

Luckily, there’s no law saying that you have to leave your reception in a limo. It’s time to choose something out of the box. How about your grandparent’s bicycles? To answer an age old question: When is the best time to burn calories – after wedding reception!

The average cost of a limo will run you about $667. Well then, how about getting back on the good old grandpa’s bicycle?

Math: $667 $0 (you save $667)

Catering

$8,601 divided by 141… So, that’s umm, let me count my little tootsies here… oh yeah, $61 per head. In other words, cut the number of guests. This can turn out to be quite a painful problem, especially if one set of parents is paying and demands a greater slice of the guest list. My advice is stand up, screw what others think.

A little math: It’s not easy to cut cousin Bob, but reducing your guest list by say 20%, will save you around $1,720.

Videographer

I mean, come on. Do you really need an official videographer? I’m pretty sure your cousin Bob has a decent digital camera.

Math: $1,463 $0 (you save $1,463)

So, how much did we save? $7,567! Pretty cool, right?

If you were getting married on a tight budget, where would you be most likely to make cuts?