1.  The first step after becoming engaged is setting the date. Investigate venues that offer “off season” discounts. You don’t have to have a June wedding to make it memorable. Sometimes you can negotiate a better price if you agree to a date that was recently canceled but too soon for most brides to plan foThree to four months sounds too short for most people, but if you’re organized, you can plan an elegant wedding that most would think impossible in this short of a time.

Also, keep the guest list smaller rather than larger. A smaller guest list at a fancy wedding will appear much more exclusive and intimate than a big wedding with cheap alcohol and dry chicken.

2.  Next is the dress. This is where you have a lot of control over the cost of the wedding. There are bazillions of dresses out there, so you really don’t need to have the latest one featured on the cover of your favorite bridal magazine. There are so many options to save money on the wedding dress. Borrow a girlfriend’s beautiful gown…. she will be flattered and the two of you will have a life-long bond.  Or, buy a sample dress from a Bridal Store. Also, there are many new websites that now offer used dresses in perfect condition that were once out of your price range. Oh, and I recently saw that Costco is now selling designer wedding dresses. Hey, if it looks beautiful, who cares where you bought it!

3.  Decide on the type of reception. Often just breaking from the ordinary is enough to make your wedding memorable. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on filet mignon and Dom Perignon. Try a Friday night wedding, things will automatically seem more casual and you won’t have to spend the extra money on ritzy details. Or, have a brunch wedding. The menu is much less costly if you are serving eggs benedict and mimosas. And all of your guests will certainly remember it because it was unique (but still elegant).

4.  The alcohol…  normally your first instinct would be to limit the bar to rail liquors to save money. Your guests will notice this. My best advice would be to limit the quantity instead of the quality. Keep the guest list number in check or try offering beer and wine only.

Another reason to try a brunch wedding…. guests can have unlimited champagne which feels elegant but people won’t drink nearly as much so early in the day (at least most won’t anyway….. there’s always an Uncle Phil).

5.  One of the smartest ways to cut down on the average cost of a reception is to hire a DJ instead of a band. You might love listening to live music but it is going to be significantly more expensive to hire a great band. And please don’t waste a lot of money on a mediocre band just because you think it is the thing to do. A DJ is a master at getting people out on the dance floor. He will know how to read the crowd and make everyone happy – at a fraction of the cost.

6.  Photographers are necessary. In my experience you really do need to hire a photographer but you don’t have to buy the most expensive packages he/she offers. Hire a photographer who will work with you and sell you the digital copies separately. This way you can use all of the great photos you gather from friends and family in one complete wedding album. One of the biggest regrets I hear, is from brides who payed way too much for a fancy photo album that doesn’t even have all of “the good” pictures in it. Putting together your own album from the photographer’s digital photos and the best ones from your friends & family, will not only help you reduce the costs, but also produce the best keepsake possible.

7.  And finally, don’t forget about the flowers.  Flowers are a great opportunity to reduce the average cost of today’s weddings. Flowers are beautiful and hard to resist on your wedding day…. just don’t over do it. Your wedding florist can help you get maximum show for your money. Don’t over spend decorating the church, save it for your own bouquet.  Limit the flowers in the bridesmaids bouquets and the table centerpieces at the reception. Big centerpieces become so expensive when all you really need are some small, vibrant arrangements and some carefully placed votive candles.

I hope you have a beautiful wedding! Remember that you can plan a beautiful, memorable wedding without paying top dollar. It’s about prioritizing your budget and allocating your dollars in a way that will get you the biggest bang for your buck in the areas that will be most impactful. If you have additional ideas for helping brides reduce the average cost of their wedding, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you.

Click here if you’d like to read more about The Average Cost of a Wedding

For stats on the entire wedding industry, see our Weddings By The Numbers infograph!

How does your wedding compare to these average wedding cost numbers?

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