With inflation steadily making its way into everyone’s budget lately, wedding budget costs have also fallen victim to higher price tags. We have a few tips and tricks to help you get through your wedding without breaking the bank!
Book a Multi-Service Vendor
Booking a multi-service vendor is a no-brainer for a few reasons. Most, like us at Complete Weddings + Events, will offer bundling discounts for booking more than one service. This not only helps you save money with your wedding budget but also allows you to save time by having fewer people to coordinate with.
Unfortunately, you will spend tenfold more time planning for your big day than celebrating it, so keep it simple with fewer vendors. Send one email to ask questions about your Quad Cities wedding photographer, DJ, and videographer. Done and done.
Cut the Guest List
The most common piece of advice given is to cut the guest list. With food being a very large portion of your budget, this is the easiest way to cut money fast! It may require some very hard decisions. Many couples want the grand experience of 300+ guests and sometimes that just isn’t going to be in the budget.
One additional thing to consider is the fact that, in the past, you could count on 20% or higher of guests invited to not RSVP. But, post-COVID we have seen a much larger percentage of people RSVP’ing. Everyone wants to PARTY!!
Alternatives to a large guest list for the full reception is to have an open dance and invite as many people as you want to that. This is a great way to still celebrate with you and not break the bank. Put on your dancing shoes, get on your packed dance floor, and let loose with all of those you love!
Choose a non-Peak Wedding Date or Day
Weddings are typically held on Saturdays in the late spring, summer, and fall. If you are willing to have a Friday or Sunday wedding, there are many vendors that will offer off-peak pricing.
Additionally, if you are willing to get married in the winter or early spring there are many vendors who will gladly work with you and your budget. And have you seen snowfall wedding photos?! Gorgeous!
Offer to Pay in Cash
Taking the time to find the right vendor – or negotiate with the one you’ve chosen – can be worth the extra effort for your wedding budget.
We suggest shopping around different wedding vendors to find the best bang for your buck. Once the decision has been made on your vendor, prices can be negotiated further.
One simple way to reduce costs is to offer to pay in cash.
“If vendors know they won’t have any credit card fees for the transaction, they oftentimes will provide a little discount.
Embrace “All-inclusive”
Want to stretch your wedding budget to the max? Keep an eye out for the magic words “all-inclusive”. Venues with all-inclusive wedding packages provide lots of amenities and services in addition to the event spaces, like on-site coordination, catering, alcohol, staff, rentals, cake, guest accommodations, and more. By bundling all of these services under one roof, these packages are a great value. Talk about a one-stop shop!
Ask for Help
When it comes to budget-friendly weddings, remember that DIY doesn’t mean you have to do it ALL yourself. Your friends and family can be your personal saviors! Enlist retired aunts for centerpiece prep, ask your talented cousin to do your makeup, and see if your BFF who loves to bake will whip up some wedding cookie favors. A “divide and conquer” approach will keep things affordable and take some of the DIY stress off your shoulders.
Complete Weddings + Events in Quad Cities
Planning your dream wedding or event should be simple and fun, and we firmly believe that having all our services under one roof makes planning easier for you. So relax. We’ve got this. Our job is to make this easy for you, your job is to enjoy the party! Complete Weddings + Events, Quad Cities’ leading provider of event and wedding photography, videography, lighting, coordination, DJ services & photo booth rental.