A wedding can be one of the most beautiful events, but it can also be one of the most stressful. Aside from the headache of corralling dozens of guests, fretting about the consequences of swearing eternal love and worrying about the weather, you will also need to contend with the sizable price tag of even a suitable wedding.
According to data gathered by the bridal magazine The Knot, the price of weddings in the United States in 2020 was at a whopping $19,000. Granted this is $10,000 cheaper than in the previous year, but it’s still a considerable expense given the economy.
However, getting married doesn’t have to lead to large debts. You can enjoy your storybook wedding without spending thousands of dollars.
Below are a few tips you could consider if you want your happiest day to not be an expensive affair.
Venue
A venue can be the most expensive aspect of any wedding, with some experts computing that a fairy-tale venue can cost you an average of $10,000 for a single day. But the price tag of a venue has nothing to do with whether you and your spouse will have a blessed union.
If either of you has access to private property or a relative’s home that you could use, do so instead. There is a rustic appeal to getting married at home.
For example, if you live on a large farm, why spend thousands of dollars getting married at a park or a conservatory when you can do so in the rolling fields you grew up with?
If you spent years cultivating a beautiful garden with a patio and a gazebo, why waste the opportunity to show it off? You can save a lot of money, even if you have to pay a nominal fee to a friend or relative who’s letting you use their property.
Wedding Attire
It’s a common criticism of wedding attires that you spend thousands on them only to wear them once before stuffing them in the wardrobe. That’s nothing compared to the price of dressing everyone else at your wedding party, especially bridesmaids.
Whereas groomsmen can usually get away with renting any tuxedo, bridesmaids usually have to coordinate their attire. You can avoid paying for very expensive off-the-rack clothing by buying sewing patterns instead if anyone in your family is good at dressmaking. There are suitable patterns for everything out there, including bridal gowns.
When you realise that the average price of a wedding dress is just a hair over $1,600, not including all the other dresses needed for the event, you may see the value in making your clothing.
Take a look at these lovely patterns!
Zoom Weddings
Guests form the bulk of expenses in a wedding since you have to feed, shelter and entertain them. While it’s possible to have a lot of guests without spending a fortune, you may find that they won’t have as much fun during the events.
Instead of inviting everyone to be physically present at the wedding, you can leverage technology and have a Zoom wedding instead. This was all the rage in the previous years as people obeyed social distancing protocols for their safety.
Now, there are plenty of guides on how to host Zoom weddings. This way you won’t have to book hotel rooms, arrange for travel expenses or pay for a lot of meals but your friends and loved ones can still see the magic of the event.
It’s also the safer alternative as even with the proliferation of vaccines, the pandemic is still raging. You don’t want to invite dozens of people to a crowded venue and risk becoming a spreader event rather than a magical day.
Food
Finally, the food at a wedding can cost quite a bit per plate but it doesn’t have to. Sometimes the cost of the catering is inflated because there may be lots of dishes but none of them is particularly filling.
For example, instead of having a 12-course meal that leaves no one satisfied, why not have a buffet breakfast that’s very affordable but also delicious? Instead of serving expensive alcoholic beverages, why not pass around healthy drinks that can satiate your guests?
You’d be surprised how much more well-received a delicious and satisfying meal can be instead of expensive but beautiful crumbs.
Planning a wedding is stressful but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Your marriage shouldn’t start with worrying about the massive expenses accrued by your union. Have an affordable but beautiful wedding and you can focus on the things that matter: your relationship.
