7 Ways To Plan A Wedding On A Budget
Article By | Rachel Cruze
Are you planning a wedding? Congratulations! Your wedding day will likely be one of the best days of your entire life.
As you start to think about details, I want you to keep this in mind: You don’t need to go into debt to have an amazing wedding. After all, no one wants to still be paying off their cake when their fifth anniversary rolls around. Despite what you might have heard, you can have a gorgeous, memorable wedding no matter your budget.
How to plan a wedding on a budget
1. Have the wedding budget talk
A budget is key for wedding planning. Everyone paying for the event (whether it’s the bride and groom, the bride’s parents, the groom’s parents, or some combination of those people) needs to sit down and look at the total wedding budget. This might be your first experience budgeting with your future spouse. Relax and give each other grace. Learning to talk openly and honestly about money together is so important. After all, you’ll be doing this for the rest of your life.
2. Agree on what percentages work for you
Once you have a specific, realistic number for the total wedding budget, figure out what percentage you want to dedicate to each category. I recommend using these ratios:
Reception: 55%
Ceremony: 12%
Photography: 10%
Wedding Planner: 10%
Dress and Tux: 8%
Miscellaneous/Cushion: 5%
Of course, those percentages aren’t set in stone. You can adjust them to reflect what’s most important to you and your spouse when it comes to your big day. Just be sure you’re both on the same page.
3. Limit your guest list
You might feel tempted to come up with a guest list as long as the royal wedding’s, but think of it this way: Every guest is an expense. It sounds harsh, but it’s true.
To save money, consider inviting more guests to the wedding ceremony and then hosting a smaller reception with just your family and closest friends.
4. Ask friends and family to exchange skills for presents
If you have friends and family members with special skills, ask them to use their talents at the wedding instead of buying a gift. Is your aunt an amateur florist? Does your friend play in a jazz band? Even if they can’t provide services for free, you could still score a major discount!
5. Do-it-yourself wherever you can
You and your fiancé can save big money by doing things yourselves, but give yourself plenty of time to complete any DIY projects. Believe me, you don’t want to be up until 3 a.m. the day of your wedding frosting cupcakes or printing seating charts.
Keep it simple. Use a website to create and order invitations online. Join forces with your families to buy food and supplies at a wholesale store. Make bouquets and table centerpieces with flowers from a wholesale florist.
6. Time your wedding wisely
The average price per person for a plated meal is around $71. Avoid the expense of a sit-down meal by scheduling your wedding in the afternoon and planning a reception that’s more like an extended cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres.Consider the day of the week and time of year, too. Skip the Saturday tradition and you could pay up to half the price for your venue! And keep in mind, September and October are the most popular months to get married. If you can hold off until November, or brave the August heat, your budget will thank you.
7. Don’t compare your wedding to someone else’s
As helpful as the internet and social media can be when it comes to getting wedding inspiration, it can be the worst place for comparisons. Whatever you do, don’t set your budget and then start comparing your wedding to every other one you see online.Learn to practice contentment, even when it comes to your wedding planning. Remember what this day is truly about—you, your fiancé, and your future life together.
You can have a beautiful wedding on a budget!
Spending a ton of money on your wedding day won’t prove your love for one another, but it can leave you with an empty bank account. Don’t get caught up in feeling like you have to throw an over-the-top, expensive wedding. It’s completely possible to have a wedding that’s beautiful and budget-friendly!
About Rachel Cruze
As a #1 New York Times best-selling author and host of The Rachel Cruze Show, Rachel helps people learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. She’s authored three best-selling books, including Love Your Life, Not Theirs and Smart Money Smart Kids, which she co-wrote with her father, Dave Ramsey. You can follow Cruze on Twitter and Instagram at @RachelCruze and online at rachelcruze.com, youtube.com/rachelcruze or facebook.com/rachelramseycruze.