Not all brides dream about a dress from Vera Wang, a three-layered cake, and a lush banquet in a restaurant. For some, this turmoil and long-term preparation seem unnecessary and too time-consuming for such a beautiful and symbolic day. There is another reason – money. People tend to take fewer huge wedding loans than it was before. Now, everybody is focused on purchasing the house, planning a child, or a honeymoon trip, and in order to do this, some should think in advance how to economize on a banquet.
Affordable Wedding Ideas
After making the decision to save money, people think that the only possible solution is to sign the papers at the civil registry office, just the two of them, and then celebrate it with the closest friends or family. But you can come up with a lot of interesting options: inexpensive but original.
Cheap wedding options depend on your preferences. If you want to be just the two of you, you can organize something romantic or plan a trip together to the tropical place to have a ceremony there. However, be ready for legal hustle afterward. But if you want to have close friends or family at your celebration, you will have to think about the organization of the small party.
Here are some of the most interesting and “on budget” tips:
- Go to the club. For those who love having some extra night fun, this option is optimal. You sign the papers, grab your friends, and go to a club or a bar. Most likely, you have to pay for snacks and drinks, but it will cost much cheaper than a traditional banquet. Clubs are made for dancing and drinking, but not eating. This fact will help you save some dollars.
- Go to the sauna. This is the favorite place for many couples to meet with friends. Calm relaxing atmosphere, you can talk, swim, and eat. All this will not cost much and can be quite fun for all of you. If your city has an aquapark, you can easily choose this option too!
- A completely budget option – the wedding online. Well suited for people who have friends in different cities, but who want to congratulate the newlyweds. You can arrange a conference on Skype, exchange toasts, congratulations and drink some champagne together. It’s almost impossible to come up with a cheaper option.
- Another budget option is to go with friends to a fast-food restaurant. There are such everywhere. It is tasty, satisfying, and inexpensive. For a friendly company, it will be a great option. You can even book a separate room, and it will still be cheaper than a meal at a restaurant.
- Go hiking. Lovers of outdoor activities will appreciate this wedding. But it is important that all friends support such an idea. After all, it can be quite physically demanding. But having a picnic somewhere in a beautiful place is always a great idea!
Wedding celebration: cheap edition
If you decide to have a normal wedding, after all, I have some tips for you on saving some costs on things that are not necessary like a 3-layered cake, for instance.
- The number of guests. Even if you decide to invite only close friends, think about the list. It is not recommended to invite someone out of the sense of politeness.
- Invitations. In order not to spend money on expensive envelopes and postcards, send all the invitations through email or social media. This is an up-to-date variant of traditional “save-the-date” cards.
- Photos. Hiring a professional photographer is very expensive. If you have a novice photographer with a good camera in a circle of your friends, you can ask him or her to take pictures of your wedding as a wedding gift. Or you can hire an unfamiliar novice photographer, who can agree to take pictures for a minimal price in order to gain some experience.
- DJ or music band. You don’t need a professional wedding band or a DJ. You can easily choose a playlist of songs that you like and play them with a speaker.
- Discounts. Feel free to use discounts. Sometimes discounts are provided to those products and services intended for the weddings, but sometimes, people charge double when they hear that you want to book this venue for your wedding… For example, if you rent a venue or a sauna, better be silent about the reason for the celebration. Otherwise, they can overcharge you.
- Networking. Never forget about your Facebook list of friends. They can come in handy when you’re looking for a cheap photographer or a DJ because, as you know, people know people, and that’s how connections are formed.
- Choose a warm season for the wedding. In the summer, it is much easier to come up with celebration options, choose clothes and make a photo session.
