35 Ways of How to Make a Perfect Low-Budget Wedding
Wedding is the big day you want to be it, perfect, as you dreamed. But it is not necessary wedding should be grand and extravagant. A wedding is about celebrating the love and the new beginning of life as a couple. If you cut some costs from your wedding budget, you might have happier married life. A low-budget wedding can save you from paying debt after your honeymoon. Here are some beautiful low-budget ideas to make your wedding perfect without affecting your style.
- Know who is paying for your wedding
It is essential to know who is paying for your wedding. Most couples will pay the entire cost of the wedding. In some cases, the bride's family pays most of the wedding expenses. It is a tradition to pay for their daughter's wedding.
And sometimes the groom's family also contributes their share of the wedding costs. Arrange a lunch or small gathering for both of the families to sit and discuss. How much they are contributing, and where do they have to pay. Tell them which options you are considering. Talk about the ceremony venue, catering, and other things.
- Stick to the aim of having a low-budget wedding and clarify your priorities
If you are aiming for a low-budget wedding, it is crucial to stick to it. Discuss with your future better half your vision and ideas. Decided together how much you are spending on your wedding. Either you are using your entire savings or putting some cash aside for your romantic escape.
It is better to know what are your priorities before starting the wedding planning. Discuss everything about the wedding the venue, catering, wedding attire, decor, and many more. See where you can save some cash. But remember that will not affect the vision of your wedding. Go for sustainable options that make your wedding elegant and affordable.
- Create your wedding budget and stick to it
Before starting your wedding planning, sit down together and discuss the wedding budget. It is very efficient to select the amount of money spent for every portion of the wedding planning. You have to eliminate many things you want for your wedding.
Before allocating funds, rethink if you really need these things. Like a grand hall for a ceremony or the famous music band you want for your reception. It is better to allocate funds for everything. Save 5% of your wedding budget for in-case situations or extra expenses.
- Keep down the size of your guest list
The size of your guest list can affect your wedding budget. Because each guest costs you a per head food, drink, and equipment hire. If you have a grand wedding, it cost you a lot. For a low-budget wedding, it is curial to keep down the size of your guest list. Book a smaller venue that cuts the half cost of the wedding. Also, you can save costs for food, beverages, service, tables and table settings, linens, and invitations.
- Explore the thrift store for your dress or suit
It is your big day, and you sure want to look beautiful at your wedding. Wedding dresses and suits cover 10% of your wedding budget. For a low-budget wedding, explore the thrift store for beautiful and elegant wedding dresses and suits.
You can easily find vintage wedding dresses and tuxes or suits in thrift stores. You don't have to compromise on your looks. You look fabulous and, your wedding dress can go with the rustic wedding theme. You can also discover affordable wedding dresses online.
- Have a hometown wedding
If you are aiming for a low-budget wedding, choose the venue near your home. Or have a downtown wedding because the wedding venue covers 50% of your wedding budget. Destination weddings are expensive and involve travel and overnight accommodations that cost you much.
- Go for a backyard wedding
The best venue for a low-budget wedding is a beautiful backyard. It is free and saves 50% of the wedding budget. Your backyard lawn is perfect for a small gathering ceremony and reception. Also, you can save some more on decor and linens. Decorate your wedding with a tent, chair, and table rentals for a beautiful backyard wedding.
- Get married at town hall, followed by dinner at a restaurant
This idea is for micro-sized weddings. Invite a witness and a handful of people to the short ceremony at the town hall. In a large city, you have to wait for a while in line with other couples. Enjoy a uniquely joyful communal experience.
After the ceremony, everyone heads to a nearby affordable restaurant for a celebratory meal together. But you have to make a reservation before the ceremony and consider bringing a cake.
- Explore wedding venues within your budget
You can have your dream wedding while staying within your wedding budget. There are many low-cost venues of all varieties available. You can find the right location for your wedding. No matter whether your theme is rustic, elegant, modern, or ultra-casual.
- Choose a vacation rental in your area
Vacation spots can make a lavish and affordable venue for the wedding. If you live near a vacation spot, you can rent a lovely home for your wedding in the offseason. You can have an outdoor wedding with beautiful backdrops. Also, you and your guests can enjoy a wedding weekend in rental restrooms. The idea will work for a small wedding there.
- Time your wedding for the winter
The time of the wedding in winter is very crucial to affect your wedding budget. Holidays are a popular and pricey time of year for weddings. Considering getting married in January through March is the off-season for weddings. You may find the lowest cost venue options during deep winter in most locations.
- Choose Friday or Sunday
Saturday is famous for wedding days because the couple will enjoy a long weekend after the ceremony. Choose Friday or Sunday to get married because they are more affordable days for your wedding. The venue, catering, and vendors tend to be lower cost.
- Consider a mid-week wedding
Weekdays are even less expensive than Fridays and Sundays. If you are not strictly following the norm for having a wedding on weekends. Go for reception options like Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Choose a Thursday, and many of your guests can take off Friday and enjoy a three-day weekend to boot.
- Have a ceremony and the reception in one venue
The idea can reduce the cost spent on booking separate venues and transportation for guests and bridal parties. Also, it is more affordable because you can skip the cocktail hour. It also simplifies the logistics of the day.
- Get married in the morning
It is not necessary to have a reception in the evening and has to be dinner. Get married in the morning and organize a lovely reception brunch. The idea is different, delicious, and usually fair-priced.
- Choose a favorite family-owned restaurant food at the wedding
Vendors outside of the wedding industry may be less expensive. Ask your favorite spots if they cater and see if they will cost you as regular. If they don't you can ask them to create large portions of your favorite dishes.
- Go for a food truck at your wedding
Food trucks are cheap and serve delicious food. Go for a food truck at your wedding to cut the catering price in half. Plus, your guests will enjoy this unique catering option.
- Ask for help with food instead of gifts
This idea is an excellent option for backyard weddings or local halls. Reach out to your friends or your aunt, who makes ornate cakes for every occasion. Many people love to help in this way but, some may not give you a positive response. Some people prefer to relax when they attend a wedding.
- Make it a cash bar
It really is okay to make guests pay for their own drinks. Provide champagne or sparkling wine for the toast, but have guests have to pay beyond that. In this way, you may not have to deal with guests who overdo it at an open bar.
Another option is to make it an open bar until after dinner and then switch to a cash bar. You can make sure this is clear in your wedding invites and with a sign at the bar.
- Skip the hard liquor
Hard liquor is expensive and does not go with your low-budget wedding. Beer and wine are more affordable options than spirits.
- Go for affordable dessert options
Your wedding cake covers 5% of your wedding budget, and the average wedding cake costs you more than $500. Save your cash by choosing low-cost options, such as cupcakes, pies, or donuts.
Arrange them in tiers with a beautiful display so no one will miss the cake. You can also serve alternative desserts, such as an ice cream sundae bar or Belgian waffles.
- Have a brief reception
If you are planning your wedding reception on the day, then make it brief. Shorter reception costs you low and helps you stick to your budget. Also, give the venue more time to set up for an evening wedding.
- Serve buffet at your wedding
The buffet-style servings of food are cheaper than the sit-down service. Also, the large buffet-style chafing dishes give an elegant and grand look to your wedding. Plus, buffets require fewer staff members and fewer timing concerns for the chef and kitchen staff.
- Add more vegetable offerings to the buffet
Vegetables are cheap, delicious, and give fullness to the meal. You can choose Guacamole, Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas, Macaroni and Cheese, and Eggplant Rollatini.
- Serve low-cost proteins
If you are planning to serve meat then, choose the low-cost protein. Go for Taco bars, pasta bowls with pancetta, and pulled chicken sandwiches. Instead of prime rib, salmon and filet mignon are pricey.
- Get used decor from recently-weds
You can easily find used decor on eBay or Craigslist. Most couples sell their beautiful wedding decor after their honeymoon. If you are lucky, you will get a fortune at a low cost.
- Explore the dollar store
Explore the dollar store to find affordable items you need to decorate your wedding ceremony and reception. You may get the hidden treasure of vases, jars, candle holders, pretty materials, faux flowers, and more.
- Buy decor items in bulk
If you have a DIY friend, who is getting married within the year, that may help you save some cash on wedding decore. Buy decor items in bulk like Tulle, Burlap, Ribbons, Lace, Mirrors for table runners, and Votive candles. You can bring the cost down significantly if you buy your wedding. Consider increasing the order and bringing down the price even further.
- Decorate with fresh flowers
Instead of booking a florist, you can buy beautiful, affordable flowers from the flower shop on the morning of your wedding. They look more pretty in the vases you picked up at the dollar store. Also, ask for discounts they offer. Give this job to a trusted friend capitative in flower arrangements who would like to do this for you in place of a gift.
- Use seasonally available decor
Use seasonally available decor like pinecones found on the ground in the fall and winter. But you can get them at craft stores. Make beautiful centerpieces with pinecones by arranging them or gild them with metallic paint or glitter.
- Set a bike with a floral arrangement in the basket
Another low-cost and beautiful idea of wedding decor makes your wedding chic. You can ask your friends for old bikes or buy them from the thrift store. The old bike has a pleasantly rusted, vintage vibe. If not, you can paint the bike white, off-white, or to match your wedding colors. Decorate the bike with an overflowing bouquet inside the basket.
Or attach a wicker basket to the front by yourself.
- Set a Dainty China
Visit local thrift stores or flea markets for antique Dainty China. Male multiple tripes and set them to mix and match for a shabby-chic look.
Use the plates as chargers, table runners, or for the food service. Clean the plates and send your guests home with these lovely and sentimental favors.
- Use greenery instead of flowers for garlands
Greeny is low-cost affordable than flowers giving a vibrant look to your wedding. You can place a long garland of ivy over a trestle or a doorway. It makes an impression and adds a verdant pop of green.
- Paper lanterns
Paper lanterns are affordable decor and give an elegant look to your wedding. They come in white or in bright colors and different sizes. Choose the best combination of paper lanterns. No matter, what are your wedding colors or theme, they make a dramatic addition to your wedding decor.
- Use ribbons or lace to decorate chairs
Use your DTY skills and decorate the adorning aisle chairs for the ceremony and dining chairs for the reception with ribbons or lace. This low-cost decor idea adds sophistication and style to your wedding. Making simple bows or bold wraps around the back of the chair are both elegant options.
