Congratulations, you have been engaged. Chances, you are flying high with ideas of wedding bliss in your head. However, planning a wedding is expensive. From the venue to decorations and food, it is easy for costs to get out of control. Read on for tips to cut costs, take advantage of DIY skills, and plan a budget wedding. 

Create Your Wedding Budget 

Creating your wedding budget is the initial and most essential task to complete. You cannot move forward with your vision without knowing how much you will spend. 

When creating the wedding budget, it is fundamental to use a sample as a guide. And if you are a visual learner, seeing wedding budget percentages can assist you in understanding where to allocate money. 

The final step of creating a budget for your budget wedding is learning the mistakes to avoid, including: 

  • Not allocating funds appropriately 
  • Failing to track your expenses 
  • Forgetting to budget for extras and hidden costs 
  • Not allowing room for overspending 
  • Failing to discuss priorities from the beginning 
  • Failing to take advantage of reward programs 
  • Being unrealistic 

Reduce the Guest List 

Trimming your guest list is the most significant way to cut your wedding costs. The smaller the guest list, the less you will spend. Every person you add to the guest list increases the overall spending. If you have 30 guests, that is 30 dish rentals, 30 chairs, 30 favors, and 30 programs. If you have sixty guests, multiply the cost by two. It is just simple math. 

However, the idea of cutting the guest list can result in an altercation with your parents after nixing their former colleagues from your final tally. You can start by having a total guest count and then dividing it among you, your parents, and your in-laws. You can keep 50% as a couple and allocate 25% to every set of parents.  

Another way to manage the guest list is extending a plus-one only to guests engaged, in a serious long-term relationship, married, or invited to their wedding party. 

Schedule Your Wedding Date During an Off-peak Season 

Choosing your wedding date during the off-season can save you thousands of money. It is a fact of supply and demand. The most popular months for weddings are booked faster and in huge demand. Therefore, many venues charge a premium for the most desirable dates. 

Generally, fall and summer weekends are tied up with more weddings than you can count. While the high season exists for a reason, it is worth considering marrying during the off-season. Here are reasons why scheduling a wedding during the off-season can be ideal for couples looking to cut costs. 

  • Huge discounts — Most vendors are willing to be flexible on pricing during the downtime. Venues run special rates during the winter, giving you your dream space at a fraction of the price. 
  • Less competition — If you have started planning your wedding, you might have had a set of your favorite vendors. However, you might discover that experienced vendors are often booked months in advance. Marrying during the off-season gives you a chance the vendors will be available on your wedding date. 
  • Reduced honeymoon rates — Additionally, most resorts and hotels offer lowered rates to travelers during their slow months. Depending on your destination, you can obtain a great deal on your dream honeymoon with few crowds during the off-season. 

Limit Alcoholic Beverages 

Alcohol can rapidly bust a budget, especially if you plan to offer many options. Do yourself a favor and limit alcoholic beverages to beer and wine choices that satisfy most of your guests. Consider joining mailing lists at wine shops. Then, when drinks you want for your wedding go on sale, purchase in bulk to save. 

Additionally, choose a reception theme that gives less of a party vibe. If the reception has a party feeling, your guest will treat it so and drink more than they could in a brunch or breakfast reception with various cocktails. 

Saving Costs on Flowers 

While gorgeous florals can create a stunning ambiance for your big days, the lush arrangements have an equally massive price tag. 

Fortunately, you can save money by speaking with your florist about what you want and taking their advice. Think about what flowers are in season, and then allow the florist to turn your dream into a realistic and pocket-friendly plan. If you tell the florist your desired quantity, theme, and color, they can focus on these elements within your budget. 

Other ways to lower your floral spend include the following: 

  • Consider non-floral options — Choose different focal points for your centerpieces like books, lanterns, and candles. Doing so scales down the floral part of your arrangement. 
  • Choose an attractive venue — While a raw space wedding venue can seem pocket-friendly, you must add flowers and décor to liven up your place. However, choosing a venue with built-in charms like a botanical garden, quaint country inn, or historical church allows you to go easy on the blooms and gives your guests a lot of things to ogle. 
  • Become fruity — Another floral alternative is incorporating veggies and fruits in your arrangement. It adds dimension, depth, and color to your decor for a few bucks. 
  • Purchase dried flowers 

DIY Projects 

Doing DIY projects is one effective way to personalize your wedding and save money. Most of the wealthy and gorgeous looks you have seen in your Pinterest feeds or other online spaces are re-create-able if you have the required tools and skills. 

It is worth noting that it is not a guaranteed method to save funds. It can be easy to fail to plan the projects effectively or go overboard, resulting in overspending. However, if you are smart about it and take on tasks you can realistically accomplish, you can save funds and add your flair and personality to the big day. 

Some of the DIY projects to consider include: 

  • Wedding invitation cards — You can achieve this by using stamp cutters to make elegant edgings on the cards. You can use ribbons to make the card more beautiful. And if you are creative, try using watercolor or calligraphy. 
  • Paper flowers —If you are considering an alternative, making wedding paper flowers can come in handy. Paper flowers look real if correctly done. There are numerous tutorials online, so creating paper flowers should not be difficult. 
  • Use macrame décor — Macrame can also be a practical alternative to your wedding flowers, mainly if you are a craft enthusiast. You can use the décor as wall décor, arch décor, or table runners, giving your big day an earthy feel. 
  • Make the aisle runner — All eyes are on the bride as they walk down the aisle. Consequently, it would help if you made the surroundings as gorgeous as you. However, having aisle runners at the occasion can be costly. One cheaper option is purchasing a plain aisle runner and monogramming it with your and your spouse-to-be’s initials. Additionally, you can make a gunny runner if the wedding is rustic-themed. 
  • Do your makeup — Since hiring a makeup artist for you and the bridesmaids can be expensive, you can choose to do your makeup. Nevertheless, taking this route means practicing for weeks before the wedding to improve your skills. It would help if you also tried out different looks before determining what works for you. 

Choose Nontraditional Foods 

One technique to save on your food is going homemade. It can be your ideal option if you have a friend who is a great cook or has a chef. Fortunately, there are other methods to save if this is not you. 

One way is considering the food you will serve. While it can be sophisticated and trendy to serve tasty, pocket-friendly food like salmon or lobster, why not contemplate doing foods like cheese or mac? You can also make your meals a brunch. 

The foods are crowd pleasers and can assist you in keeping the budget intact. 

Create Your Customized Playlist on Spotify 

The wedding reception also requires you to spend money on entertainment and music. A brass quartet or professional DJ may not be in your range if the budget is tight. 

Instead, identify relatives or friends who always have an exciting playlist. Then borrow good speakers and queue up a laptop with decent music or your Spotify account. 

You can also create different playlists for various reception parts, including dinner, party, or cocktail. Each song you curate adds a personal touch. 

Have a Staged Wedding Exit 

A staged wedding exit is where newlyweds fake their grand exit from the wedding reception alongside the bridal party to take photographs. It is a perfect budget hack if you want random and fun photos of the wedding exit but cannot afford to pay your photographer to stay late to take images of the real thing. Three hours of reception coverage is adequate to photograph activities. 

Find a Los Angeles Wedding Dress Retailer Near Me 

Once you have your budget, you need to implement the above tips. Following them will bring you closer to your dream wedding. For your elegant wedding gown, perfect tuxedo, bridal party dresses, accessories, and your party’s apparel, contact Beautiful Day Wedding at 213-386-1900. We take pride in providing Los Angeles unparalleled selection of wedding styles. We can also assist you in handling the fine details of your big day to ensure it obtains the professional feel you deserve.