Weddings are not cheap and although couples try to navigate the budget to save money some are not doing it in the right ways resulting in them cutting costs where they shouldn’t be. 

Here are my top wedding budget tips (yup they may seem crazy and these are in no way meant to knock down wedding vendors at all if you can afford all the best do it!) to help you afford the more important things if you are on a small budget: 

• Have a late ceremony… say what? Ok hear me out. Some photographers offer smaller wedding packages that cover 5-6 hours vs 10. Did you know that when you choose to do a first look and photos before a 5pm ceremony you will get the same amount of coverage photo wise as a full 10 hour wedding day? It’s simple the photographer starts at 3 when the bride is getting her dress put on, they go out to do a first look session followed by bridal party photos while everyone is looking their freshest. Then the family meets for the family photo portion. Next the ceremony at 5pm followed immediately by candid photos of the couple with all their guests mingling at cocktail hour then into reception time. Boom full wedding day coverage in nearly half the amount of time… just saved you some money and you will get the gorgeous golden hour light instead of harsh mid afternoon sun, you are welcome sweaty groomsmen!
• Invest in a bouquet for yourself and opt for clutches for your bridesmaids instead and maybe pass on boutonnieres. The fact is that these flowers will be tossed out by the time you head home, yes they are beautiful in images but if you are on a strict budget I would look at what investments are going to last. I had a bride do this and I cannot tell you how flattering and beautiful the images turned out… actually here is one:

• Invest in a venue that doesn’t require a lot of decor to hide its flaws. This will save you a ton in adding in more decor, backdrops, etc that will add up very quickly. It is so much more cost effective if you can just in a few simple decor items rather than recreating an entire space. If you can use real candles vs the battery ones it saves a ton more on that too!

• If you don’t need a party bus, save that money and just ask family and friends to do the driving… but if you go with tip 1 on here you really don’t need one and if so it would only be from point A to point B so 2 hours tops! If you have your ceremony and reception in the same place you definitely do not need to spend money on this for your photo time. 
• Fake the cake. Have your baker make a fake cardboard bottom and real cake on top for cutting. Then serve donuts, cupcakes or better yet skip the cake and hire a mini donut truck if you’re obsessed with that idea like me! 

There are so many other ways to work around a budget to get the things you want but just don’t cut corners on the important things such as your photos, video, and food… nobody wants to go home sick! 

If you need to extend your engagement a year to save more there is nothing wrong with that…. Just think setting aside $25 a day for a year (which is usually that fancy latte and a few other things) could set you ahead $9125 in a year! If you want a dream wedding with all the best vendors you just need to make sure you not only budget well but save responsibly and cut out non essential costs in your daily spending habits, it is easier said then done but well worth the hard work! 

Cheers to some fun wedding planning days!