Your Dream Wedding For Less: 5 Top Tips To Keep Costs Down

From designer dresses to fairytale venues, five-course wedding breakfasts to hair and makeup, we all know the costs of your big day can quickly add up. Here’re our five top tips for cutting costs without cutting corners.

1. Go Personal

At the end of the day, a wedding is all about two people; it’s a fact we often lose sight of when we’re bombarded by seating charts and bar tabs. Adding some personal touches to your day makes it the kind of wedding that will stand out in the memories of your guests. It also saves money since you don’t have to shell out for expensive professionals.

Instead of hiring a band, why not be your own D.J? Create a playlist of all the tunes you know will get your friends and family up on the dance floor and let it play away. You could even leave the computer out and accessible so guests can have their own turn at selecting the next tune.

The venue too can be personal. Have you got a relative with a big house or lots of land? Consider pitching a marquee for the reception and hiring catering and chairs. You can dress the venue yourself in the days before the wedding since no one else is going to have hired the venue before or after you.

2. Book Midweek

Whether you want a white wedding in an Irish castle, or on a beach, venues are at their most expensive Thursday to Sunday, so book a midweek slot to keep costs down. You still get your dream venue, just at a bargain price.

3. Keep the Guest List Small

One advantage of a midweek wedding is that fewer people will be able to get time off work. This means you can save on the cost of entertaining them without offending people by striking them off the invite list. Think carefully about who you need with you to make your big day perfect. Don’t feel pressured into inviting people from the office or your grandmother’s bridge group. They only increase the costs and don’t offer any enhancement to your big day.

4. Book Out of Season

Summer and spring weddings are the ones everyone goes for so, understandably, these are the times when venues and services increase their costs. Get your dream wedding at a fraction of the cost by booking out of season. Everything from catering to hair and makeup will be cheaper in the winter and fall.

Christmas weddings in venues such as hotels can also save you money on the decorations since they are already dressed for the festive season. Not sure what kind of venue you want? Check out dreamwedding.com for a whole host of ideas.

5. Use Students or Apprentices

Professional hair, makeup and photography can really put the costs up. Interview local students who are interested in the job and if you are 100% confident that they will do a fantastic job, hire them for the day. You could be looking at a savings of hundreds of dollars without any reduction in quality.

Admittedly, the photographer is not something to skimp on. Trial one or two at your engagement party or a family gathering and see what they come up with. Remember, it’s only a saving if you are happy that it’s as good as or better than the full cost version.

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