Planning a Beautiful, Affordable Wedding

Wedding planning on a budget is a little harder than we think, but knowing the right tips & tricks can make or break the bank!

You’re engaged! Take a moment and let that sink in. WOW, what a joyous time in life. Right? We know, weddings are a HUGE deal, and we know how exciting it can be to plan one. Let the wedding planning commence! It’s finally your turn to make your dreams a reality but you’re finding it can be hard to plan your dream wedding on a budget.

If you’re not someone who is working in the wedding industry, you may not be aware of some of the best ways to get your dream wedding without draining the bank. When planning your wedding, there are quite a few resources available that can transform your day into a day that is truly magical. As wedding photographers, we’d love to share with you some of our favorite tips & tricks for wedding planning.

There are several areas to save some change while wedding planning. The first we’d love to share with you, is one of our personal favorites, because, well, it’s what we did!

Don’t Buy A Cake

Before you freak out about a lack of sugary goodness, hear us out: Wedding cakes average around $500 and can be even more than $1,000 depending on where you purchase yours. Instead of a wedding cake, we asked our friends and family to bring pies & cobbler. It was absolutely perfect, and our friends and family were so excited to bless us and be a part of the day with their baked goods. Not to mention, a display of cobblers and cakes (at least in our eyes) is the perfect indicator of an inviting, family-oriented, wedding. You can always get a smaller cake made for you to cut, if you wish to do a traditional cake cutting.

Buy Gently Used Decor.

Join your local bride Facebook groups. We know that all the posts can be a tad too much, but if you unfollow the page and just visit when you’re looking for decor, they can be quite helpful. There are often great deals on items such as vintage windows, doors, candles, barrels, table linens, napkins, etc. You name it, it’s probably there, and better yet: It’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying brand new. Plus, isn’t it super hipster to buy used?

When Wedding Planning, Think Outside of the Box

My sister and I are planning a wedding reception for our newly married brother and sister-in-law, and LOVE the geometric planters as centerpieces. What we quickly found out, though, is that they cost anywhere from $20-$50. Basically: Too much. Instead of compromising our vision, we did a little Google searching and raided Pinterest for the best alternative, and found that we could make them out of straws, wire, and spray paint. It may take a little more time than just buying them, but we saved hundreds/thousands of dollars.

Sometimes we have a preconceived notion of what a wedding is supposed to look like, but we love it when couples go outside of the box. Some of the most pretty and creative ideas can be a much more budget friendly options. For example, make some hanging decor with used embroidery hoops (depending on size, usually .25-$2.00) and an old crochet/lace tablecloth. Little elements  can take your wedding to a whole new level visually.

Order Bulk Flowers

As photographers, we believe in real flowers and lots of them! However, if you were to order your decor flowers from a florist, you’ll find that it will take up most of your budget. Real flowers are expensive, that is, unless you know where to find them. Sam’s Club, Cosco, and Fifty Flowers are all great places to purchase greenery, flowers, and all the pretty petals.

For our very own wedding, we purchased peach roses, greenery, and small filler flowers for all the tables. It was beautiful! A bonus tip is to reuse your ceremony flowers somewhere at your reception. We DO suggest to splurge on your bridal bouquet and any garland you may want! We love when brides have luscious, full, and beautiful long-stemmed bouquets. And garland is just easier to buy.

Go With the Not So Obvious Caterer

We are huge believers in good food, and sometimes the most obvious caterers are neither the best food or good for your budget. Obviously, food is a pretty big part of the budget and the experience for your guests. As you are wedding planning, think about what might be a good alternative. For us, our favorite alternative to a traditional wedding dinner, was a taco bar. Holy wow, it changed our lives. Okay, not our lives, but it was amazing and well received by the guests!

Or have you considered having gourmet pizza as an alternative? There are literally companies that will come to your wedding and make pizza for you and your guests. (I learned about it from this article .) We don’t know about you, but that’s definitely our vibe. Food trucks are all the rage, and they have definitely proved to be more affordable than a restaurant caterer. And delicious…so very delicious.

The Dress

 

So, there’s that big decision you have to make while wedding planning: To spend a lot of money on or dress or not? So here’s our stance on it: Obviously have a maximum amount to spend on it, don’t go dress shopping with an open budget. You’ll most likely overspend. HOWEVER, we do believe in our brides feeling timelessly gorgeous. If that means spending a little more in that area, go for it! (Not that you needed our permission to anyway.)  Maybe it’s the type of bride that we love to photograph, but our brides tend to find their dream dresses at BHLDN. We specifically love BHLDN dresses, because not only are they gorgeous and so whimsical, but they also aren’t badly priced. For more information on where to find affordable wedding dresses that aren’t David’s Bridal, check out this article.

Finally, we do believe that there are two areas you shouldn’t skimp on:

Your Venue

If Austin and I pinned down our favorite weddings, it would definitely be the ones where the venue is well thought out, and makes your wedding day vision come to life. When you’ve put so much time and effort on the little details, the big details are just as important. Venues can be expensive, but if you look carefully in the area or ask your wedding vendors for referrals, you might be able to find the most stunning venue. Also, don’t be afraid to check out summer camps for venues, a greenhouse, or even a family friend’s farm with rolling acres. Your wedding day deserves to look and feel exactly the way you planned it, and the venue just sets the stage to make that happen.

Your Wedding Photographer

Okay, we know what you’re thinking: You’re photographers, of course you think that! But here’s the kicker: When we got married, we had a gorgeous intimate wedding at a summer camp, and the tables were gorgeous, the lace dress, the flower crown, everything: And I didn’t budget a photographer. It’s our biggest regret. Because of that, we believe it’s important for brides to understand why wedding photography isn’t like the other wedding expenses. If we were technical, photographers spend a significant amount of time corresponding and meeting before the wedding day. We usually work 10+ hours at the wedding and have a drive home, usually a week’s worth of editing, there’s the upkeep on the gear (which isn’t cheap to begin with), and several other expenses.

But even more than the technical and nitty gritty, at the end of the day, the food will have been eaten, the bouquet will wilt, the decor will be sold or stored, the dress will be preserved. The only daily reminder of your wedding, will be your wedding photos. Investing into a photographer who photographs timeless images, will be something you’ll never regret! Photographers provide you with the ability to visually share your family’s legacy with future generations. That is why we believe in valuing photography as one of the major priorities of your wedding planning.

There you have it! The inside scoop on where to save and to splurge. We hope that you enjoy this adventure in wedding planning. We encourage you to remember that a wedding doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful. You can achieve a whimsical, romantic look, by just knowing where to go and by doing a little research.

Happy Planning!

P.S. Share this with your engaged friends! We’re sure they’d love to save a few pennies as well.