Unexpected Places to Save Big on Your Wedding Budget

As the cost of living rises, many couples are choosing to postpone their wedding date in the hopes of prices falling or being able to save a bit more money towards their wedding fund. The sad fact is that with talk of recessions and global trade wars, the chances are that the high prices are here to stay, so what can a savvy couple looking to save money on their wedding do about it? Well, strap in folks, we're here to help you navigate this bumpy financial terrain with our lowdown on the most unexpected places to save big on your wedding budget!

DIY wedding planning

Whilst many people would say that a good wedding planner is worth their weight in gold, unless you're having a big wedding with lots of moving parts, it's really not essential. Plenty of couples plan their own wedding and absolutely smash it out of the park! These days, you'll find heaps of helpful wedding apps specifically designed to help you embark on the planning process, with functionality that covers budgeting, creating checklists and finding vendors. On top of this, your wedding venue will likely have an extremely competent wedding co-ordinator on hand to help guide you through the logistics and keep everything running on time on the big day—that's their job, so make good use of them!

Planning a seasonal wedding

Seasonality plays a big part in wedding costs in several ways, from the peak season "tax" you'll pay on some wedding vendors and venues in spring or summer to the added cost of using out-of-season flowers and produce on your wedding day. It definitely pays to consider the seasonality of your wedding! Opting for an out-of-season or mid-season wedding can give you more leverage for haggling with your wedding venue and vendors like your wedding photographer, whilst using seasonal food and flowers can help keep catering and decor costs down.

When you think of your dream wedding, we know you might be thinking of sunshine and summer blooms, but planning a wedding in peak season will always be the most expensive option. If you can be flexible in your vision, you could make big savings all round, whether you're getting married on home turf or planning a destination wedding. If you're set on that summer wedding, then opting for a weekday celebration is another good way to bring costs down.

Choose a vintage wedding gown

It has honestly never been easier to shop second-hand, the vintage and pre-loved clothing economy is booming at the moment, and that goes for wedding attire, too! A quick scroll through Vinted, and you can easily have your wedding dress, wedding party outfits and suits sorted with the click of a button. For high-end and designer wedding attire, specialist websites such as Stillwhite and Bride & Joy have got you covered!

If you can't find the dress of your dreams on any of the pre-loved apps, then you could always rent one! If you're not sentimental about keeping your dress for years to come, and wedding dress preservation hasn't even crossed your mind, dress rental might be the perfect budget-friendly option for you. You can rent a designer wedding dress for under $100 through specialist wedding dress rental agencies, giving you the luxe look for a lot less, just check that your wedding insurance covers you for damage or staining to a hire dress.

Call on friends and family members

While there are certain services we'd always advise paying for, like a professional photographer and event staff, if you really want to save extra money, it's time to call in some favours in lieu of wedding gifts! Maybe your cousin spends all his time DJing in his bedroom, time for his first live gig! Got a crafty mate? Put them in charge of handmade wedding favours! If you cover costs, most people will be happy to help you out, especially if you sweeten the deal with a thank you gift or some cash behind the bar for them.

When it comes to your wedding decor, your close friends and family can also help you save money. Whilst you'll probably want to use a professional florist, you can save money by repurposing floral arrangements from your wedding ceremony for your reception, rope in a team of close friends to quickly help set up the space after the ceremony.

Choose the best wedding website for you

A good wedding website with RSVP really can save you money, so it's worth making sure that the one you choose has all the bells and whistles you need. A wedding website not only acts as a one-stop wedding hub, giving your guests all the information they need about your big day, but its wedding e-vites will also save you money on design, printing and postage!

We know that paper wedding invites are a lovely keepsake, but they're also expensive! Once you've added together the cost of designing and printing, save the dates and invitations, plus envelopes and postage, and factored in the precious time you'll spend stuffing envelopes and sticking stamps on, digital invitations start to seem a lot more...inviting. Say I do comes with a variety of stylish wedding invitation designs, or you can easily upload your own design from Etsy.

Feeling like you have to cut costs can be hard when you've got a clear idea of your dream wedding, so our best advice is to turn it into a game, see which of you can score the biggest discounts or make the biggest savings. Who says a cost of living crisis can't be fun?! We hope we've helped you think outside the box when it comes to making savings. Essentially, it's all about DIYing what you can, avoiding those pesky hidden wedding costs by making some sensible switches, and roping in your bridal party to help!