15 Ways to Save & Still Have Your Dream Wedding! – Austin’s Best DJs
Ready to Save on Your Wedding Day?
Save on your wedding day: If you’re planning your wedding, then you already know that having a wedding can be very expensive! Whether you’re planning your wedding in Austin or central Texas, or in Manhattan, NYC, having a wedding means spending a lot of money! Everyone wants to have a fun, memorable, and awesome wedding! How much it costs you, depends on your preferences and budget. Luckily, we’re here to offer you some great money-saving tips, to help you save on your wedding day and still have your dream wedding!
- Plan longer – The average engagement time for couples in the US is 12-18 months. Obviously, this is the average. You can certainly wait longer if needed. The advantages of waiting longer are that you have more time to plan, and more time to save on your wedding day!
- Shorten Your Bachelor/Bachelorette Party – One of the best things about having a wedding is the bachelor/bachelorette party! Who can resist a weekend of fun in Las Vegas, New Orleans, or wherever you decide? A way to save is to shorten it tow 1-2 days or schedule it in the offseason. The party doesn’t always have to be right before the wedding. It can be anytime! Want to save even more? Schedule the party for off nights, such as weeknights.
- Air BnB for Parties/Lodging – If you’re looking for rooms for your bachelor/bachelorette party, or rooms for the weekend of your wedding, you can often save by visiting Air BnB, instead of booking a hotel room. You can save BIG, when you rent out an entire home with multiple rooms, versus a block of rooms.
- Cut Your Guest List – Cutting your guest list can really save money. The hard part is, deciding who to cut. The easiest rule to follow is to cut people who you have not seen or spoken within 1 year or longer. There’s no need to invite your friend from 5th grade, whom you haven’t talked to since high school. 🙂
- Invitations – Beautiful invitations are a must. We know this. However, not everyone has to get them. Feel free to send them to your close family and friends, and perhaps people who may not be tech-savvy, like older relatives or grandparents. For everyone else, send them a digital invite. You can also create save the date cards using Vistaprint. They come out great and are inexpensive!
- Day-of Coordination – When your wedding month finally arrives, you have to consider a day-of coordinator, (who is actually a month-of coordinator) if you have not already hired one. If you have a planner than he/she will definitely be the one coordinating your big day. If you don’t, then it’s definitely worthwhile to consider hiring a day-of coordinator. You’ll save on your wedding day, by hiring just a month-of coordinator.
- Offseason/off day – If you’re really looking to save some big bucks, consider having your wedding during the “off-season,” which for the Austin and central Texas area, is Winter, and mid-summer, (July and August are brutally hot). You’ll definitely save some money! Want to save even more? Consider an off-day, such as Friday or Sunday, or even a weekday, for huge savings. Early weddings also are a way to save, such as a 10 AM – 2 PM wedding, serving a great brunch!
- Signature Cocktails – There’s no rule that you have to a full, open bar at your wedding or event. If you want to save money, consider offering just a few signature cocktails, and a few beer options, or even a keg of beer. Check out The Knot’s Signature Cocktail Finder, for great cocktail ideas! Want to save even more? If your venue allows it, you can make your party a BYOB party.
- Reconsider the Cake – Wedding cakes are amazing artwork, all by themselves. You can save on your cake by having a small cake made, for you to cut. Then, you can serve a sheet cake for all the guests. They’ll never know the difference. You don’t absolutely have to serve the cake. We’ve seen weddings that served cupcakes, donuts, cookies, even candy apples! You can really save on your wedding day, by doing this!
- Flowers – Flowers are a beautiful addition to any wedding or event. One way to save would be to consider your local grocery store. Yes, a grocery store is a great option. If you’re having a Texas wedding, HEB offers great flowers for weddings and events. Just click the link to find out more. Also, be sure to get in-season floral arrangements, to save money.
- Wedding officiant – In Texas, anyone can perform the marriage ceremony. More and more, we’re seeing friends and relatives of the couple as wedding officiants. Consider doing this to save money.
- Modify the Meals – One of the major costs of having a wedding or event is food. Catering is expensive, but you certainly can’t let your guests go hungry. If you want to save, opt for buffet style, instead of plated. If you want to save even more, consider non-traditional foods. It’s your big day, so you can serve whatever you’d like! Pizza, BBQ, or even consider having a food truck, to save!
- Revise the Rehearsal – The rehearsal dinner is just as fun as the wedding day! You don’t have to have it at the venue and it doesn’t have to be catered. Consider having the rehearsal at a friend or family member’s backyard. A backyard BBQ is always a great time! You can also consider having it at your favorite restaurant. It may be cheaper than you think.
- Make Your Own Playlists – You can save money by creating your own ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner playlists, and then renting your own PA system! You can rent an adequate PA system from Rock N Roll Rentals, here for Austin area weddings. Simply stop by and tell them what you need, and they’ll set you up. This will save you from paying a DJ or sound company, to do this. You can still hire a DJ or band to play for just the reception, only.
- Go Digital – You can save money if you have your photographer only send you the digital files of your pictures, so you can print them yourself. If you have a classic or open-air photo booth, you can save by simply getting the digital files on a flash or sent to you, and simply having guests post the pictures to social media, and using your hashtag, of course.
More Ways to Save on Your Wedding Day
Another way to save is by reconsidering the venue. We’ve seen couples choose to have their reception at a restaurant. Yes, this is very untraditional, but also somewhat brilliant! You don’t have to pay for catering staff, you can bring in your own decor, you don’t have to worry about cleanup, they’ll have the space you need, etc. They’ll likely have a minimum order that you have to purchase, but if you’re looking to save a lot of money, this is certainly an option to really save on your wedding day!
We could go on and on how to save, but these are just a few, great ways to save on your wedding day expenses. As always, contact us if you have any questions, and we’ll be happy to help. Check out our 20 Smart, Money Saving Tips blog for other great ways to save on your wedding day!
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