Budget Bride: How to Plan a Wedding On a Budget

If you’ve ever wondered, “How much does a wedding cost these days?”, we have a surprising statistic for you.

The average American wedding costs $34,000. 

We’ll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off of the floor.

If you have other plans for your life savings, you’ll want to learn how to plan a wedding on a budget. Read on for our handy guide to help you through the process. 

Cutting Costs on Your Venue

If you’ve been Googling “wedding venues near me” only to find yourself in sticker shock after seeing the quote from your dream wedding venue, know that you don’t have to spend a small fortune to have a beautiful ceremony. 

Venues can eat up a considerable portion of your wedding budget. But with a little bit of flexibility, you can cut costs without too much sacrifice. 

Choose to get married during the off-season. Your venue won’t be in as high of a demand then, and coordinators will be more apt to give you a deal. You can also choose a morning or early afternoon wedding to save some money, too.

Choosing a less common day of the week for your wedding – a Thursday, Friday or Sunday – can result in lower venue costs, too. 

Save on Your Dress

The average wedding dress costs $1500. Savvy brides know that the dress doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, though.

Many women sell their wedding dresses online for a fraction of what they paid for it. Use online selling platforms like Craigslist to find deep discounts on worn-once dresses. 

If you don’t want to have a wedding dress in your closet after the wedding, you can rent one. Some online fashion outlets have bridal sections where you can peruse through your gown rental options.

Keep Track of Your Spending

Wedding-related costs add up very fast. Especially if you’re planning a long engagement, it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve spent and where your money is going. 

We recommend using a wedding budget spreadsheet so you can keep track of where every cent is going. 

Throw a Budget-Friendly Reception

The wedding reception is often the part of your wedding day that your guests look forward to the most. What’s not to love about delicious food, cake, dancing, and drinks? But if you’re not careful, those things can add up very fast. You need some budget-friendly wedding reception ideas to save money while still throwing a great party. 

You have several options when it comes to feeding your guests. A buffet-style meal can save you thousands on catering costs because your venue will require fewer staff to serve you. 

If you have kitchen-savvy friends and family members, you can ask them to help with food at your wedding. Your venue may not allow outside food in, so you’ll have to clear this with them beforehand. 

DIY your wedding favors or skip them altogether and save a few hundred dollars. 

If you’re serving alcohol to your guests and your venue will allow it, buy it from the liquor store. When the wedding is over, you can return unused bottles for a full refund. 

How to Plan a Wedding On a Budget? Get Creative!

Now that you know your entire life’s savings aren’t required to marry your significant other, it’s time to get down to business. Create a wedding budget spreadsheet and stick to it. Think outside of the box, and you’ll be surprised how much money you can save.

If you loved our blog on how to plan a wedding on a budget, you’re going to want to check out our website for more frugal living ideas.