Weddings are known for being memorable, emotional, fun, and expensive.
Tips on Cutting Your Wedding Costs
1. Hire a wedding coordinator. A lot of brides may think that hiring someone to help plan their wedding is going to cost more than if they did it themselves. In fact, wedding coordinators actually save you money because of deals or discounts they may have already arranged with vendors. They can also save you valuable time that you would rather spend trying on dresses and testing out different hairstyles.
2. Take a class in wedding planning. If you take a weekend course in wedding planning, you’ll learn valuable inside secrets that could end up saving you money in the long run.
3. Cut to the cake. Your wedding photographer will no doubt be paid by the hour, so plan to cut the cake and throw your bouquet early in the reception. Your guests won’t care and you can let your photographers leave early.
4. Focus on the bridal party flowers. The cost of flowers comes from arranging them, not the flowers themselves. To save money, only concentrate on the flowers you, your bridesmaids, and other members of your wedding party will be carrying. Try to steer clear of large floral centerpieces on the tables, because these aren’t the ones that will have a prominent place in your wedding album. Instead, try elegant candles surrounded by pebbles or float smaller candles in water.
5. Buy alcohol by the head, not by the drink. Even if you think a lot of your guests don’t drink, they certainly will when it’s free. It’s almost always cheaper to pay for liquor by the head. Also, you won’t be surprised by the bill at the end of the night.
6. Use your credit card to pay for everything. Paying with a credit card will protect you from any accidents involving your vendors. If something goes wrong but you paid with a credit card, your money will typically be refunded to you. However, if you paid with cash, that money will be lost.
7. Skip the custom printed wedding invitations. Wedding invitations can be pretty pricey, so why not do them yourself? You can save a ton of money by simply making your invites on invitation software that offers many fonts and graphics to choose from and are typically easy to use.
8. Book music students for your reception. A lot of bands will charge hefty fees to play your wedding, but music students will be cheaper and sometimes just as talented. Contact a local university (if you can, try to find one that specializes in the performing arts) and see if they can recommend any of their students. If you’re worried, you can hold an audition or ask if you can see them perform at a concert or gig.
9. Use local expertise. Before you hire professionals for every aspect of your wedding, ask around your neighborhood and community and you’ll be sure to discover bargain talent in the area you need it.
10. Take notes. Before you hire anyone’s services for your wedding, make sure you know what you want and what you are asking them to do. Clip pictures from magazines, print recipes, try on dresses, visit wedding shows, and anything else you can think of to ensure you know what you want.
Lashes and Lace Salon & Bridal
With these ten tips, you’re sure to cut down on wedding costs without cutting down on your dream wedding. If you’re looking for a talented, reliable team to help you with your hair and makeup on your wedding day, choose Lashes and Lace! Contact our salon at (843) 388-3073 or our bridal services at (843) 568-3625 if you have any questions or concerns.