How to make your wedding budget go further!
When it comes to planning a weekend-long wedding, the budget is one of the first things that has to be decided on. Whether the money is coming from your own savings or from family and friends, money can only go so far. But what if your money could further, or there was a way that you and your partner didn’t have to pay for everything?
Our team has over 60 years of combined experience creating and hosting special events of all kinds and below we have listed some of the great ways we have helped couples stretch their budget so that they can have a truly amazing wedding experience they have dreamt of without breaking the bank.
1. Have Guests Pay For / Provide Some Of The Food
There is often a feeling of pressure for couples to provide everything for their guests from the start of the weekend until the end. In reality, most guests don’t expect this and are happy to contribute toward the experience.
Why not make the Friday night before your ceremony a pot luck dinner? Create a community feeling by getting guests to each bring something with them. Not only does this save you money but it also serves as a great ice breaker for guests to get to know each other.
Alternatively, go for a street market vibe with alfresco dining and bring in a food truck, and let guests buy their own food. This is a fun and alternative idea that adds something new to the traditional, weekend wedding format (as well as being really popular with the guests who have experienced it!)
2. Have a cash bar or even go BYOB!
An open bar at a wedding is a lovely thing to offer but it can come with a heavy price tag, especially if you have a big guest list. Our experience has taught us that you do not need to offer an open bar all weekend.
Tradition dictates that you will raise a glass during the speeches and providing something sparkling for this is very affordable, but for a more relaxed start to the weekend, why not kick things off with a BYOB event and get friends and family gathered around a camp fire or playing some games. Alternatively, you could hire a pop-up bar and let people purchase their own drinks - Guests are normally more than happy to pay for what they are drinking.
Using one or both of those ideas over a weekend frees up your budget to be spent on the champagne toasts and other drinks (e.g. complimentary wine) on the day of your ceremony.
3. Ask guests to contribute toward accommodation
At a venue like ours (a summercamp), accommodation is included in the rental fee. This means that you can offer accommodation to every single one of your guests. In reality, many people fully expect to pay for their accommodation, especially at a destination wedding.
Why not set-up a Paypal account or share Venmo details on your wedding website and get your guests to make a set contribution toward the overall costs? This could be a nominal fee (say $25) or a higher amount.
This would allow you to put more of your money toward the rest of the wedding, or perhaps an extra week for your honeymoon!
Friends, Friends, Friends
Many services that cater to weddings add a premium because of the occasion. Rather than get stuck paying huge amounts for florists, DJs, or photographers, reach out to friends to see who already has skills in those areas.
We have seen weddings where friends have DJ’d and the flowers have been in empty whisky bottles (friends are always happy to help contribute to those!) or Kilner jars with locally picked wildflowers. You can even set up polaroid cameras on tables to avoid high photobooth costs and add a real splash of fun.
Many friends will happily pitch in for free to help make your weekend memorable, not to mention making it feel more personal to you and them. You can always thank them with a personalized keepsake to show them how much it meant to have them involved.
Keep it relaxed!
The fancier you go…the more it will cost! So factor this into your plans. Instead of a formal sit down dinner, explore other options, such as having a gourmet BBQ or bring in a hog roast. Not only is this really sociable and will let your guests mingle rather sit around one table, but it is also considerably cheaper.
Instead of going for an expensive wedding cake, consider getting more low key sheet cakes (most bakeries will offer this at a fraction of the cost of a wedding cake). You can then decorate these yourself with some simple edible flowers and still maintain that wow factor. You could even consider opting for a more savory approach and having your cake made from wheels of cheese, just make sure to include something for anyone vegan or lactose intolerant!