You don’t have to have an exceptional budget to have an exceptional wedding. But, the best way to save money and throw one great event is to avoid those items that are nothing more than money wasters. Regardless of a brides budget, if you ask her after the wedding what she wished she never spent money on, you would be surprised. While the list varies from person to person, for the most part, most brides agree there are a few big money wasters they all have in common.
Ridiculous Wedding Favors
The cute thank yous and knickknacks look great, but what value are they to your guests, really? Instead of using expensive, useless wedding favors, give your guests something they can actually enjoy. Such as a bag of treats, tea bags or just something that they can actually use up. Most of the appreciated wedding favors are those that were handmade or have some sort of emotional significance.
Wasting Money on Swag
Outfits and other swag that say “bride” and “groom” are funny to buy and wear, but you don’t need to go overboard. These items are specifically retailed at a higher price point than buying a regular shirt and are the biggest way to blow your wedding budget. And, if you think about it, these are products with a single use — not like you’re going to wear the shirt in public five years from now.
Outrageous Wedding Cakes
You might want a tower of delicious cake and buttercream, but that will certainly break the wedding budget. Wedding cakes these days are works of art, and you are going to pay for it. If you only have 50 guests showing up, don’t order a wedding cake that will feed 200. Don’t even order a cake that will feed 50. Most guests won’t stop to have a slice of cake anyway, which means you’d be wasting money either way. If you want something towering and tall, but don’t want the excess cake, have your cake lifted on separators and fill the gaps with flowers. Or, consider using fake wedding cake tiers at the bottom to lift up the cake without actually having extra cake.
Photography Mementos
Photographers and videographers love to offer memento packages. From custom albums to CDs to prints. But, do you really need to spend the marked up price for those items? You can often order these items after the wedding from a third-party for 50 to 70 percent less than what your photographer will charge you. Instead, just ask the photographer for the CD and order your own albums and prints.
Having a Large Wedding Party
You have tons of friends and don’t want to offend anyone, but you don’t need to blow your wedding budget just to have 12 bridesmaids. A wedding party is an extra cost. You have to pay for their outfits, thank you gifts, etc. Give the roles to people you’re close with, and give other people different roles in the wedding that aren’t as budget-breaking. For example, you can have a friend read a poem during the ceremony or have someone help with the ushering. But, whatever you do, avoid having a large wedding party.
Overly Fancy Invitations
Yes, your invitation is your guests first insight into your wedding, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on them. Wedding invitations are expensive on their own, and when you start adding customized frills to them, you could spend hundreds on pieces of paper that your guests are ultimately going to throw away a few weeks after they arrive. Save yourself the money and pick either a cheap wedding invitation or make them yourself.
Readers: What are things you wish you didn’t spend money on for your wedding?