Things To Cut From Your Wedding To Save Money
If you are looking for a detailed list of unnecessary wedding expenses you can skip to save money, you have come to the right place.
I am sure you have been dreaming of your big day and have imagined what it would look like for a long time.
But how does it fit with your budget?
The first thing I recommend for newly engaged couples to do before planning a wedding is set a realistic wedding budget.
Things will get expensive quickly if you are not careful with your wedding expenses.
If you don’t have much money to work with, you might need to cut out a few unnecessary wedding expenses to ensure you have a wedding.
Having a day of coordinator or a wedding planner, a photo booth, or an open bar is excellent, and I am sure it will check all the right boxes of what makes up your dream wedding, but it will cost you.
Weddings are expensive, and skipping some of these things or everything on this list will help you save money.
Social media has played a significant role in telling us what a wedding is supposed to have for it to be remarkable.
If you don’t have the budget, you won’t afford these lavish weddings you see on the internet.
The average cost of a wedding is about $35 000 for 100 people, depending on your location.
And this is just the average wedding cost of a simple day.
This number can go up depending on the number of guests you have.
That is a good amount for a down payment on a good house.
I recommend you save for a house rather than spend all that money on one day.
But at the same time, I understand the importance of a wedding to some people, including myself.
This is our special day, and we all want and dream of having a great time with a live band, professional photographers and a stunning wedding venue!
And let’s not forget about the big wedding party, a signature cocktail, and great food.
All of this sounds amazing on paper.
Having beautiful things for your big day is a dream for every woman or couple.
And you deserve it.
But this comes with a hefty price tag, and you might not get everything you want if you have a limited budget.
As much as you want everything that comes with planning your big day, cutting your wedding costs can be helpful.
After all, you don’t want to start a marriage in debt.
Figuring out expenses for your wedding can be overwhelming; this list was created to help you figure out little wedding items that can quickly rack up costs.
We will go through 50+ items you can cut from your wedding budget, so you save those extra dollars!
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So what are unexpected wedding costs you can skip?
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Unnecessary Expenses and Cost Of a Wedding
Wedding season is in full swing, and couples are planning what looks like a beautiful wedding everywhere I look.
The cost of your wedding can drain your savings accounts or your wedding fund if you do not have a working budget like this one.
Even a quick wedding budget spreadsheet checklist will help determine if you can afford all the essential things you want for your wedding.
You can quickly determine your overall budget before starting the wedding plans.
Start by making a short list of major wedding expenses to expect and start breaking it down.
This way, you can see where you can lower prices and find better deals.
And don’t forget all the unexpected costs (such as the marriage license, outfits for flower girls, and wedding bands – to name a few) that may arise last minute during the planning process.
Setting some money aside to cover these costs is a good idea.
The best way to do this is to look for alternative wedding ideas to save money.
If possible, avoid using credit cards or borrowing money from family members to pay for the wedding.
Instead, after you pay for the engagement ring, find a way to pay for the entire wedding by saving money.
Even if this means having a much longer engagement.
We suggest making a detailed list of wedding expenses to expect and budget from here.
You can use these fantastic wedding saving trackers to keep track of the money you will save.
Your most significant expenses will be spent on the venue and food.
If you have a high guest count, you will spend more money.
Work on reducing your guest list.
The first items I recommend removing from your wedding budget are favours and monogrammed cocktail napkins.
These little costs will add up and usually don’t get much attention.
Instead, find ways to reduce wedding costs and spend extra money on things that matter.
Here is a list of things to cut from your wedding to save some money:
Unnecessary Wedding Attire Items
Wedding veils these days cost over $200 and can go up to $700.
And do you need a new outfit or bathrobe for the morning of the wedding?
I know the photographer will take photos, but if you already have a cute robe and pyjamas, wear those instead.
You don’t need a new bridal pyjama set just for wedding photography.
Especially if you are planning a wedding on a budget, you can redirect those funds to more wedding food.
Unnecessary wedding attire:
- Wedding veil
- Big brand or designer dress/dresses
- Morning of wedding attire
- Robes for the bridal party
- Second reception wedding dress
- Jewelry for the bridal party
- Expensive wedding shoes
- Wedding clutch/ purse
Pro tip: Plan the wedding you want on the budget you have!
Wedding Food You Can Forgo
Food should be necessary at any wedding.
Your guests will spend approximately 4-6 hours with you; you must feed them good food and have some drinks available.
The best way to save money is to plan for a smaller wedding.
From cocktail hour, main meals and late-night snacks, all these will cost you an arm and a leg.
I would skip the extravagant wedding cake, champagne toast and top-shelf alcohol and instead use the extra money on wedding food.
Food and alcohol are the biggest expenses when it comes to weddings.
Cutting these unnecessary costs from your budget will help you have enough money for the essential things.
Be sure to ask your wedding vendors if they can work with your budget to lower the price.
Here are a few more things to cut:
- Champagne toast
- Top-shelf alcoholic beverages
- Chocolate fountains / fondues
- Expensive wedding cake
- Grooms cake
Wedding Gift Expenses that are Not Needed
Are you planning to get gifts for your maid of honour or bridesmaids?
That is a great idea, but it can increase your budget significantly.
I would say skip all gifts and trinkets.
Instead, feed them a hearty meal when you are getting ready.
Food always wins in my books.
Here are some wedding gifts that are not necessary:
- Couple wedding gift exchange
- Wedding gifts for parents
- Wedding favours for guests
- Bridesmaid proposal boxes
- Welcome bags for guests
Pre and Post-Wedding Events
It’s your wedding at the end of the day.
You can choose what you can afford for your wedding and what seems like a waste of money as a couple.
I don’t think the day after the wedding brunch is necessary.
But you might think thanking the guests that travelled from far would benefit from a brunch and get-together.
Just remember that a wedding is not a family reunion.
You can plan to meet with family another time.
But do thank them by calling, texting or emailing everyone.
And use the extra money to instead go on your honeymoon.
Wedding events to consider skipping:
- Day after wedding brunch
- Engagement party
- Rehearsal dinner – (do pizza, sandwiches, BBQ)
- Bachelorette weekend getaways (do a one-night thing)
Decorations that can be skipped
A great way to save money on wedding decorations is to work with what your wedding venue has to offer.
Find a wedding venue that requires little to no decorations.
If you need decorations, I suggest looking on Amazon for affordable wedding decor!
Avoid adding things that will cost a lot of money, such as tall and expensive floral centrepieces or fancy chair covers (unless the chairs are hideous).
Work with a florist that can work with your budget, and use decorations that you can use both for the ceremony and reception area.
Unnecessary wedding items you don’t need:
- Fancy wedding chairs /couches
- Chair covers
- Charger plates
- Corsages/ boutonnieres
- Skip ceremony flower decor
- Sparklers/fireworks/lantern send offs
- Off-season wedding flowers
- Ice sculptures
- Big wedding bouquets
- Wedding or Aisle runners (red carpets)
- Dove releases
- Wedding flutes for toasts
- Vow books
Other Unnecessary Wedding Expenses
Here are a few more items you can trim from your budget that are genuinely unnecessary wedding expenses.
Hiring a graphic designer is good if you do not have enough graphic design skills.
But a lot of the extra wedding stationery is not needed
RSVP return cards, fancy invitation envelopes, save-the-dates, wedding shower thank-you cards, and wedding thank-you cards – that is a lot of postage stamps.
Instead, list your wedding website when you design your wedding invitations so your guests can RSVP online.
Include all the essential things and details, such as your wedding date and phone number, to avoid back-and-forth conversations.
Yes, it’s nice to thank your guests, but sending thank you cards by mail can easily cost you another $350 with stamps and the cards themselves.
Buying a wedding guest book that you might or might not look through again is a waste of money.
Check out these alternative guest book ideas if you want to do one.
Here are a few more wedding items to skip:
- Wedding programs
- Save-the-date cards
- Individual wedding Menus
- Monogram on the dance floor
- Extra stationery (escort cards, place cards)
- Thank you cards
- Wax seals/ Fancy Stamps
- Polaroid cameras
- RSVP cards
- Cake toppers
- Customized napkins
- Wedding guest book
- Fancy rental cars
- Renting a carriage
- Smoke machines
- Wedding dance lessons
- Extra Entertainment – (keep it minimal)
- Wedding subscription boxes
- Welcome wedding signage
There you have a list of unnecessary costs to spend on a wedding!
Before buying, booking, or ordering something for your wedding, ask yourself if your guests will notice all these things.
I suggest looking into as many frugal wedding ideas as possible to keep your expenses low.
Having a good time does not mean spending a ton of money.
You do not want to pay for useless things that guests might forget or not appreciate.
A wedding budget breakdown will help you vet out unnecessary costs.
Whether planning a destination wedding or eloping, I suggest listing the average wedding costs, so you know how to budget.
You can also look at the national averages depending on where you plan to host your big day.
Use this information to get a total budget and if you can get a better deal with vendors, grab it.
And next time you attend a wedding, look around at the little things and see if others notice or are using them.
If not, skip it for your wedding.
By all means, don’t judge anyone else’s wedding.
Just make a mental note.
Join our Facebook group dedicated to brides to share any or all experiences.
Spend your money on what you think is essential WITHOUT breaking the bank
Did we miss other unnecessary wedding expenses?
If you can think of some more, feel free to share them in the comment section below.
Could you share it in the comments below?
We would love to hear from you.
Don’t forget to grab these fantastic wedding-saving trackers to keep track of the money you will save.
Read next:
- The cheapest month to get married
- Best wedding day tips and tricks
- Receptions ideas on a budget
- Wedding vendors checklist
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