Throwing together your dream wedding is a far more exhausting and costly experience than most people realize. Though you may have a vision in your mind of how you see the day playing out, reality can hit hard and knock those ideas right from your head. Thankfully, just because certain options cost a small fortune doesn’t mean you need to give up on your goal. Instead, financial restrictions may force you to get creative. By making certain cuts, you can save funds for the aspects of your wedding you can’t imagine foregoing. 

Do You Need Physical Invitations?

Wedding traditions change a lot. What was commonplace a decade ago might now be considered a relic of a bygone era. If you consider yourself a trendsetter, think about ditching the idea of physical invitations. Of any big event you throw in your life, a wedding is the most likely to require invitations that include all pertinent information for guests. However, plenty of couples are switching entirely to digital invites. Not only is this a great way to save money, it also makes the process a whole lot easier for everyone involved.

Guests are notoriously slow when it comes to returning RSVP cards. By giving them the simple option of replying to an email or text message with their attendance status, you increase the odds all recipients will inform whether they are coming. 

Save With a BYOB Wedding

Alcohol is one of the more substantial expenses related to the typical wedding. Even if you’re not a big drinker yourself, most people attend big events like this with an expectation that there will be lots of food and plenty to drink. One interesting option that helps you save your change is doing a BYOB wedding. This doesn’t mean guests bring their own bottles, of course. Instead, you and your partner will be the ones bringing the alcohol to your wedding. Stocking the bar yourself can actually help you save a significant amount.

When you work through a vendor or your venue for alcohol needs, you’re hit with a ton of fees and even more restrictions. Bringing your own bottles allows you the freedom to stock the bar with whatever options you’d prefer and get the bottles at the cheapest price possible through your own connections. 

Can You Help a Novice Get Some Experience?

All wedding services are expensive these days. From photographers to entertainers to bakers, the vendors you hire can sometimes be the biggest expenses connected to your event. Instead of scouring the internet for the hottest names, you can do a lot more for your budget by working with the inexperienced. Students and young professionals just entering their fields can be the perfect people to hire. They may not have the years behind them, but most of these people have the talent and abilities to excel. Plus, their services are usually a much more affordable option than hiring “the best.”

Services like photography and makeup can be perfect for this idea. Look through the portfolios of some younger artists, and you’ll start to understand how talented and affordable some of these options are. 

Do You Even Need a Wedding?

Some couples go through the motions of a wedding because they feel it is expected of them. In truth, you can go about your event however feels best. If the idea of planning this kind of party seems unappealing on every front, ditch the lavish celebration and tie the knot on your own terms. Plenty of couples elope as an alternative to the traditional ceremony. As long as you’re both on the same page, you can follow your hearts and wed however feels right.

Though it may not always seem the case, it’s entirely possible to save money when planning your wedding. As long as you don’t mind breaking from tradition and scaling back, you can still see your dream wedding come true.