Planning a wedding on a budget 101

It’s one day. ONE. SINGULAR. DAY. If you’re anything like us, we couldn’t justify spending $30-$65k on a wedding day when that could be a house deposit, or an incredible holiday overseas. It’s so much money for a day that goes in a flash! There is so much pressure to have the most instagrammable day - and surely that means spending a lot, right?

WRONG.

There are so many ways to cut down on costs without your wedding looking ‘cheap’. We’ve broken down a few ideas for you below:

CULL THAT GUEST LIST. It’s so tempting to throw everyone you know on your guest list, however that isn’t always a great idea. With each addition you make, you’re adding additional costs while also making your wedding less intimate. To a degree, this was a trap we fell into with our own wedding – our guest list grew and grew to the point where we invited people that we didn’t know well simply because we felt ‘we had to’. To save as much as you can, try inviting fewer people and making the event more intimate. Start by whittling your list down by 20%, then another 20%.

SKIP THE ALTERNATE DROP TINY MEALS. Raise your hand if you’ve been to a wedding where the food is teeny tiny and your whole table starts swapping dishes because they got the short straw of alternate drop? You should all have your hands raised. It’s absolutely nuts how expensive that type of catering is (it is beautiful and delish, don’t get us wrong). It’s so much cheaper to get a spit roast buffet caterer, or for the chilled wedding a woodfire pizza caterer. Also, mega bonus - it’s way more filling and your guests won’t be going to the nearest drive through on the way home.

DIY FLOWERS. We did this, and we know a few people who have also - go to a flower market and make your own bouquets and centrepieces! It’s miles cheaper and such a fun activity to do the night before your wedding with your family and bridal party :) Make sure you have heaps of greenery!

Arbour florals made by bride, Kathy. Bonus points for arbour doubling as reception decor!

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES. Bridesmaids dresses can be SO expensive from bridal/formal stores, and it’s also so hard to find one dress that suits so many different body types. You want everyone to feel beautiful, right? We love it when we see brides that give a colour, and the bridesmaids go choose their own dress to fit the colour scheme at stores of their choice.

DITCH WEDDING FAVOURS. Seriously. Ask yourself, when have you ever kept a wedding favour you’ve received?

AIRBNB VENUE. There are so many properties on AirBNB that are perfect for weddings. Huge properties, large houses. Go have a look - you’ll be amazed. It’s a fraction of the cost of a traditional ‘wedding venue’, and it also doubles as your accomodation. Extra bonus - no one will kick you out at the end of the night ;)

Bella & Riley’s AirBNB wedding venue just out of Queenstown

DITCH THE STATIONARY. Invitations are pretty, but such a huge cost. Instead, set up a page on The Knot and make a Facebook event directing people to it. The Knot does so much for you, so its more than just a money saving tip! Also, skip the wedding programs for the ceremony. Just another cost that will end up in the bin.

WEEKDAY WEDDING. Most venues and some vendors offer cheaper rates on weekdays!

REINVENT THE CAKE. We’ve been to too many weddings where the cake has gone to waste. And those bad boys aren’t cheap! Change it up, make it more exciting (and delicious). Try out a doughnut cake, lamington stack or cupcakes!

Cupcake & donut cakes by Josh & Courtney

BE WEDDING DRESS SMART. Wedding dresses are so heckin’ pricey. Stunning, but pricey. What if I told you that you can be stunning in a dress that doesn’t break the bank? Here’s how:

a. Shop the sales! My dress was $600 from a Grace Loves Lace sale. Winning.

b. Check out non-bridal places! We went to a wedding over the weekend just gone, and the bride was absolutely gorgeous - in an Asos dress! You wouldn’t be able to tell if you didn’t know. Deadset, she looked angelic.

c. Buy second hand!

BE A DIY GODDESS. Everything you make yourself is going to be cheaper. The cake, flowers, decor, signage etc. Pinterest will give you so many ideas! Make little projects with your family and bride squad to cut costs! AND BONUS you may even be able to sell it after to get some cash back ;)

Macrame arbour made by bride, Alyssa

Homemade linen napkins made by bride, Requelle & her Mum

BYOB - Bring Your Own Booze. Alcohol is a huge expense for weddings. If you can, find a venue that will allow you to provide your own. It will give you control over the cost.

DITCH THE WEDDING CARS. We rarely see wedding cars anymore. So many couples detail their own cars or use Ubers to get around!

HIRE PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER FOR FEWER HOURS. Is it your priority to have the ceremony and formal photos captured and that’s it? Well, hire your photographers and videographers for only that amount of time! Almost all of us will offer a custom or smaller package that will suit you.

BE YOUR OWN DJ. Hiring a musician or DJ is such a fun thing to do, however if you can’t justify it just hire a sound system and put together a Spotify playlist! It can also be fun to ask your guests what songs they love to get down to before the day and add it to the list.

GLAM SQUAD. If you ask around, I’m sure you know some people that can give you wedding glam for free or on the cheap! A friend of mine did my wedding hair, and a friend of the family did my makeup. It worked out a lot cheaper than hiring a professional wedding MUA and hairstylist.

These are just a few of the ways that we saved costs on our day, and how we’ve seen others save costs. When it comes to spending money, ask yourself ‘is this that important to us’. Spend your money where your priorities lie. And remember, how much you spend on your day doesn’t in any way equal how wonderful it will be. Hopefully you can use a few of these tips on your day and put all of the saved money into your future :)

Tried and tested suggestions from Instagram followers:

‘Made my own flowers!’ - Lisa
’Brisbane flower markets and made my own bouquet - a florist would have cost much more’ - Rachel
’Don’t have ‘favours’. Guests don’t expect them and they’re $$$’ - Venita
’Ditch the guest favours. No one cares about getting chocolates with your initials on them!’ - Sarah
’We DIY’s linen napkins and saved so much in hire fees! Do it on a weekday! Keep guest list intimate’ - Requelle
’Find a venue that offers to BYO drinks. We saved thousands!’ - Meggy
’Mid week wedding!’ - Olivia
’Do your flowers yourself! Saved us hundred and it was an awesome bonding experience’ - Bella
’Involve the wedding party in DIY deco projects! Going tasks is fun and better TOGETHER!’ - Jess
’Don’t get table service drinks, make guests go to the bar and you will definitely save money!’ - Nikki
’Elope - don’t listen to others and just do what you wanna do!’ - Lauren
’If decorating yourself, buy things second hand when possible (ie vases etc)’ - Anna
’Hire a wedding planner. Tell them your budget. Let them work their magic!’ - Sarah
’Get married in the church you go to if you are a member. It’s possible they will discount the venue!’ - Gabrielle
’DIY table decorations, invite design on Etsy and printed at Officeworks, wedding website’ - Kristen
’App shops!!! For decor, material (like runners etc) - even your wedding dress!!!’ - Kimberley