Weekly Wedding Words: Ways To Save

In the beginning of your planning, determining your budget is a huge first step. No venue can be booked and it is hard to get started without an idea in mind. When Jacob and I started planning our wedding, we knew we had a smaller budget. Once we selected our venue and that was over budget from the get go, I knew that we would have to find other bargains along the way. Today I wanted to share three places you can start to look for savings from the beginning of your planning process.

Create a realistic budget

A lot of people think that coming up with a budget is just pulling a number basically out of thin air. The reality is, that a budget is just as personal to every couple as any other wedding detail. You have to create realistic expectations for yourself. If you have no clue what a wedding costs in your neck of the woods, do some research first. Reach out to venues and ask for a price sheet broken down by day and time of year. This should give you a good place to start. Starting off in the right mindset is a key to saving in the long run, if you know what the average venue cost is, you can determine what you need roughly fora a venue and other vendors.

Start early

Every couple is different when it comes to their timeline. While not everyone has the longest timelines to get marred, the earlier you start booking vendors the better chance you have to negotiate if needed. Planners, photographers, and venues all book up extremely early but lets say you are a 8 months to a year out. Those vendors might have more availability and may be able to work with you and your budget. If you are going to negotiate with you vendors, please always remember to be kind and not to under value their work.

Days, times and seasons

If you are open to new times of year, day and the week this is a great place to look for savings. On average a wedding hosted on a Friday or Sunday is at least 30% less then it’s Saturday equivalent. You can also explore the “off season” November – April. If your venue is inside for example, does it matter if it is warm and sunny outside if it means saving money?

I hope these tips give you an idea of where you can look for hidden savings in your wedding planning.

My real secret resource, is your wedding planner! Someone who knows the industry, knows the vendors, the area and can provide you unmatched advice on where to save and where to splurge. If you are looking for a wedding planner or day of coordinator shoot me and email at Thedirtyblondestylist@gmail.com. I can’t wait to hear from you!

-MB