Planning a Wedding on a Budget—Ways to Cut Costs
Find Your Caterer, Musicians, Photographer and Honeymoon for Less!
Aug 13, 2009
Start by thinking about the people that you know. Do you have experience doing events? If so, think about the vendors that you have used for things like catering and floral arrangements. They may be able to cut you a deal based on past business you’ve done with them, or can recommend someone that can. If you don’t work in events or no one immediately comes to mind, don’t worry. Consider if anyone you know works in corporate events or as an assistant. Many times these roles require building relationships with caterers.
Another option is to go to LinkedIn and build up your network based on the people you know, regardless of industry. Then you can search by profession, company, and look at your friends’ connections and ask for an introduction. You never know who knows whom!
Think Beyond Strictly “Professional Musicians”
Many couples are in the market for musicians for their ceremony and/or cocktail hour. However, when looking around online, many are shocked to see that the string quartets, harp players, or other musicians charge as much as $400/hour per person. Apply that to a string quartet playing for a ceremony and cocktail hour and that translates into $3,200!
Most couples that are not very familiar classical music may feel that they have to get “professional” musicians for their wedding. While music is a very important part of the ceremony, quality musicians can be found for a lot less money. Search online for community orchestras or chamber music groups in your area. Every city has at least one, usually many, that are made up of musicians that have years of training but may have decided to pursue jobs in other fields but still like playing for fun. This is a common occurrence especially considering how competitive the field is. The best part? They have probably played traditional wedding music—which is much more than “Here Comes the Bride”—many times and will charge a fraction of the price of “professional” musicians.
Exclude That Wedding Album When Choosing a Photographer
Of all the vendors that are hired for weddings, almost none is more important than the photographer. Besides the marriage itself, photos will be the only tangible piece of the wedding that exists in years to come. Because of this, many couples want to include a wedding album in the package with their photographer. Unless a very traditional and expensive—most are over $1000—album is what you want, don’t include it in your package if your photographer will give you the digital rights to the photos.
After the wedding you will receive the digital photos, usually on a cd via mail. There are many options to creating your own album. Websites like MyPublisher offer a variety of products, such as large as coffee table books that can be as many pages as you like. They offer a wedding template with varying designs for each page. A coffee-table sized wedding album can be created, printed and shipped for about $200. MyPublisher frequently offers promotions to discount the price even further, such as buy-one-get-one free deals. The price and the quality of the product justifies the few hours spent creating the album for a lifetime of memories from the big day.
Forgo the Floral Centerpieces
Many brides envision a reception with beautiful floral centerpieces at each table. However, this can add up to over $1000. Consider centerpiecs of hurricane lamps, candles or other unique pieces that are memorable and a lot less expensive. Websites like SaveOnCrafts are a great resource for these types of centerpieces. A word of caution—although the prices are great, the shipping can be very high, especially when ordering glass, but is still less expensive than doing flowers.
Plan Your Own Honeymoon—Especially When Looking for Lodging
Of all the time spent planning a wedding, it may seem easier to turn to a travel agent or do an all-inclusive resort for your honeymoon. However, to get more bang for your buck, spend some time looking at TripAdvisor. This strategy works best when you have a specific idea of where you would like to go. Search the location, and then sort by the lowest rates. Then take a look at the reviews. More often than not there are one or two hidden jewels in each city or town that you would not hear about otherwise. These places usually have great customer service and low prices and can really add to your honeymoon experience.
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