Cutting Your Wedding Costs Made Simple
Weddings can be expensive. In fact, in 2014, wedding costs averaged more than $30,000 — an amount that's nauseating if you're working with a limited budget. The fact is, a lot of detail goes into planning a wedding, and with that comes a lot of random expenses. The good news is, you can cut your wedding costs immensely if you're willing to get a little creative.
Wedding Invitations and Photographs
Wedding invitations and photographs are two major wedding expenses that are very important. These are items that you keep to preserve the memory of your special day. Many couples create a wedding album for keepsakes such as dried flowers, one of their wedding invitations, photos, and hand-written copies of their wedding vows. Others opt to display framed wedding photos in their home, and some even have an extra copy of their custom wedding invitation framed.
Because these items are typically important to couples, many assume that they are items that require a bit of splurging. However, you can minimize the expense by combining the two services. Instead of ordering traditional wedding invitations, hire a photographer that can make custom wedding invitations for you using photo editing software. Some photographers offer wedding packages that include engagement photos, custom wedding invitations, and wedding photos. Purchasing everything together in a package can save you a lot of money. In fact, you can even have your photographer use one of your engagement pictures to create your wedding invitation.
Wedding and Reception Venue
If you're flexible about your wedding and reception venues, you can typically save a good chunk of money. Consider holding your ceremony and/or reception at your home or the home of a family member to save the most money. If you're having a larger wedding that requires more space, consider renting one venue that can accommodate both your wedding ceremony and your reception. For example, get married at a church that has space available to rent for your reception. This way, you're only paying for one venue instead of two.
Catering Costs
Cutting down your catering costs is a lot easier than you may think. You can reduce your costs dramatically by opting for a buffet-style meal instead of a sit-down dinner. Not only does a buffet-style meal eliminate the need for additional wait staff, it makes serving more cost-effective dishes simple. For example, you can save a lot of money by serving a pasta dish instead of a meat dish. Other cost-effective options for buffet-style meals include mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, baked beans, a mixed salad, and green bean casserole. If you want to serve meat at your reception, opt for pulled pork, ham, or turkey to keep your costs down. Additionally, you can save money on your wedding cake by purchasing a small tiered cake to use during your cake-cutting ceremony and a sheet cake to serve your guests.
If you don't track your expenses carefully, planning your wedding can be really expensive. However, if you think outside the box a little bit, it's fairly simple to cut your costs. For more information, contact a business such as Print Source.
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