Today’s blog post is SUPER fun because I am talking all things WEDDING! In honor of my one year anniversary being this week, I decided to share ways that current brides-to-be can save money but still have the wedding (and honeymoon) of their dreams!

There are SO MANY WAYS that you can save money on your wedding, so I’ve turned this into a blog series!

Part 1 (this post!) I will go over ways to save on your Venue, Photographer/Videographer, Bridesmaid Dresses, and Bridal Gown!

Part 2 I will go over ways to save on Groomswear, DJ/Band, Bridal Shower, and Honeymoon.

Part 3 I will go over how to save on Gifts, Invitations, Flowers, and Decor!

At the time of writing this—it’s 2020! So Coronavirus is kind of putting a damper on things for brides who are getting married this year, but if you pushed your wedding to next year, or you JUST got engaged— I hope you find these things helpful as you plan! (Also if you’re wedding is happening this year, you probably have it all planned by now!)

SO without further ado, I put together a list of ways to SAVE money on things throughout the wedding planning process. Whether you’re planning a wedding on a strict budget and need to save every last penny in every area possible, or you’re just looking to skim costs in some areas that aren’t as important to you (for example- you refuse to skimp on your wedding gown but could care less about flowers so you’re willing to save your money on that)— I got you girlfriend. I broke everything down by category!

VENUE

There are a few things you can do to save money but still get married at the venue of your dreams! Be sure to do your research on what you can afford and what the typical price range is for venues you are interested in. Definitely download the Wedding Wire and The Knot apps to research venues and see typical price ranges!

Timing is everything: one of the biggest ways to save money on your venue is to book your wedding during an “off” time (AKA a time that there is less demand for). This can mean off season (this will vary depending on the location of the venue, but typically December, January, February, March, July, August could be potential off season due to the extremes in weather). It could be an off day too— people tend to prefer Saturdays to get married. A Friday or a Sunday is usually always cheaper. And any other day would be even more of a bargain— but you will get some serious resistance from your guests. Nobody wants to go to a wedding on a Wednesday. You can even book an off time! An early morning/brunch time wedding leaves some places open to do business later in the evening instead of having to shut down, so it could be a cheaper option as well!

Make some cuts: I mean do you reeeeally need to invite your second cousin’s boyfriend? Your friend from college you haven’t seen since you graduated? Your evil step-mom (oh shoot, wait, she has to come…) But you get what I’m saying! Cut down that guest list! You can’t please everyone, and the shorter your guest list, the less you’ll pay!

Blame it on the alcohol: Don’t worry I am NOT about to suggest you forego the open bar. (I mean it would save you money for sure, but what kind of animal does this to people??) BUT you can definitely limit the type of alcohol served! We ain’t here for a long time, just a good time. A limited selection of beer and wine can do the trick! Consider talking it over with your venue as a way to cut costs!

PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER

Speaking from experience, I don’t suggest skimping on this if it’s something you care about. I did, and I actually ended up hating my pictures and video! If this is something that matters to you, then maybe cut some costs elsewhere! If you don’t really give a crap if you have beautiful wedding photos or you don’t even feel like you need a video— you can definitely cut costs here and get passable photos and/or video of your wedding day. In the grand scheme of things, as long as there are a few photos you like that you can put in an album, and you get at least the raw footage of the important things on video: the ceremony, the dances, the speeches then that’s all that really matters.

how to save money on wedding photographer

Package Deal: If you want to go ahead and cut costs, look for companies that do packages of both photo and video together. There’s usually a lot of money to be saved by doing that.

Find A Newbie: Another thing you can do is hire someone with not much experience! Risky, but they don’t really have the leverage to overcharge you and will be grateful for the experience, and likely will be willing to work for a cheaper price!

DIY: You could just ask a relative or friend to do it for you. Although they won’t really get to experience the wedding like everyone else so it would be a big ask! There is, however, a company called Wedit that supplies your guests with 5 quality HD cameras and leaves it up to them to record the big moments of the wedding. Kind of like how back in the day they would leave a disposable camera on each of the tables and guests would take their own fun pictures. People are already recording every dang second of your wedding on their iPhone, why not have them take part in getting some great video footage of they big day? They will even edit the footage to make it look professional! And it’s much cheaper than hiring a videographer.

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES

So typically your bridesmaids will be paying for their own dresses! But if you want to be the best bride ever and help them save some money, or you have some girls that you know are struggling financially— cut them some slack and find some inexpensive gowns! (I didn’t do this and so I offered to chip in to pay because I felt terrible asking my girls to pay and arm and a leg!)

I already have a blog post that goes through some cheap places to shop bridesmaid dresses.

For the SparkNotes version I think the following stores have great options:

Lulus - online women’s clothing boutique but also has some great dresses that would be perfect for bridesmaids. They have an entire section dedicated to helping brides navigate their site for bridesmaid dresses and bridal apparel and accessories.

ASOS - very expansive online apparel store that carries trendy fashion for men and women, but they also have their own line of super affordable bridesmaid dresses! Definitely worth checking out.

Azazie - this site is 100% all about affordable bridesmaid dresses! I am loving their “Boho Bridesmaid Collection” ! Definitely check them out for gorgeous and affordable dresses for your squad!

David’s Bridal - never heard of it! LOL JK, but don’t forget about good ol’ David. They have a wide selection and the prices are pretty darn good! Def don’t sleep on David’s Bridal!

Birdy Grey - 100% worth checking out! They have a section of $99 bridesmaid dresses! Which is a fantastic price for a bridesmaid dress, trust me I’ve been in a TON of weddings and I’ve never paid anywhere close to that (unfortunately!) And yes, they’re cute and quality!

Dessy - Dessy you may have heard of before because they are one of the OG bridesmaid dress lines! They are carried in tonnnsss of bridal shops across the US, and are usual the more affordable option. But they have their own online store you can shop! Highly recommend!

BRIDAL GOWN

You absolutely do NOT have to spend a ton on your bridal gown to totally knock it out of the park and look AMAZING on your big day. Everyone’s idea of a budget gown is different. For me, spending less than $1500 on my gown was a HUGE win. And I went to a traditional wedding shop and luckily fell in love with a bargain! But for those of you trying be way more intentional on saving— definitely shop at these places to ensure a bargain!

A lot of the places I listed above for bargain bridesmaid dresses, ALSO HAVE BRIDAL GOWNS! Definitely check them out for that too. Lulus, ASOS, David’s Bridal, and Azazie have bridal gowns you can shop as well!

Other places to shop:

Etsy - Etsy has bridal gowns! Kind of crazy, but you can get a custom, gorgeous wedding gown from a seller on Etsy who specializes in this. You’re more likely to end up with a unique gown at an affordable price by doing it this way. Plus you’ll be supporting a small business! Some great sellers: Kala Kala Bridal, Flora And Lane, Alex Veil Bridal, and MilaBridal.

Trade Shows- have your heart set on a wedding gown designer but not wanting to pay the full price?? Research if they are having a trade show! It doesn’t guarantee a bargain, but usually there is a special price or percentage off the price to be had at these! Typically these happen early in the year around January-March, so keep that in mind while gown hunting!

Shop Wedding Gown Outlets/Warehouses- You can get some great finds buy shopping these! You’ll have to pick through the racks yourself and go get it altered on your own, but worth it if you find your dream gown at a price you can afford! Potentially up to 80% off a designer gown!

And that is a wrap for part 1 of this blog series! Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 coming soon! Til then, happy shopping!