Many of us grow up thinking about that one special day when we’ll begin our life with that special someone ‘til death do us part’. A dream wedding filled with family and friends, tasty hors d'oeuvres, cups overflowing, magnificent flowers, a delicious elegant cake and a perfect playlist. Dream weddings can be magical but also pricey. Lucky for you, we have put together a master list filled with advice that will save you hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars on that special day. Let’s begin!  

Opt for a Friday or Sunday Wedding: Saturday happens to be the most popular day to get married, and the most expensive. Ask about rates for Friday and Sunday night weddings. By securing a Friday versus a Saturday, you could end up saving around two thousand dollars, depending on the venue and time of year.

Serve Signature Cocktails: When it comes to a wedding, alcohol can be one of the biggest expenses, burning a hole through your budget quickly. Most reception sites will charge you for every bottle opened and keg tapped, even if it was just to pour one drink. Consider offering a limited bar and choose a signature cocktail, or a few signature cocktails, that only use one type of liquor. Stock a few other bottles based on guest’s preferences, for example, if you know your dad only drinks bourbon. Or you could just serve wine, beer, and just enough champagne for toasts. Cheers!

Piece of Cake: Nothing can replace the cake at your wedding, but we know money can be tight. There are many sweet tips to help you save. One, choose buttercream frosting. When it comes to frosting, there are normally two competitors to choose from, buttercream and fondant. Buttercream is almost always less expensive. Another tip to follow, be aware of sugar flowers. They are a lot of work and take anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours to mold and dust just one. Lastly, you can order one display cake for you and your new husband or wife to cut, then have sheet cakes for your guests. The cost difference is usually around 20 percent per slice.

Have a Friend Be Your DJ: According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, in 2016, couples spent an average of $1,245 on a wedding DJ. Save yourself some serious dough by compiling your own playlist and asking a friend to DJ the event for you. Some venues have professional sound systems built-in. Plug in your laptop, create a playlist, and dance till you drop.

Limit the Guest List: Be very concise and realistic with your guest list.  Most caterers charge per-person, so 100 people compared to 200 people can be significant! A good rule of thumb when deciding how many guests to invite, do not invite more guests than you can spend one minute of time with. If you had 250 guests attending, spending one minute of time with each would take a little over four hours. Know the facts, choose your guest list wisely, and save yourself some time and money!

Save on Invitations: There are many ways you can save on stationary and wedding invites. A few ideas include; get single-paged invites to save on postage, email your save-the-date cards, and choose cotton paper rather than jacquard or linen since it is less expensive and looks just as good.

By following these tips and tricks, your dream wedding can become a reality, yet still be affordable. Your loved ones and friends want you to begin your new married life in a state of happiness, not depressing debt. Cheers!