A wedding is a costly affair, especially for students. Nevertheless, if you want to throw a wedding and have only modest student savings, you should not refuse to celebrate the event. Later, you will have other concerns, and the “right time” will be lost. Together with gpalabs.com, we’ve put together seven tips for you to reduce your wedding spending. All you have to do is determine what you’re willing to reduce by prioritizing and planning your budget based on your income.
Determine the format
A feast for two will reduce the cost several times because the banquet is the most expensive part. Besides, you can save on transportation and the host. One more economical variant is a wedding in a circle of the closest relatives or friends. You can also offer your guests not to bring gifts and present money instead.
Rings for students
If the holiday will take place without expensive dresses and a magnificent banquet, you can’t do without the rings. Instead of a platinum ring with a big diamond in a jewelry salon, look for a classic gold ring with a rim or thin but elegant jewelry with small stones. It will be precious because it was bought and given with love. A modest ring can be exchanged for a luxurious one if you wish, to coincide with any wedding anniversary. If you like expensive rings from a particular jewelry brand, you can have them replicated by an independent jeweler. As a rule, the price will be several times less than the original.
Wedding Gowns
Designer wedding dresses from Vera Wang and Dior are the dream of every bride! But are you ready to pay thousands for them? If not, there are at least six options for getting the dress of your dreams:
- Wait for a sale or take a closer look at outfits from past collections, which are sold at nice discounts and are no worse than new designs;
- Choose a wedding dress that resembles a designer one but from a more budget-friendly manufacturer;
- Rent a dress in a bridal salon. This way, you can afford a gorgeous wedding dress for a low fee, and you do not have to worry about where to put the outfit after the celebration;
- Buy a second-hand dress;
- Buy a romantic white dress in an average store instead of a special bridal gown;
- Sew a dress of your dreams either on your own or order it from an expert.
You can save on a groom’s suit in the same way, or you can pick up a quality classic suit in a store, considering that the newlywed will wear it after the wedding. But it’s important not to chase after the cheapest suit, as the price usually affects the quality of fabric.
Wedding party
Here are some tips if you decide to throw a wedding party. It is possible to find a good restaurant or cafe with reasonable prices. Ask the host if you can bring your own fruit, expensive snacks, cake, and alcohol. They typically have the highest upcharge.
Pay attention to the new restaurants, which are not yet popular, because they often offer good discounts for advertising purposes for wedding parties. As a budget option, you should consider a buffet. This option is especially convenient if the newlyweds are leaving on a wedding trip on the wedding day itself.
Use your imagination and think about what other format might work for you. You don’t have to be attached to a traditional dinner party. Lunch in the park, a barbecue party, a picnic on the beach — go beyond tradition.
Transportation
You can save a lot of money by ordering a car for yourself and a minibus for your guests, which can be used for other purposes. It is good if guests will agree to come to the registration and the restaurant in their own cars. In addition, the competent organization of transportation by time will not allow you to overpay for extra hours.
Photography and videography
Photographer’s services are not worth saving money on. When an amateur photographer works unprofessionally, you get low-quality, boring photos. The wedding is only twenty-four hours, but the wedding album will stay with you forever. Videotaping isn’t cheap either. But do you really need your wedding video? How often do you plan to watch it? You may decide to eliminate this expense item entirely or limit yourself to filming the ceremony.
Flowers and decoration
The bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere are important parts of the wedding look. In addition, the bride’s bouquet is involved in traditional wedding ceremonies. For this reason, the bouquet of the bride and the groom’s boutonniere always belong to the obligatory expenses.
Decorating the table of the newlyweds and guests with fresh flowers is also desirable. In order to save money, you can ask your guests to present flowers in the same color scheme and use them to create décor for the wedding. You can easily create invitations, guest cards, a ring cushion, and other decorations on your own.
