A Small But Mighty Wedding Budget
And there you have it, all of our best suggestions and inspiration on how to plan a beautiful backyard wedding on a budget. With your creativity and a little help from your friends and family, your small budget will be plenty enough to create a mighty fine day of ceremony and celebrations.
Remember to have fun, be flexible and keep that budget in check. We know youve got this!
Meredith
Despite her dreamy wedding blogger lifestyle, Meredith’s day job is running ClassicVeils.com and a full-time mom to an active toddler. If she could, Meredith would spend her days taking cruises, helping animals in need, and watching Big Brother!
- Meredith
Cheap Wedding Decor Ideas That Dont Look Cheap
After the venue, the decor you choose sets the theme and mood of your wedding, whether youre going for rustic, winter, refined, or a unique alternative. Choose decor ideas that match your theme and shop smart. There are almost always low-cost options for the exact decor accent you want. And remember: the smaller the venue, the less space there is to decorate.
Small Wedding Ideas For An Intimate Affair
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Overwhelmed by the thought of gathering 200 of your nearest and dearest together for your wedding day? Eloping may have crossed your mind, but thats not the only way to avoid the crowd. Instead, have all the fixings of a wedding, but on a much smaller scale. Were talking 10 guests, 20 max , and all of the things that will make your wedding feel like, you know, your wedding: invitations, dinner, a white dress, cake, and any other detail important to two of you.
Shrinking the event down to a cozy, intimate size guarantees youll love where your money goes, and it creates the opportunity for great memories with every single guest. But theres more to it than decreasing your guest list. There are planning changes to make, details to consider, and a proportionally larger budget to work with.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up 30 wedding planner-approved small wedding ideas to consider for your big day.
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Tips To Keep Your Budget In Check
Keeping your wedding budget in check comes down to organization, communication, and creativity. The creative side of planning a backyard wedding on a budget is the most fun part, of course, but staying organized and communicating with your partner is a great way to strengthen your relationship!
Here are some general tips on how to stick to a small budget, no matter where youre hosting your wedding.
How To Have A Beautiful Budget Wedding
A beautiful budget wedding might seem like the stuff of dreams but it is possible.
Make your budget wedding a reality by using these tips from the experts. See how to save money on everything from your wedding invitations to flowers and food.
Planning a wedding is a challenging enterprise. Even tougher is planning a wedding on a budget.
When youre putting together the biggest, most exciting party youll ever host, the last thing you want to think about is how youll pay for it all.
Unless you want to start your marriage with a huge debt, you need to think about your wedding budget upfront.
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% Percent: Venue Catering And Rental Costs
The biggest part of your wedding budget will go toward the big ticket items, which covers the cost of renting out your venue space, hiring caterers for food, alcohol and rentals, such as tables, chairs and dinnerware. Some couples also include the price of their cake in this 50% chunk of their budget.
Prioritise What’s Important To You
Even if you have a strict budget, you dont have to scrimp on everything. Take the time to think about what is most important to you and prioritise those things, then aim to cut costs on the less important elements. Perhaps you have always dreamed of that designer wedding dress but arent as bothered about the cake, or you want to spend more on that unique wedding venue that doesnt require any extra decorations. With some savvy planning you can still create your perfect day on a budget.
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Use An Online Budget Tracker
When thinking about how to plan a wedding on a budget, staying organized can mean the difference between staying within budget or going way over. If youre not keeping track of your expenses, you wont know when youve hit your limit. Sign up for an online wedding budget tool that can help you divvy up your total budget, track payments, and figure out where you can save if you decide to splurge on one area of your wedding.
Invest In Your Photographer
Giving Tree Photography
A fantastic photographer is a great investment, no matter how many guests will be in attendance, but a smaller guest list may mean more opportunities to capture intimate moments. With fewer people at the table, your guests will really relax, creating an intimate atmosphere, Dorman explains. Hire a trusted photographer who will capture the laughter, the tears, and the clinking glasses, since those are the moments youll treasure most.
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Digital Invites Will Save You Tons
Between save the dates, invites and RSVP cards and postage wedding invitations can cost major moolah. However, given the fact that youre having a virtual wedding…it just makes sense that youd have virtual invitations. E-vites are a simple way to spread the word about your wedding, for free. Consider checking out sites such as paperlesspost.com or withjoy.com to create your personalized wedding invitations. **Wedfuly pro tip, IF paper invitations are super important to you, consider printing and cutting them yourself to help cut down on the cost.
Total cost for invitations: $0
Feel Free To Buck Traditions
Dont ignore traditions completely, but try your best to include only the ones that are most meaningful to you. You can also create your own! If youre interested in learning more about where popular wedding traditions came from, check out our podcast, The Bouquet Toss!
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Your Wedding Your Rules Plan A Beautiful Nyc Budget Wedding
At the end of the day, your wedding means your rules. Dont let anyone else tell you what a wedding should or shouldnt look like. Make sure that your wedding has everything that you want for it. There are a lot of ways to save money on a New York wedding, but you must make sure that you do it in a way that makes you happy.
When youre planning an NYC wedding on a budget, you have a ton of room for creativity. If youre looking for an affordable New York City wedding photographer, let us know! As a couple who planned an intimate wedding, we want to hear what youre thinking. Reach out and let us know about your New York budget wedding.
Use Fresh Flowers Sparingly
Fresh florals are absolutely stunning, but they tend to come at a steep cost. There are so many ways to make your wedding look beautiful without an abundance of pricey blooms. Check out some beautiful examples of non-floral decor on a budget!
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Diy Favors Flowers And Wedding Party Gifts
Some DIY projects will save you money, and some are more hassle than theyre worth.
How do you know the difference? You need to think about what items you want to put your time and effort into, how much the items will cost to make, and which projects are practical.
Wedding favors can be simple, yet meaningful DIY items like jars of local honey or coffee beans, a personalized bag of fortune cookies, or a handwritten letter also used as a place card.
You might also consider the DIY route for your wedding flowers, whether that means crafting an alternative bouquet made of seashells or outfitting each table with hand-picked flowers from your garden.
Utilise Your Friends’ Talents
Is one of your best friends a talented musician, photographer or DJ? Utilise their skills by asking if they would kindly help out on your wedding day, whether its performing during your drinks reception or doing a DJ set in the evening. Chances are they will love the opportunity to play an important role in your wedding, and it could save you thousands on booking the services elsewhere.
MORE: 5 ways to save money on your wedding venue
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Determine The Kind Of Wedding You Want
When you picture your wedding, what do you see? A swanky reception at a downtown loft? A backyard barbecue with all your friends and family? A classic hotel ballroom reception?
If you need a little more inspiration, think about all the weddings youve been to, seen on TV, or scrolled through on Pinterest. What did you likeor not likeabout them?
Dont get hung up on the little details just yet. Instead, think about the overall feel you want your wedding to have. When it comes to planning a wedding on a budget, knowing your priorities matters.
Detroit Institute Of The Arts
Located in downtown Detroit, the Detroit Institute of the Arts was constructed in 1927. The early 1900s architecture still stands tall, beaming with historic charm throughout multiple beautiful spaces for a ceremony and reception. The Walter B. Ford Great Hall boasts gorgeous decor, with space for 300 seated guests, requiring a rental fee of $5,000. Other options on-site range from $500 to $4,000 and can be used on their own, or in addition to, the Great Hall.
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What Is The Best Budget For A Wedding
Deciding on the ideal wedding budget will mean considering many factors such as both of your incomes, family input and how much you have in savings. While the average wedding cost is £30,000, this isnt a one-size-fits-all and everyones budget will be different.
Jonathan Bryans, sales director atWeddingsonline advises: Make sure you know your budget. Trying to save money without having a target figure in mind is a lot harder to achieve. Your budget should be realistic and both you and your other half should be clear about what you realistically can afford to save for the wedding celebrations.
- Brides.com have a great way of allocating your budget. This includes spending 40% of your budget on venue and catering, 10% on flowers and 10% on entertainment.
- Hitched also have a great seven step guide for creating a budget that works for you and your partner.
Whats The Average Cost Of A Wedding Abroad
The average wedding cost for the one in six couples get married abroad, according to foreign exchange experts moneycorp, is
- £6,585, according to a survey by Mintel.
Many places cost a lot less than this. Weddings Abroad Guide found the cheapest places to have weddings abroad on average were:
- Mauritius
- USA
Realistically, it will depend on the number of guests, the wedding venue and exchange rates.
Its worth remembering that a destination wedding is not just a cost for the bride and groom. It may exclude those loved ones who are too old to travel or who cant afford it.
- Find out more: on our Relationships and Money page, including a quiz and tips to achieve Health, Wealth and Happiness.
Wed love to hear what you think about Times Money Mentor. Please with any thoughts or suggestions.
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Things You Can Eliminate
Little touches can make a wedding day special, but some of them can also be eliminated. Save-the-date cards or wedding favors are nice, but guests will hardly notice their absence.
Limos for wedding are elegant and fun, but they are also expensive. Will anyone really care if you have a friend drive you to your venues? Its doubtful. If you absolutely want a special car, rent it and have a friend drive it. Youll save by not hiring a chauffeur.
Some weddings are all about wedding flowers. Fresh, exotic blooms are certainly beautiful, but you will pay for that lovely touch. If you absolutely want to walk down the aisle with flowers, you and your bridal party can hold a single rose or Calla lily. Its the very essence of elegance.
Instead of florals, branches can work beautifully as wedding decorations. Consider clutch bags for your bridesmaids instead of bouquets. Its a glamorous yet practical solution since they can be used after the wedding. Check out some great alternatives to wedding bouquets.
You can also use candles, candelabras, or lanterns as centerpieces instead of costly floral arrangements. Antique stores are a great place to find some inexpensive hidden treasures that can be turned into stunning centerpieces.
While embossed wedding invitations and wedding programs are elegant, you can save quite a bit of money by printing your own. No one will actually notice or care.
How To Plan A Wedding On A Budget Of $1000
This post originally appeared on The Financially Independent Millennial.
If youre like thousands of American couples each year, you might ask yourself how to plan a wedding on a budget of $1000. Weddings are often the second-most costly expense a family will pay for, after the home. Fortunately, weddings can be affordable. This article will cover ways for budgeting a wedding under $1000!
But before I begin, you might be wondering, what do I know about cheap weddings? Well, Im proud to say that Ive taken part in several $1000 inexpensive weddings. And, when I got married, even my own wedding ceremony cost much less than $1000. We had a small ceremony in a church where a friend of ours was the priest. And everything got finished in under an hour. Then, we went for lunch and called it a day. Now, ours was certainly minimalist. But, we could have done more.
Lets get started!
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Dont Go On Your Honeymoon Right Away
The average honeymoon costs $4,000, which is a pretty penny to tack onto your wedding expenses. If youre on a strict budget, give yourself time after your wedding to save up some funds before taking your big trip. You can take a less expensive mini-moon right after your big day as a getaway, but save the honeymoon for later on. You can also ask your guests to chip in to your trip of a lifetime by setting up a honeymoon registry.
