Ok, let's be honest here. Weddings are expensive, and regardless of your budget, costs can quickly get out of control. That's partially because of the HUGE wedding industry designed to entice you with things you didn't even know you should have (hello bunting and pommanders I'm talking to you) and partially because it's easy to talk yourself into spending since "I'll only get married once" or "this is the most important day of my life." I'm all about sensible money management and I just don't see the point of spending money if I don't have to. With that in mind, I give you my top 5 ways to easily cut costs.
1. Contests. Wedding vendors want your business and coupons are a simple way for them to generate interest in their products. Just search the internet for wedding contests in your city and don't forget that many of your favourite wedding blogs also offer giveaways or special deals from their sponsors. Bridal shows are ground zero for contests and a great tip is to print out your contact information on labels before going to the show to save time writing it out hundreds of times. Another tip is to create a separate email address that you can cancel after the wedding. I recommend attending smaller bridal shows too. Fewer people mean more time to talk with vendors and better chances of winning a prize. I won a door prize at a smaller show and was able to choose a gift from any of the vendors that were there!
2. The library. Full disclosure: I'm a serious bookworm so the library was once of my first stops after getting engaged. There are literally hundreds of books on wedding planning and the library is an excellent way to read them all if you really want to. You can also read the latest bridal magazines, or peruse through back issues. I keep a notebook handy to write down ideas as I read and scan any pictures that inspire me. This is a total win-win: you get great information for free and you don't have to find space to store all those books or magazines.
3. Buy and sell. You can buy everything from wedding arches to votive candles at online classified sites like Craisglist and Kijiji. And once your wedding is over, you can sell purchased items or things you've made youself. I'll be attending the Bridal Swap in November to check out decor company clear outs, gently used accessories and meet with local vendors.
4. DIY or DIFM. Do-It-Yourself has become a major trend in the wedding world and I'm sure budget is a factor in its popularity. But before heading to the craft store, be realistic about each project and price it out. Are you even going to save money doing it yourself and will you be happy with the quality of the final product? Is it worth your time? Another option that really can help your budget is what I like to call DIFM (Do-It-For-Me). If your talented friends or family offer to help you with wedding details, let them! Having help from your loved ones lowers your stress level and lets the people who care about you most be involved in your special day. Please don't harass people to become "friendors" (friends or family who are professionals you hope will offer their services to you for free), but if someone genuinely wants to participate, you should seriously consider it.
5. Group discount sites. Thanks to my sister for letting me know about this one. Weddingful is a group discount site that offers wedding services like photography or makeup at amazing discounts. This site operates in selected cities across Canada and the US so chances are you can take advantage of these savings.
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