Have an Elegant Wedding on a Budget

Planning an elegant wedding takes time and commitment to detail. However, it is possible to plan a beautiful wedding while staying on a budget. Planning an inexpensive wedding requires you to choose the things that matter most to you and invest in them. Other details can be simple and understated. Many modern couples are choosing to do the décor, flowers and other elements themselves. Learn how to have an elegant wedding on a budget.

Steps

Elegant Wedding Choices

  1. Discuss the most important elements of your wedding with your fiancé. Choose the 3 or 4 things you want to ensure are handled by professionals, such as food, photography, wedding gown, flowers, venue, reception décor, cake or band. Plan to spend a little more on these items, while saving on others.
  2. Consider a destination wedding. If you don't want to scrimp on the venue or honeymoon, this is the best way to spend money on the things that matter. The guest list will remain small and many of the details can be provided by the venue you decide to rent.
  3. Choose an off-season wedding date. Fall and winter weddings can be made instantly charming by using the season to your advantage. An elegant fall wedding can be held in an orchard amidst falling leaves, while an elegant winter wedding can include snowflakes and accents in shades of icy blue and white.
    • If you book a wedding between October and March, you are likely to receive a large discount on the venue, hotel rooms and even food. Always ask for discounts and specials for booking a wedding at this time.
    • If you want your wedding to be between May and September, consider having it on a Friday or Sunday. Most weddings are on Saturdays, so you may be able to get better prices on these days.
  4. Have a small wedding. The best way to stick to a low budget while keeping the wedding beautiful is to have a small guest list. Keep the invitations to family and close personal friends and you can save thousands of dollars.
  5. Make your own invitations. You can find wedding invitation templates at stationary stores, office supply stores and online. If you like to scrapbook, you can incorporate items like vellum and ribbon, but you can also find an invitation with intricate scroll work or silhouettes for a classic look.
  6. Rent a photo booth. If you don't want to invest in wedding photography, place disposable cameras on tables or rent a booth where guests can get inside and take photo strip. Most photo booth companies will give 1 copy to the guest and another copy to the bride and groom.

Elegant Wedding Decorations

  1. Embrace simplicity. Most modern elegant styles are minimal and classic. Instead of worrying about how you will bring style into all aspects of your wedding, you may want to reduce the number of details.
  2. Embrace the Do-it-Yourself (DIY) movement. There are dozens of blogs and Pinterest boards with ideas on how to handle many of the wedding details beautifully and inexpensively. Consider everything from hair and makeup to cake and flowers.
  3. Buy flowers that are in-season in your area. Plan ahead to save yourself the cost and effort of importing flowers from another location. If possible, ask a friend or family to arrange the centerpieces or tie together some flowers for simple bouquets.
  4. Shop at flea markets for wedding décor. Vintage tea cups or glasses can be used on tables or to hold candles and flowers. If you can't find what you're looking for, shop at Target or CB2 for inexpensive vases and decorations.
  5. Do not spend money on guest favors. Instead, put that money into another part of the wedding that will improve the experience for your guests.
  6. Make garlands or bows. Tulle is relatively inexpensive at most fabric stores and it comes in many colors. Attach ribbon or twist it for a tasteful ceremony or reception decoration.

Elegant Wedding Wear

  1. Rent or buy a used wedding gown. If it is important to have a designer dress but you don't have thousands of dollars to spend, you can use an online service to find a gown that another bride only wore for 1 day.
    • Sites like Once Wed, Recycled Bride and Wore it Once create an online marketplace for people to buy and sell used wedding gowns. Some gowns were bought as a back up and have never been worn.
    • The site One Night Affair rents designer wedding gowns.

Elegant Wedding Food

  1. Limit your bar. Instead of having a full bar, have a signature drink, provide 1 type of beer and a red and white wine. In some venues, you can even buy the booze yourself in bulk.
  2. Simplify your meal. Instead of doing a formal dinner with many courses, choose a favorite food and opt for a few sides. If you are open to trying something new, serve appetizers throughout the night, instead of a full dinner.
  3. Choose a non-traditional dessert. You can order pies and cupcakes from excellent bakeries without incurring the costs associated with decorating a very large wedding cake. If the cake is not 1 of your focal points, choose based on flavor, rather than appearance.

Wedding Budget Chart

Doc:Wedding Budget Chart

Things You'll Need

  • Wedding invitation template
  • Off-season wedding
  • Small guest list
  • Do it yourself wedding blogs
  • In-season flowers
  • Flea markets
  • Tulle
  • Used wedding gown
  • Rented wedding gown
  • Signature cocktail
  • 1-course meal
  • Cupcakes/pies
  • Photo booth
  • Disposable cameras

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Sources and Citations

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