Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding
Photo by Hello Jude Photography
Every year between between Christmas Eve and New Years’ Day, Google searches for ‘wedding budget’ skyrocket. It’s no coincidence that this lines up with the most popular time of year to get engaged.
Wedding budget advice is one of the very first things newly engaged couples look for - even before looking for their venue. You have to (or should!) know your wedding budget before you start planning.
We can’t give you a perfect wedding budget - that’s going to come down to personal decisions, savings and whether or not you’ve got someone helping foot the bill.
But we can tell you a whole bunch of sneaky places you can save money on your wedding.
We’ll get started in a moment, but first, want an easy way to reference our best money-saving tips - some of which you won’t find below?
We saved some of our best tips for the downloadable freebie right here 👇
More Ways to Save on a Wedding
Go virtual wherever possible.
Virtual wedding invitations, a virtual guest book, virtual wedding programs… it all helps you save money on your wedding day.
Be your own DJ ( but upgrade your Spotify).
Wedding DJs can cost between $500-2500. If you’re not too picky, and have a trusted friend to emcee for you, you can get away with a Premium Spotify account (no one wants commercials during their wedding) and a rented sound system. Just be sure you understand what you’re getting into before making this decision!
Use a cash-back credit card.
We would never recommend going into copious amounts of debt for your wedding. But if your credit card offers cash-back on all purchases, then consider paying your vendors with a credit card to capitalize on those savings. (Vendor’s don’t take credit cards? Bustld, the parent company behind LoveStream, solves that problem).
Buy with reselling in mind.
When purchasing items fo your wedding, consider what you will be able to resell afterward. After your wedding, sell whatever is still in good shape and pass on the savings to the next couple, recouping some of your wedding budget.
Stick to the A-list.
We know it’s tough - but cutting your guest list really will save you a lot of money. You don’t have to have a micro wedding, but even going from 150 guests to 100 guests can save you a pretty penny.
Consider costs with venue choice.
Your venue is likely going to be your most expensive wedding vendor. Nerdwallet estimates the average wedding venue costs couples over $15,000.
When considering venue costs, we’re not just talking about the price of your actual venue. Consider other factors such as whether or not your venue includes rentals of tables, chairs, linens and/or decor.
Also consider how much natural beauty is at your venue. Marrying at a botanical garden might mean saving thousands on floral arrangements but spending a little more for the actual venue. Consider the end-cost of the wedding as a whole when looking for ways to save money.
Photo by Cory Lee Photography
Watch your food budget.
Catering is where things can really get expensive. It’s why we mentioned sticking to a smaller guest list above! Catering has one of the widest budget ranges of all of your wedding vendors. It doesn’t take much for catering to go from $10/head to $150/head. Consider if it’s worth it to do that fancy multi-course meal, or if a buffet would get the job done just as well. Additionally, be sure to check out catering from local restaurants. They are often much more economical than wedding caterers, as catering isn’t their main source of income.
Get digital rights to your photos.
When signing your photography contract, make sure you have the digital rights to all photos, and that you can print them and share them as you please. This will open up the options for how, and when, you want to print or share your wedding pictures.
Opt for affordable favors.
Or, no favors at all. We know, it’s taboo. But favors add even more money per guest to your budget. Options for more affordable favors include DIY spice blends, wild flower seed packets or homemade cookies if you enjoy baking.
Consider weekdays.
We all know that Saturday is the most expensive day to get married on - and that includes the cost of your venue and other vendors as well. Consider taking this a step further and skipping Fridays and Sundays. Weekday weddings take the cake for affordability.
Hit the thrift stores.
If you’re feeling like DIY-ing some (or all!) of your wedding decor, turn toward thrift stores for things like vases and tableware. These items are usually affordably priced and you can mix-match pieces for a custom aesthetic.
Have a sober or sober-ish wedding.
In our 2022 wedding trend forecast, we talked about sober-curious weddings emerging in the coming years. Not surprisingly, alcohol costs can easily ramp up the cost of your wedding. Removing alcohol entirely and opting for a fancy signature mocktail still feels grown-up without the extra dollars. Other bar-related ways to save if a sober wedding isn’t for you, is to opt for just beer and wine at the bar, a cash bar, drink tickets or a single signature cocktail that can be made in bulk.
Pass on transportation.
We know, you have to get to your wedding somehow, and you and your guests need to get home safely at the end of the night. Instead of hiring a specialty transportation service, look for other options like taking a Lyft home or choosing a hotel that offers a free shuttle service to your venue.
Live Stream Your Wedding
Our very first tip we shared was to go virtual wherever possible. That included emailing your wedding invites and opting for a virtual guest book.
But those aren’t the only wedding features you can take online.
LoveStream has live streamed hundreds of weddings since the start of the pandemic, and according to experts, wedding live streaming is a top way to save money without hurting any feelings.
How to Live Stream Your Wedding
If you’re wondering how to live stream your wedding, you’ve come to the right place.
LoveStream simplifies the live streaming process so that you don’t have to worry about any complicated tech on your wedding day.
An unobtrusive way to share your big day with everyone you love, we offer wedding live streaming services in three price ranges - helping you to save money every step of the way.
Check out our live stream packages for weddings below. Best of all - we offer buy-now, pay-later options through Affirm* - starting at just $41/month.
*Subject to approval. Choose Affirm at checkout.
Save money by live streaming your wedding.
Including guests virtually rather than having them join in-person can save you about $70/head - the average cost that couples pay per guest at a traditional wedding.
Having your 10 co-workers and their plus-ones watch online can save you $1,400. Downsizing your 150-person guest list to 100 people can save you another $3,500 - while still having a medium-sized wedding.
Of course, we can play with numbers all day long. The real benefit in live streaming your wedding comes with the peace of mind knowing it’s an option. We like to call it the ultimate contigency plan. Whether your live stream guests include co-workers and distant cousins or your best friend whose flight got canceled at the last minute, opting to include a virtual element in your wedding is something you won’t regret. And you can’t put a price on that.
Ready to get started? Shop our three wedding live streaming packages above, or grab some time with our team if you have more questions.