1. Have the wedding during the week or during the Winter months, all costs relating to the reception site and services are cheaper.
2. Limit your guest list to your closest friends and family; forget your cousin’s cousins!
3. Do-it-yourself and make some or all of your own wedding essentials: invitations, wedding ring holder, wedding favors…
4. Visit wedding fairs and exhibitions, where you may be able to find vendors offering great discounts.
5. Don’t buy the groom’s suit or the bride’s dress at a bridal shop, look at other options or go for models from past collections.
6. If you’re extremely disorganized, hiring a wedding planner may help you save a lot of money, seeing as a wedding planner will already have a list of vendor contacts, as well as discounts that may fit your budget.
7. If you can have the reception at home instead of renting a location, the costs become much lower.
8. Having a less formal reception, such as a brunch or buffet, instead of a formal seated meal, are less expensive options.
9. Keep your floral arrangements simple and based on flowers that are in season.
10. Ask family and friends with special talents to help you out with the wedding preparations: an aunt that makes great desserts, a cousin who is a DJ…
11. Define your budget for the wedding and stick to it!
