Don’t Plan Your Wedding for This Day of the Week If You Want To Save Money
Written by
Angela Mae
Edited by
Gary Dudak
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Planning a wedding is a memorable occasion, though not quite as memorable as the big day itself. It can also be expensive — very expensive. In fact, The Knot found that the average wedding cost $35,000 in 2023, and that doesn’t even include the engagement ring.
It’s no surprise that weddings are so costly. Your wedding budget — which you should definitely make if you haven’t already — includes expenses like renting the venue, catering, flowers, rehearsal dinner, photographer, music, wedding attire, rings and much more.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to spend $35,000 to get married. Here’s when you should and shouldn’t plan your wedding, as well as other factors to consider, if you want to save money.
Say No to a Saturday Wedding
The day you get married isn’t the only thing affecting your total wedding expenses, but it can play a huge role.
“Ah, Saturdays — the sacred cow of wedding days. But guess what? Everyone and their cousin’s cousin wants to tie the knot on a Saturday, driving up prices faster than you can say ‘I do,'” said Jennifer Allen, CEO, wedding specialist, floral arrangement specialist and officiant at Just Elope LLC. “So, unless you’re cool with shelling out extra dough for that prime real estate, maybe consider shaking things up and exploring other days of the week.”
Dominic and Serena Fournier, a husband and wife wedding team known as The Wedding Duo, added, “There aren’t really ‘worst days’ to plan a wedding, but [there] are some factors to consider. The reason Saturdays are so popular (and thus expensive) is that people tend to be available and able to attend the event.”
Of course, the higher guest count you have, the more you’ll have to prepare in terms of things like seating space, food, drinks, gifts (if you’re doing those), and so forth.
“If you plan a wedding on a weekday, you may see that your guest count is lower because of your guests work or life obligations,” added the Fourniers.
Do Plan a Wedding Monday Through Thursday
If you’re hoping to save some money, see if a weekday wedding works for you. Demand is often lower, meaning there’s less competition for your business and potentially lower prices. Plus, you might have fewer guests — which isn’t always a bad thing.
“Monday through Thursday is your golden ticket to wedding budget bliss. Why? Because venues and vendors are usually twiddling their thumbs, waiting for the weekend rush,” said Allen. “That means you can swoop in and snag sweet deals that’ll make your wallet do a happy dance.”
The Fourniers corroborated this by saying, “Most weddings occur on Saturday, followed by Friday and Sunday. So, you will see cost savings not only from the venue, but most other vendors as well. It is also sometimes possible to negotiate pricing due to the lack of competition for these days.”
Quick Tips To Save on Your Wedding
Besides choosing a less popular day of the week to get married, there are many other ways to save money on your wedding. Here are just a few.
Start Planning Early
Get an early start on wedding planning to cut costs — and stress levels.
“Picture this: You, a master planner, mapping out your wedding kingdom months in advance,” said Allen. “By getting a head start, you’ll have more time to haggle with vendors and snag killer deals.”
Create a Wedding Budget
It’s easy to go overboard with spending when the sky’s the limit, so set a budget and try to stick to it.
“Budgets, my friends, are your North Star in the vast sea of wedding expenses,” said Allen. “Stick to ’em like glue, and you’ll avoid drowning in a sea of overspending woes.”
Get Married During the ‘Off’ Season
“Host your wedding on a Friday or Sunday in the ‘off season,'” said the Fourniers. “You may find savings from the venue and other vendors if you choose a day/date that is less popular.”
Avoid holidays, too, unless they have a special meaning to you and your partner. Everything from catering services to the venue to travel can be more expensive during these times.
Also, keep in mind that your area — or wherever you plan to get married — might not have an off season. But if you’ve done your research and found that certain times of the year are a little less popular than others, you could get more negotiating power or cut costs on certain things, like the venue.
Keep Things Small
There are advantages to keeping your guest list small — a more intimate atmosphere, more time with the people you both love, and potentially lower costs.
“Consider your guest count. Smaller events are undoubtedly less expensive. You will need less space, food, bar, decor, etc,” said the Fourniers.
Go DIY
DIY weddings can be charming and beautiful if you do them right.
“DIY decor and favors not only add a personal touch but also shave off some serious green from your budget,” said Allen. “Plus, who doesn’t love a good crafting session?”
Borrow What You Can
If you’re not feeling particularly creative, you can always save money by shopping secondhand for the things you only need once.
“Look at secondhand websites and apps for things like decorations, attire, signage, etc,” said the Fourniers. “There is a whole community of past brides ready to cut you a deal on wedding stuff!”
Buy Wedding Packages in Bulk
“When it comes to wedding packages, think Costco — bulk is your friend,” said Allen. “Bundling services can often score you a better deal than going à la carte.”
Some wedding venues offer all-inclusive wedding packages. Depending on the venue and your needs, you could potentially bundle things like the rehearsal dinner, reception party, catering, drinks, and seating arrangements.
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