33 Savvy Tips for Planning a Wedding on a Budget

When it comes to weddings, Americans open their wallets wide. The average amount couples spent on their special day was $35,329 last year, according to The Knot 2016 Real Weddings Study. That's a $2,688 increase over 2015 and an all-time high since The Knot started tracking wedding costs in 2006.

If a $35,000-plus wedding is beyond your budget, take heart. You don't have to spend a small fortune to have a memorial ceremony and reception. "Pick the three most important parts of the day that you want to splurge on," said Stephanie Cain, Real Weddings editor at The Knot. "Get exactly what you want for those aspects, and save on others."

From food to flowers, use these tips to cut your wedding costs so you have money leftover to take a lavish honeymoon.

1. Limit the Guest List

The more guests you invite to your wedding, the more you're liable to pay. "For each guest, you're not only paying the catering cost, but paying for a venue to accommodate them, save the date and invitation, drinks, place setting, favor and more," Cain said. On average, couples invited 141 guests to their weddings in 2016, according to The Knot.

"The fastest way to cut costs is to decrease the guest list," Cain said. Just make sure you don't end up spending more per guest, which is what couples surveyed by The Knot did for their weddings, she added.

2. Don’t Tie the Knot on Saturday

Sure, you want your wedding day to be special, but don't squander away your savings on it, especially when you can save by booking a different day of the week. You'll pay a premium to get married on a Saturday because it's the most popular day to host a celebration, Cain said.

Consider getting married on a Thursday, Friday or Sunday. You often can get a discount on the venue and other aspects of your wedding on these days, Cain said.

3. Get Married in the Offseason

The most popular months to get married are September and October, according to The Knot. Spring also is a popular time for weddings, said Anne Chertoff, trend expert for WeddingWire.com.

You'll save money on your wedding if you get married during the offseason. "If you can, pick a date in January or February which are typically the least expensive months," Chertoff said.

See: Should You Take Out a Personal Loan for Your Wedding?

4. Don’t Choose a Traditional Venue

Couples spent more than $16,000 on their venue in 2016 -- making it the biggest wedding budget item, according to The Knot. You can scrimp on the cost of your wedding venue without sacrificing ambiance by exploring cheaper locations, said Teri Gault, author of "Shop Smart, Save More."

Consider community centers, historic buildings or a city, county or state park for an outdoor wedding during warmer months. "The plus side is that many of these have tables and chairs often at no charge," she said.

5. Find a Venue With Built-In Decor and Amenities

"Couples can keep venue costs down by looking for venues that fit their style and offer built-in decor, such as unique art on the walls or an elaborate ceiling," Gault said. Avoid venues such as lofts or event spaces that require a lot of decor and draping to feel warm and personal, she said.

Also, consider a venue's amenities. If it includes tables, chairs, linens and dinnerware as part of the rental fee, you won't have to spend extra for those items, Cain said.

6. Choose a Naturally Beautiful Venue

"When looking for a wedding venue, think about how much decoration it will need on your wedding day," Chertoff said. You can cut the cost of decor by picking a place that won't require you to spend much money to enhance it.

"Venues like gardens and beaches are already stunningly beautiful and don't need as much added decoration," Chertoff said.

7. Make Your Own Bouquets

Couples spent $2,534, on average, on flowers and decor for their wedding in 2016, according to The Knot. One way to have your wedding on a budget is to cut down on the cost of flowers by making your own bouquets.

"Simple bouquets are in, with stems showing at the bottom," Gault said. She used roses from her yard and from GlobalRose.com for her son's wedding. Then the roses were wrapped with raffia the day of the wedding.

8. Opt for Seasonal Flowers

You also can keep down the cost of flowers by opting for local and seasonal blooms, Cain said.

"If a flower doesn't need to be flown in from the southern hemisphere, it will likely cost less," she said. Ask the florist about which seasonal or local flowers offer the best value.

9. Mix Flowers With Non-Floral Elements

You can supplement bouquets and other floral arrangements with lower-cost elements that aren't flowers.

"Use candles, greenery and other non-floral elements, like seashells or fruit to decorate your ceremony and reception," Chertoff said. "These elements can make a big decor statement with little added cost."

10. Repurpose Floral Arrangements

To get the biggest bang for your buck, use flowers from your ceremony to decorate your reception. "Bouquets can decorate your cake table, altar arrangements can look lovely on the escort card or buffet table, and aisle markers can be repurposed into small centerpieces for reception tables," Chertoff said.

"Another idea is to consider using vessels that you already own, rather than renting them from your florist," she said.

11. Dazzle Guests With Inexpensive String Lights

A cheap wedding doesn't have to look cheap. You can create an impressive outdoor wedding venue for next to nothing with string lights. "White lights in trees make a huge difference in ambiance and wow factor, and cost nothing since most people have them," Gault said. If you don't have enough, borrow from friends and family.

Chinese paper lanterns also are an inexpensive way to decorate outdoor weddings. Gault recommends opting for elegant white lanterns.

12. Borrow Decor From Friends

"Everyone knows someone who's had a wedding, so start borrowing," Gault said. She reached out to friends and family who had spent a fortune on wedding decor, and borrowed Roman columns for the altar, 14 round tables, vintage china, antique silverware, silver chargers and more.

13. Stick to a Simple Dress

On average, brides spent $1,564 on a wedding dress for their big day, according to The Knot. "The more embellishment, such as handmade lace and hand embroidery, the more the dress is going to cost," Cain said. "Go for a great cut but less embellishment to look your best." If you follow that advice, you might be able to spend less than $1,000 on your wedding.

See: 5 Wedding Budget Questions You Need to Ask Your Fiance

14. Shop for a Nearly New Gown

"Shop sample sales and secondhand shops for designer dresses at a fraction of their original retail price," Chertoff said. She recommends calling bridal salons to find out if they have sample sales. Some stores, such as Fabulous Frocks, even specialize in sample or used gowns. You can also shop online at PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com and NearlyNewlywed.com, Chertoff said.

15. Rent, Don’t Buy

Another way to keep down costs when you're planning a wedding is to rent the wedding dress. You can find designer dresses for at least 50 percent off the retail price at sites such as BorrowingMagnolia.com and RenttheRunway.com. Not only will you save money, you won't have to worry about storing the dress after the wedding.

Cain also recommends renting accessories -- such as jewelry and handbags -- to save money. You can find rental accessories at sites such as HappilyEverBorrowed.com.

16. Cut the Cost of Invitations

Like dresses, the more embellishment you add to your wedding invitations, the higher the cost, Cain said. "Printing techniques like engraving and letterpress as well as materials like gold foil cost more than digital printing," she said. "That's huge savings right there."

Plus, the weight and size of the invitations you choose will affect price. "Thicker card stocks and larger or oddly shaped invitations will cost you more to print and ship," Cain said.

17. Skip Dinner

To keep down the cost of food at a wedding reception, consider serving a meal other than dinner, Chertoff said. "A brunch, luncheon or even cocktail style menus will be more affordable than a traditional dinner menu," she said.

That might mean having a daytime wedding, which might translate to more savings because you're not booking a venue during peak evening hours.

18. Don’t Assume a Buffet Is Cheaper

To save money on food for your reception, explore your options. "Once you know what you want to serve, ask your caterer the least expensive way to serve it: plated, family style or buffet," Chertoff said. "Sometimes a buffet can be the same or almost the same cost as a plated meal because you have to have enough for everyone to get at least one and possibly two servings, and you still need a staff to work the buffet and clear tables."

Read: Dos and Don'ts at the Buffet

19. Make Your Own Food

Use your Costco membership to save on food and drinks for the reception. "If you have help and a kitchen, you can get fancy stuffed mushrooms, mini quiches and more at warehouse club stores," Gault said.

You also can find frozen entrees, such as large trays of lasagna, at a warehouse club. Simply add a salad and bread to round out the meal.

20. Skip Caterers But Hire Helpers

You can avoid the high cost of catering by making your own reception food. You will need help serving it or keeping dishes replenished, though. Gault said she hired four people for $600 to serve and clean up after guests. She said she saved more than $8,000 by hiring helpers rather than caterers and bartenders.

21. Set Out Self-Serve Appetizers

Keeping appetizers simple can help keep down food costs. Choose finger foods or items guests can pick up with a toothpick, rather than anything that requires a fork, Gault said. For example, you could make platters of cold appetizers -- such as cheese, salami, olives and crackers.

22. Keep the Cake Simple and Small

Wedding cakes aren't cheap. The average spend on a wedding cake in 2016 was $582, according to The Knot.

Keeping your cake simple and small will help keep costs under control, Chertoff said. "Even if you're having a lot of guests, your cake doesn't have to be an eight-tier tower," she said. Instead, be upfront with your baker about your budget. Consider a simple, sheet cake rather than one with an odd shape, intricate designs and a custom flavor combination.

23. Consider Alternatives to a Bakery-Made Cake

A wedding cake from the grocery store or warehouse club will cost much less than one from a bakery, Gault said. Or, you might be able to find an individual who makes cakes as a side business who charges less than the local bakery.

You also could opt for a small cake to cut and offer a selection of lower-cost treats for guests, like these chocolate-dipped desserts.

"The Costco bakery is great for pies, cobblers, cakes, muffins, cookies and almost anything you could want to setup a lavish dessert buffet," Gault said.

24. Serve Beer and Wine Instead of Mixed Drinks

Don't feel compelled to have a full bar at your reception. Serve only beer and wine to keep down the cost of alcohol, Gault said. To get the best price, buy your beverages from a warehouse club.

There's an added cost benefit to sticking with wine and beer. "Without mixed drinks, you won't have to hire a bartender," Gault said. You can setup a self-service bar.

Find: Top 27 Wines Under $20

25. Opt for Prosecco Over Champagne

Even making toasts at your reception can be done on a budget. "Choose Prosecco, Italian sparkling wine, in lieu of much pricier champagne," Gault said. You'll pay about one-third less for this type of bubbly, she said.

26. Put a Package Photography Deal Together

You'll want photographs to document your special day. However, the average spent on a wedding photographer was $2,783 in 2016, according to The Knot.

To make it more affordable, negotiate a package that includes everything you want -- from photos of the rehearsal dinner to shots of the wedding and reception, Chertoff said. You'll save by bundling everything rather than adding items a la carte after the wedding, she said.

27. Ask the Photographer to Leave Early

If you have an evening wedding with a reception, you might not need the photographer to stay until the last guest leaves. "One easy way to cut costs is to have the photographer leave before the end of the night," Cain said. After all, the photos you get of late-night revelers might not be ones you want to share or keep in an album.

28. Video the Ceremony Only

Cut the cost of videography by having only the most important aspects of your wedding filmed, Cain said. "If you can cut hours by having the filmmakers skip filming you getting ready or guests eating, you'll save on cost," she said.

In fact, consider filming only the ceremony. "That's often the part couples and their families want to re-watch or share with guests who couldn't attend," Cain said.

29. Hire a Video Editor, Not a Videographer

You could skip hiring someone to film your wedding and ask several friends to do it instead, Gault said. "You'll get plenty of candid shots that may not have been captured by a professional," Gault said.

Then, hire someone to edit all of the footage together. "You could be thrilled with the results and happy with the cost," she said.

30. Favors Are Not a Must-Have

To keep your wedding on budget, look for costs you can eliminate. "You don't have to pass out favors at the end of the wedding," Chertoff said.

Instead, you could make a charitable donation in honor of your guests. "You don't have to share the exact amount you donate, and it's a tax deduction," she said. "Add a line to your wedding program that reads: In honor of all of our friends and family, we are making a donation in their names to X charity."

31. Skip the Limo

A limousine might seem like a classy way to arrive at and depart from your wedding. But it's a cost that can be cut.

"Unless you need the space to fit your bridal party, you can skip the stretch and reserve a nice town car," Chertoff said. "It will be stylish and have enough room for two to sit comfortably in the back."

Survey Finds: Groomsmen Actually Pay More Than Bridesmaids for Wedding Duties

32. Don’t Forget Incidentals

The Knot survey found that nearly half of couples spent more than they had planned on their wedding. One way to avoid ending up with a bigger-than-expected bill is to plan for incidentals.

"When working with each vendor, draft a list of all the related items that they will be able to supply, as well as what you're expected to purchase separately," Chertoff said. For example, the baker may supply the wedding cake but not the topper. If you don't account for added expenses such as this, you could easily exceed your budget.

33. Keep a Cushion in Place

"There are always last-minute purchases that brides and grooms may not think of when allocating their budget initially," Chertoff said. Relatively small expenses such as a manicure for the bride can add up.

"Make sure to leave at least $500 to $1,000 for last-minute purchases so they don't catch you off-guard," she said.

Up Next: 10 Ways to Save for the Honeymoon of Your Dreams

About the Author

Cameron Huddleston

Cameron Huddleston is an award-winning journalist with more than 18 years of experience writing about personal finance. Her work has appeared in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, Fortune, MSN, USA Today and many more print and online publications. She also is the author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances. U.S. News & World Report named her one of the top personal finance experts to follow on Twitter, and AOL Daily Finance named her one of the top 20 personal finance influencers to follow on Twitter. She has appeared on CNBC, CNN, MSNBC and “Fox & Friends” and has been a guest on ABC News Radio, Wall Street Journal Radio, NPR, WTOP in Washington, D.C., KGO in San Francisco and other personal finance radio shows nationwide. She also has been interviewed and quoted as an expert in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, MarketWatch and more. She has an MA in economic journalism from American University and BA in journalism and Russian studies from Washington & Lee University.

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