Planning a second wedding doesn’t have to become synonymous with “savings depletion.” And just because you want to budget wisely doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful ceremony and reception to celebrate the new nuptials. Instead, you just have to be let in on some of the insider secrets.
10 Great Ideas For Saving Money On Your Second Wedding
Check The Date
Don’t book your event for a Saturday date, instead reroute your ideas to an offbeat day instead. Fridays and Sundays may not be the standard but your venues are most likely to offer special rates and packages by booking dates that aren’t being competed for by handfuls of other brides.
Be Thrifty With Threads
There are a lot of different ways to dress for the big day as well. Of course, you can shop at all of the local boutiques but if you’re looking to save on your bottom line budget, get creative with the end vision.
Pre-owned wedding gowns are an absolute option. Thrifting finds at upscaled, second-hand stores are an option, and rentals are a possibility as well. And that goes for the groom too. Instead of buying a brand new tuxedo – which we all know can be quite expensive – feel free to rent your day-of-ensemble instead.
Pay For Intimacy
Instead of paying for a giant event filled with everyone you know at home, at work, family and friends, and everyone’s extended family too – why not just pay for the intimacy of having only the closest people in your life surround you instead? You’ll save a bunch on every aspect of the wedding by treading lightly with the guest list.
Address With Friends
A quick way to cut down on some of the unneeded costs of a wedding is to address your invitations yourself! Paying someone to do this job is a mere luxury. In fact, you can make a girls’ night of this entire event. Grab some champagne and appetizer treats, call up some of your girlfriends, and take some time to fine tune those calligraphy skills.
Watch The Clock
Evening weddings tend to cost more as well. Your venue may offer some off the bottom line or a better deal by booking the location for a morning or brunch time event. Also, don’t pay for an extra hour of dancing. These are small, subtle ways to not go over budget and still get an event to remember.
Do-It-Yourself Options
Do as much as you can without paying anyone else to do it. Whether it’s making your own wedding day album, or creating your own wedding video with raw footage of the day from friends, or taking some time to whip up some magical centerpieces for the table, give yourself some grace – and some time – to DIY some of the details.
Offbeat Vendors
Try thinking outside-of-the-box when it comes to your vendors. Instead of calling up every vendor that you see in your local wedding mag or from your friends, look into grabbing information from other spots that may be interested in serving you on your big day.
Food trucks that you love or your favorite singer-songwriter at the coffee shop you spend every Sunday afternoon it could all be great options and ones that cost a fraction of the others.
Finger Foods
Four-course meals will cost an arm and a leg. So, if you’re looking to serve up delicious food but without the overwhelming worry of going over the budget, think about going with an hors-d’oeuvre only selection. You can still have a variety of amazing options and even theme your choices to fit your vision.
Friendly Officiating
Did you know that officiates can cost around $500 to lead your ceremony? If you want to nip that ticket in the bud, have a friend or family member get ordained (yes, you really can do that online) and have them officiate for free! It can be their gift to the happy couple.
Buy Baby’s Breath
Finally, if you want some fresh flowers with a magical, ethereal feel, go for baby’s breath! It costs only a small fraction of other seasonal petals and it’s extremely versatile. You can get it all year long and create everything from bouquets to centerpieces with it as the focus.
