Eight Ways to Trim Your Wedding Budget

All of the pieces and parts of your wedding have one thing in common: Each has a price tag.

With a little imagination, plenty of planning and thought and confidence, you can trim the budget. A little here, a little there – and the next thing you know, you’ve saved potentially thousands of dollars.

Here are some ideas.

Use a wedding coordinator: A good coordinator or planner may seem like an additional expense. However, the expertise a good coordinator brings to the event should be focused around giving you the special day you want – while saving you money.

Coordinators have long-term relationships with lots of different vendors who will often extend special pricing – because they know a coordinator’s event will be stress free.

Spend a little to save a little.

Choose a professional caterer: Yeah, that sounds a bit self-serving. Just like a wedding coordinator, a professional caterer knows how to shave a bit here and there or offer other suggestions to help keep your entertaining budget in line. Rely on the expertise of others to relax the strain on your bank account!

Invitations: One of the most common suggestions for saving a huge amount of money up front is to use handmade or inexpensively printed invitations instead of engraved invitations.

Be honest, that engraved invitation that you paid $4 each for hits the trash can as soon as your guest puts the date on the calendar. Why not ask a graphic designer friend – or your talented self – to create a one-of-a-kind invitation that can be printed on a home printer or at a printing center?

Have fun, put your personalities into the invitation – that will be much more memorable to guests than a stereotypical, engraved invitation.

Avoid guest list bloat: Early on, define who will be invited – and stick to it. Simply, invite only those who are closest to you and your partner. Do you each have lots of college friends who still live in the same town? Coordinate with them and live stream your ceremony via Skype – while those friends celebrate at a party of their own. Sen a DVD to far-flung family members.

The tunes: No wedding reception is complete without music – and we all remember the fun scenes from “The Wedding Singer.” Still, a full band can run into the thousands of dollars – a DJ will likely be a few hundred bucks and can do just as much to entertain the crowd. For a smaller affair the couple’s favorite songs assembled into a playlist and pumped over a great sound system may be plenty. Still want live musicians? Check with local musical instrument stores – they may know of a “pick-up” duo or trio who will give you live music for a few less dollars. Remember though: Musicians are professionals just like chefs and wedding coordinators – and should be paid accordingly.

Booze by the numbers: If a full bar is in your plans, pay for alcohol service by the head – not by the drink. Even casual drinkers will belly up to a free bar. A per head fee will be much better on the budget versus per drink – which can reach $7.50 per drink or more. For an early afternoon wedding – consider keeping alcohol service limited to wine and beer.

Timing is everything: An afternoon wedding allows you to reign in bar costs with just wine or beer – see above. It also allows reception food to become light appetizers and cake instead of pricier heavy apps or dinner service. Maybe a very small private ceremony is your thing. Take the honeymoon – then come back and host a big backyard BBQ for you to celebrate with friends and extended family.

Network your worries away: I’m always amazed when I post an inquiry on social media sites. Wow, I often have resources that I didn’t know I had. Maybe you have a long lost cousin who is a professional photographer – and would love to “gift” you photography. Your aunt’s best friend is a newly opened florist who will swap flowers for a business card on every guest’s seat. Your nephew is a graphic design student who needs a project – invitations!

Ask, and you will likely receive!