General Hints to Save on Wedding Expenses

In this section, we've gathered together a number of hints and tips on various aspects on the preparation for and the actual wedding ceremony and reception. To start with, here are our Top Ten Tips to save on wedding expenses overall.

1. Consider having the ceremony in the morning and the reception as a luncheon/afternoon event. Not only may the cost be less as far as the entire reception is concerned, but fewer guests are likely to drink as much alcohol. This also allows the newlyweds to catch a later airplane for their honeymoon destination the same day.
2. Shop for tuxedos for the groom, best man and groomsmen at a rental location that offers a common special – if a certain number of suits/tuxedoes are rented, the groom's tux is free.
3. Use postcards instead of reply envelopes in your invitation packages. Not only will you save on postage, you will also save money on additional envelopes and such.
4. Choose a location for the ceremony or reception that has a beautiful natural setting either on the site or right next to it, and have the professional photographs taken there to save on time traveling to a specific site that has the type of surroundings you want in the photos.
5. Use a professional photographer for the official photos, but if you have a close friend or relative who is a hobby photographer, consider asking him or her to take the other photos as their wedding gift to you.
6. Make the place cards at the reception into a wedding favor. For example, buy or bake plain cookies and have each monogrammed with the name of the guest. Placed in a cellophane bag and tied with a piece of ribbon, they can serve as a wedding favor as well.
7. Use fewer flowers in the centerpieces for the tables and include more leaves and ivy, which is much less expensive.
8. Consider including household necessities in your gift registry listing and not just the beautiful “extras” to save on setting up your new home.
9. Hire a photographer that either will give you the negatives, so that you can have copies of the formal photos made more inexpensively, or at the very least, be certain to ask how much the photographer charges for each type of photo to be printed, as a photo package is usually very limited in the number of photos actually provided.
10. If your ceremony or reception is held at a hotel, ask about discount packages. They may include a free bridal suite or a special rate for out-of-town guests. Ensure they supply a room for the bride and her attendants to prepare for the wedding.