Wedding Planning Tips to Save Money and Make it a Day to Remember

Here are a few tips to help save money while making your wedding a unique and amazing day of celebration with friends and family.

Rethink the Dress: 

A traditional wedding dress can be a significant expense. Ditch the traditional wedding attire! Opt for a colorful dress, a suit, or something else that reflects your personalities. Or consider a pre-owned gown, a sample dress from a boutique, or a simpler, non-traditional dress. You could even get creative and dye a white dress a different color.

Get Creative with Catering

Explore alternatives to a traditional sit-down meal. Consider a brunch wedding with lighter fare, a food truck serving your favorite cuisine, or a selection of passed hors d'oeuvres. This can be more affordable and allow for a more casual atmosphere. Lastly, if it fits your style, have a potluck reception where guests contribute a dish to share.  This is a very budget-friendly option and can be a fun way to involve loved ones.

Look beyond traditional wedding venues

Traditional wedding venues are often expensive to start.  Then there is the continual upsell for every part of the wedding.  Choose a non-traditional venue and make your wedding a lot more unique and save money. A few examples include:

Backyard Wedding

Consider having your wedding in your own backyard, or the backyard of a close friend or family member. This can be a very intimate and affordable option, though it requires more planning for things like seating, decorations, and restrooms.

Beach Wedding

Beach weddings can be beautiful and symbolic, especially if you have a connection to the location.  Be aware of permit requirements and restrictions on certain beaches.

Vacation Rentals or Bed and Breakfasts

Renting a large vacation home or bed and breakfast can be a good option for a destination wedding or a small, intimate gathering.  Look for properties with scenic views or unique features that can serve as the backdrop for your ceremony.

Skip the Wedding Favors

Wedding favors are a nice gesture, but not essential. Guests will remember the experience more than a small gift.  If you do want to give something, consider donating to a charity in your guests' names or offering small, homemade treats.

Get Crafty with Decorations

DIY some of your wedding decor.  Collect interesting jars, bottles, or frames and decorate them for centerpieces. Utilize fabric scraps for table runners or chair sashes. There are many online tutorials and resources for DIY wedding decor.

Start Saving to Avoid Credit Card debt

Often wedding bills all come due at the same time. Forcing many couples to use credit cards to finance much of their wedding’s cost. Adding the additional cost of credit card interest to the cost of the wedding. You can avoid this by starting to save for your wedding right when you start planning.  A great way to do this is to make your saving automatic and ensure you are earning interest on your savings. SCU Direct pays 5% APY on amounts up to $10,000, links to your SCU Checking account to enable automatic savings and you can withdraw money whenever you need it.

Embracing creativity and rethinking big tickect items will help you have a beautiful and memorable wedding that doesn't break the bank.