5 Top Ways To Shred Your Wedding Budget
Congratulations on your engagement!
You have probably made a list of everything you need for the perfect day. You totaled it up and now you’re staring at a number that looks a bit like the price of a new car. What if I told you there were some ways to shred that budget and still have everything you want on your big day?
According to Bride Magazine, the top three things guests remember about a wedding are how the bride looked in her dress, if the food was good or not, and if they had a good time at the dance. That’s it. So don’t skimp on your dress, the food or the entertainment. Everything else is negotiable.
Here are the top ways you can save thousands of dollars on your wedding day and still have your dream event.
1. Try To Avoid Saturdays In The Summer
Experts agree that wedding season is May 1 through October 31 every year. Many brides would like to have a Saturday wedding in the summer, but there are a few things to consider about your choice of date. The wedding industry is continuing to prosper because there are more brides than there are vendors. This is simple economics and it continues to drive up the price on everything on those precious few Saturdays each wedding season. Another thing to consider is that your friends and family may be forced to choose between your wedding and another bride’s big day during that busy time. Also, think of how comfortable you will be in that beautiful dress when it’s 90 degrees out and the sun is baking you and everyone in your wedding party. Photographers agree that summer photo shoots are tough because there are shadows cast on the faces when the sun is cranked up to full blast. They prefer an overcast day for better photography, which is usually found in the spring or the fall.
SOLUTION: Book a Friday event or an off-season event. Almost every vendor in the industry will offer you a discount on those dates. This choice alone could save you thousands of dollars and still allow you to have the same exact event you wanted on a Saturday. Plus, fewer scheduling conflicts means more “yes” RSVP replies.
2. Location, Location, Location
We pay more for convenience in everything in life. This includes wedding planning. There is more to choosing a location than seating capacity and the cost of the ballroom for the day. If you choose an event location that includes things like food, decorating and liquor service, you will pay a premium.
SOLUTION: Event locations that allow you to make your own choices about those things allow you to save thousands.
3. Liquor – Rules Of The Game
Whether the venue provides the liquor or you provide it, you have choices. The vast majority of venue managers and event planners recommend that you shy away from hard liquor at your wedding reception. This is usually the source of problems – especially later in the night – including dropped drinks, broken glass on the dance floor, over-intoxicated guests (we all know how that goes) and damage to the room/venue which can lead to additional cleaning and repair charges after your event.
SOLUTION: If you want to pre-pay for any liquor, experts agree that offering a few kegs of a popular beer brand and a featured wine or drink is plenty. Let your guests pay for the rest. That way they will most likely have more fun and actually remember the night.
4. Do It Yourself
Some DIY things can be fun and can save you a ton of money. These things are nice to have, but most guests won’t remember much about them down the road. Popular DIY items include centerpieces, flowers, cakes, decorating, backdrops, and yes…even food. You have to find a balance between getting what you want, saving money and also not burying yourself with “projects” for your wedding.
SOLUTION: Allow people to help where they can and be willing to accept their help if they offer. Delegate, but be specific on what you want. Do not attempt to do the entertainment yourself. Bride Magazine surveys brides all over the country every year after their event. One of the key questions is: “What would you do differently if you could do it over?” The number one answer (by a mile) was that brides wish they would have put more into their entertainment. This doesn’t necessarily mean more money, but more care in choosing who is going to provide the right music, atmosphere and interactive announcing to keep the crowd included in the event all night. You can get everything else right, but if you make an error on the entertainment (DJ) you will most likely end up with an empty hall hours before you had planned.
5. Vendor Payment Strategies
There are lots of things you can do to save money just by the way you pay for things along with a few smart choices.
SOLUTION 1: Try to pre-pay whenever you have the money available. Most wedding vendors will give you a nice discount if you offer to pre-pay.
SOLUTION 2: Try to bundle as much as you can. For example, if you book a DJ company that also offers photo booth services, they could come in one vehicle and save you an extra travel fee vs. having to pay two separate vendors to drive separately.
SOLUTION 3: Consider a trade out. If there is something you can offer the vendor like advertising at your event, or a trade for whatever service you do for a living, you may see a nice discount.
SOLUTION 4: Pay for as much as you can on a rewards card of some type where you can earn points or travel. You may end up getting a free or super affordable honeymoon.
If you need help shredding your wedding budget, contact the experts at WOW! Entertainment. WOW! Entertainment is celebrating 20 years performing in Sioux Falls and Las Vegas. Over 2 million guests have attended events hosted by multi-award winning WOW! DJs. Joey has been featured in Bride Magazine and has worked with wedding industry experts like David Tutera (Platinum Weddings) and Martha Stewart Weddings. We can show you how to plan the perfect event and be able to afford everything you want.
Available 7 days a week
605.521.8150 – call or text
605.521.8150
DJWorldWideTalent@gmail.com
PO Box 90411, Sioux Falls, SD 57109
