There are many ways to be thrifty when planning a wedding. For young couples just starting out, small savings can add up to big wedding discounts for those couples who are financing their own weddings, experts say.
Here are five smart money-saving tips for couples who are paying for their own special day.
1. Forget paper invitations. Use an online service like evite.com for a modern approach to welcoming friends to your big ceremony,
writes Kelly Anderson at Mint Life, noting its green approach and one that is typically free.
2. Rent bridesmaids dresses as well as the frock the bride chooses for her rehearsal dinner. Several companies offer designer formalwear for a special occasion — an expenditure that is about 75 percent less than buying a dress, notes Anderson.
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3. Instead of purchasing pricey favors,
Sienna Beard at The Cheat Sheet urges couples looking for save money to make their own for an economical do-it-yourself gift for guests.
4. Pick a wedding date that is in what Beard calls "the offseason." While summer and fall tend to be most popular, a winter wedding may lower your costs for a ceremony location and reception hall.
Those venues may also be lower if you pick a less popular day of the week to wed, say Thursday or Sunday, rather than Saturday, she suggests.
5. Crowdfund your wedding.
Ashley Tate at Credit Sesame suggests that leveraging your social networks on sites like Tilt or GoFundMe to help pay for your big day may be one very modern option to help you reign in your costs.
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