According to a survey run by Bride to Be magazine, the average cost of a wedding in Australia is now $65,482. That’s a considerable difference from the $36,200 the government’s Moneysmart website quotes. Your wedding will be THE biggest party you will ever throw but how much are you comfortable spending on it?!? Either your wedding budget is $10K or $50K, I'm sure you will love to save some dollars where you can, everyone loves saving and it all adds up in the end!! From the flowers to the stationery, here are a few easy wedding details you can change that won't make or break the day but can definitely help to not break the bank. Consider a Weekday wedding If you’re ok with not having your wedding on Saturday you should be able to get a sweet deal with your favorite venue but give your guests plenty of time in case they’ll need to book the day off. Stay up to Date Subscribe to your favorite vendor's newsletters, ours included ;) at the start of your planning and keep your eyes open for exclusive offers. Especially around Wedding Expo times!! One Place only Having your ceremony and reception at one location will cut travel time for vendors you'd have to pay by the hour and will generally offer you better deals!! And it will save big on transportation costs too!! Flowers Buy local and in-season flowers, this will guarantee the freshest blooms, plus the stems will be less costly too. Swap some flowers over greenery, not only it is very popular right now but it is also gorgeous. According to your vision and theme, your florist will be able to recommend other great ways to save too, do not hesitate to ask!! Stationery If you are going the traditional way, order everything at the same time as your wedding invitations. Taking care of everything at once will minimize your printing fees and shipping and you will more than often get deals when you buy them together. Another little one where you can save money and that become very popular now is to replace the traditional reply card & its own envelope with a stamp, with an RSVP postcard instead. Afternoon programs If pretty paper is a must and there is room in your budget, go for it! But skipping this part of stationery is great to save money and OK to leave out. Most weddings go like this: Ceremony, cocktail hour, reception. Surely your guests don’t need to have it write down on fancy paper for them. If you need to give people direction, put a sign (DIY to save more money) or add all the informations on your wedding website so all your guests can refer to it at any time. One more way to save is to print just one ceremony program per couple, instead of one per guest. Say YES to the dress early Order your wedding gown as early as you can (8-9 months) and you will save on rush fees and last-minute alterations. Follow your favorite local bridal salons on social media to find out about trunk shows, sample sales etc... Don't save on your cake, go crazy!! I love cake, buy the biggest you can!! Just kidding. You can also save a few dollars on your cake with no compromise on quality. Go for a beautiful one or two tier cake for your "cut the cake" photo & video and have a more basic of the same flavor cake in the kitchen ready to be sliced and serve to your guests. You can also choose fresh flowers for your cake instead of sugary ones. They are really hard to make and will cost your baker a lot of time and effort. Don't open the bar too wide I'm not saying to not serve any drinks to your guests, but consider brigging down the "full bar" that offers any and all you can drink spirit, wine, and beer that exist. Instead, pick one red, one white, one sparkling (doesn't have to be Champagne) for toast, a few popular beers, and maybe a cocktail or 2. If you have some more room in your budget, add a couple of different spirits (for shots) and mixers, you will save yourself a few bucks and help everyone to drink responsibly. Reduce your guest list Utlimately, this will save you the most but it is also the hardest one to do. Celebrating without certain people can seem unimaginable at 1st but if you are still short after making cuts everywhere else then cutting your guest list will help you reduce your budget considerably. It'll lower everything, including your catering, stationery costs, your venue size, etc... Get it for FREE The best way to save money on your wedding is to WIN it in!! This year, you could win at "save the date wedding expo" an incredible and awesome entry prize for a dream wedding, valued at over $15,000!! That's it for now, I hope you will have found a tip or two in this list and do not hesitate to share your own savvy tips in the comments. Making a list of your priorities and setting a budget should be step number one of your wedding planning checklist.
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