Why are Weddings so Expensive? - 7 Ways to Save!

We've seen the daunting statistics: The National Average Cost of a Wedding Is $33,931. But where does this number come from? What's all included in this lofty price tag and why are weddings so dang expensive?

Well, here's an infographic break down of where all the money goes and what states are the most and least expensive to get married in (data from The Knot & USA Today):

Want to use this infographic? Feel free to use it linking back to this post!

So there you have it. As you can see, weddings are so expensive because everything adds up!

It's important to note that this is just the average. These "average" numbers can be skewed by the data of a few brides with extravagant budgets being added to the data of the majority of brides spending much less. Just as Jessica Bishop from the Budget Savvy Bride said, "One $1 million wedding can bring up the average of thousands of $10,000 weddings."

So the great news is that this total price tag does NOT have to be you. It certainly was not me and I pulled off my dream wedding in Virginia — one of the more expensive states to get married in! Below are some of the ways we cut thousands off our wedding budget!

Disclaimer: Some of the following suggestions contain affiliate links, which means if you click the link and choose to buy a product, I may receive a small commission at no extra expense to you. I only recommend products in this that I have personally tried myself! :)

WAYS TO SAVE

1. Cut down on your guest list

The guest list is easily one of the first places to look if you are trying to cut back on wedding costs. Since a lot of venues charge per person, cutting back on who you invite could literally save you thousands. However, this is so much more easily said than done. This is one of the hardest decisions couples have to make in the decision making process. Most couples struggle thinking about the potential negative repercussions of not inviting someone. But unfortunately, the more people you invite, the more you're going to spend. You shouldn't have to start your marriage off in debt just because you're scared to offend someone. So, if you are struggling with cutting down on your guest list and want to save money, try this next tip:

2. Pick a day other than Saturday

My husband and I got married on a Sunday and received a 20% discount from our venue because of this. Most venues offer some sort of discount if you choose a date that is off-season or picking a Friday/Sunday wedding date. Be sure to ask up front what their discount options are.

However, one of the other benefits of picking a date other than Sunday is that it naturally eliminates some of your guests from being able to make it. You may be worried that this will eliminate some of the most important people from coming as well, but in my experience, it didn't.

What typically happens is that it will weed out the people who think that your wedding isn't worth taking off work for. If you are important enough to them, they will try everything in their power to make it to your wedding — regardless of whatever else is going on in their lives. But if they don't think your wedding is worth one of their vacation days, are you really that close to them? Probably not.

(Keep in mind this does not necessarily apply if you don't give guests enough time to plan in advance for your wedding.)

3. DIY your own flowers/decor

Not creative or artistic? Do you have anyone close to you that has an ounce of creative bone in them that would offer their help as a wedding gift to you?

I actually chose to DIY my own flowers and most of my decor and saved around $2,000 because of it! There are certainly pros & cons to not hiring a florist, and this may not be the best option for you, but I'm here to at least offer suggestions if you are interested in this path. You can see my other post on How to DIY Wedding Flowers.

Here is a photo of my bridesmaids and I holding our flowers!

4. DIY your own wedding cake

Though I received an incredible deal from my own cake designer and spent no where close to the national average, I wish I knew about this option before my own wedding because I really love a good DIY challenge!

Check out Jessica Hoyle-King's viral post below, who served as the wedding consultant for her brother and his new bride. She helped bring this incredible DIY cake to life by suggesting 2 sheet cakes from Costo and adding Trader Joe's flowers for the final effect.

Can you believe this extravagant looking cake cost less than $50?!

In regards to the couples budget, Jessica states in her post, "Their flower budget was zero. Their cake budget was “let’s make cupcakes and freeze for the wedding”.. They ordered two of the $18.99 sheet cakes with cream cheese filling... [T]he cakes were cut into tiered squares, stacked, re-iced, and arranged a few of the real flowers from the piles of flowers used for decorating (About $10 worth)."

SUCH AN INCREDIBLE IDEA!

Now, depending on if you want to take DIY to the next level, here is another bride who made her cake from scratch and has an entire tutorial you can see here:

4. Use Vistaprint to print your invitations

And wait for their 50% off sales. I became a newsletter subscriber of Vistaprint for months before I needed to user their services. What I noticed? They had a ton of 50% off sales. Their printing prices are already a great deal compared to most printing sites, but that combined with their sale? Definitely a no brainer! Just make sure you have your save-the-dates/invitations ready ahead of time and just keep an eye out for those sales!

As for the design of your invitations, check out Etsy or Creative Market if you don't see something you like on Vistaprint. You can still upload a separate design you like and just use them for printing!

5. Skip the reception band

Do guests really care if you have a live band? Probably not. As long as the music is good, you'll have an incredible time! Opting for just a DJ, or foregoing a DJ altogether, and just using a Spotify playlist will save you a ton of money. However, I do highly recommend at least having a DJ and saving money in other categories. DJs make the flow of everything run much more smoothly.

6. Use The Knot's free wedding planning App

Instead of hiring a wedding planner, just use The Knot's free app. You just plug in your wedding date and The Knot will do the rest. They break down everything you need to get done month-to-month in a date sensitive checklist for you. Plus, they even offer you a free website where you can have guests easily RSVP online. It's amazing and I definitely would not have been able to get everything done without using it!

7. Buy your veil from Amazon

With almost everything in the wedding industry being overpriced, your veil does NOT need to be included in this list. This bride offered her advice on where she got her $16 veil, thankfully I listened!

Here are some photos of my own veil and the linked Amazon product here!

When I purchased this product, it was $16. You can check the current price on Amazon here.

BONUS: Use this FREE Wedding Timeline Template

Thanks for reading this far! Here is my gift to you. Click below to sign up to my email list and instantly receive this customizable timeline template. You can send this to your bridesmaids and groomsmen so they can know exactly what to expect on your big day! It's super helpful and avoids people asking you a million questions! Claim yours free below: