Hey girl Hey! It’s May which means wedding season is here! Wedding planner Claudio Postigo from The Planner Co. recently shared some tips on area’s were you can save money on your big day and I wanted to pay it forward….

– Cost of living is a problem faced by us all, so couples whose big day is coming up might be wondering how they can afford it.

The average wedding costs $30,000 according to recent data gathered by The Knot. It is no wonder that couples are looking to make savings where they can. Here are a few:

Day and Month

Having a wedding mid-week is not a decision that some guests might be happy with, but there are many cost saving benefits. According to Positgo, couples can look to save up to $30 to $50 per head with their wedding menu when switching from a Saturday to a Monday. As an added bonus, it might drop your overall attendee count creating further cost savings.

The same is true when it comes to choosing the month to get married. December is obviously cheaper than June, for example.

“Having a midweek wedding is a great way to create cost savings. If guests have to travel for your wedding anyway, they often see it as a holiday. Winter weddings also offer a route for couples to save big time”, comments Claudia.

Estimated savings: $1,000 – $4,000

Go Digital

Paper invites can quickly add up by the time you have designed, printed and sent them. Especially if you are sending them abroad.

“There are many easy to use online services that allow couples to send e-invites, saving them the cost of physical invites”, suggests Claudia.

Estimated savings: $300-$1,000

Rent, don’t buy

Many brides dream of having the perfect dress for their wedding, but if they’re looking to cut costs then they might need to consider renting one instead of buying. Doing so can lead to some serious cost savings. Renting can cost as little as $75, whereas buying a dress costs $1,900 on average according to The Knot.

This doesn’t apply just to the outfit for bride and groom, but also to decorations and other items as the ones you can find in websites like Recycle Your Wedding.

“Brides can achieve some big cost-savings when renting their wedding elements at the same time as making their wedding more sustainable”, explains Claudia.

Estimated savings: $1,800

Choose your venue wisely

Wedding venues offer different levels of service which can add hidden costs later on in the wedding planning process. There are some items such as furniture hire, decoration, flowers, sound system and stationary that couples might not account for when comparing venues.

“A low venue hire cost might be deceiving if you need to contract extra service further down the line. There are some costs that couples might not even be thinking about when they are picking their venue but I would advise them to make sure which other elements are included in the venue hire price”, recommends Claudia.

Estimated savings: $200 – $2,500

Try an alternative wedding

An elopement is a small wedding where the couple get married alone or with a small number of guests that are usually close family and friends.

Elopements have grown in popularity in recent years, Pinterest recently reported a 128 per cent increase in searches for elopement photography ideas data. This trend is partly due to Covid restriction on wedding sizes and partly due to cost of living.

“Choosing to elope is not just an affordable way to tie the knot, it is also an intimate way for couples to celebrate with their nearest and dearest”, says Claudia.

Estimated savings: $20,000+