The North Park Films  Blog

How To Save Money On Your Wedding

Weddings can be expensive and of course, you want your big day to be perfect. Certain things are worth spending money on and others I have heard brides say to me that they regret splurging on certain things… or if we are being honest here even certain people. In this article, we will discuss some ways to save money on your wedding based on my years of experience with filming weddings.

“Don’t let people tell you what’s important to you on your wedding day”. A bride said this to me and I thought it was essential that I mention it. What actually matters to you on your wedding day? Going into this article I want you to really reflect and ask yourself what actually matters to you on your wedding day. Vendors will add up quickly and the last thing you want to have is the regret of not doing your special day the way you would have wanted.

My first tip on saving money on your wedding is to ditch the cake. There are a few creative ideas that you can bring to life when it comes to replacing your wedding cake. One popular option is a cupcake tower that has three tiers to it with different flavors. Think red velvet, vanilla, or chocolate in three magical tiers. Your guest will love the idea of being able to take this on the go during that time of the night where they would rather be on their feet than sitting down again after a 4-course meal. If you do want to keep it traditional and do a wedding cake then I highly recommend making your wedding cake the dessert. This option is not always possible but if you can manage to make it happen it can save you some money in the end. Opting out of dessert from the venue for over 100 people may be a better option. A lot of people are usually stuffed after dinner and want to get to dancing. Especially if you plan to have late-night eats paying for dessert may be a situation where you could have spent money elsewhere.

The next topic is to keep a list of must-have, nice to have, and compromise wherever possible. A lot of the small details that you have at your wedding will become a thing of the past. An example of that is a couple I met who paid $2000 for lighting at their reception. These lights weren’t lights in the ceiling, when I say lights we are talking about colored lights that lit the back walls which most people won’t notice or even care about. Lighting is important and there are other vendors that you can utilize to make sure that your reception moments are well lit. If your videographer is taking care of you they will most likely come with their own lights (i recommend this option).

Another big nice to have is a limo, if possible I highly recommend opting for a party bus or something more abstract or creative. Most of the limo drivers that I have dealt with on a wedding day usually don’t make the day any easier on my brides for the sole reason that you are not the only wedding that they have booked on that date. They will usually rush you and even if that is not the case limos can be expensive and I’ve had a lot of brides tell me that they wish they had cut costs here when it came to their wedding transportation plans.

Wedding planners can be expensive but having one can actually help you save money as well. Wedding planners usually have vendor preferred pricing and have experience working with most of the vendors that they will recommend to you. This tip involves spending money but I would look at it from the point of view that time is money. Not only will a wedding planner save you time but you can also rest easy that your wedding planner will book vendors that she knows will blend well with your personality and fit the theme or vibe of your wedding.

These are just a few ways that you can save time and money when planning your wedding. check out The Simple Wedding Podcast for a full episode where I go into detail about how to save money on your wedding day.