How to Keep Your Wedding Under $2000

The average American wedding is estimated to cost $20,000. That's as much as I have out in students loans spent in one day. It cannot be denied that our wedding day is one of the most important and memorable days of our lives and worth a bit of an investment. Still, when we take the average debt of an American college student ($19,237 according to the NPSAS) into account, we should pause to think about how large an investment one day is really worth in the context of the rest of our lives. It IS possible in some cases to spend less than 10% of the national average. I did! Here are some helpful ways to cut back on expenses:

*Purchase your dress on consignment or on ebay -

Dresses get worn once for 3 or 4 hours. Most dresses are made of sturdy (read: stifling hot absolutely gorgeous) material and one wear isn't going to damage them a bit. Consider buying your dress second-hand from either a bridal consignment shop, a friend or family member, or even ebay. Alterations on a second-hand dress will cost much less than buying a new one. Sadly, it is also true that some women never get the chance to wear the dresses that they spent hard earned money on so keep an eye out online for women who can't return their dresses but have no use for them.

*Have friends give you their services as gifts -

While it's true that new families need a lot of material help that can be gotten through gifts from guests, the cost of wedding services usually far outweighs the value of the gifts you would be receiving. If you have talented (or even just hard-working) friends, ask them to play a special role in your wedding as a gift to you as an alternative. Musicians, photographers, bakers, and decorators can be extremely handy and save you a lot.

*Make as many items by hand as possible -

Invitations, favors, food, bouquets, bridesmaid dresses, and centerpieces are all pretty artsy/crafty to begin with. Why not make them unique by making them, or having them made, by hand? There are lots of ideas available for free online.

*Have your wedding in a park or a place you already have connections -

Public places usually cost less than private ones. It is also notable that organizations you are affiliated with (schools, country clubs, churches) often offer discounts or even free space (especially in the case of small churches) to members.

*Have finger foods instead of a meal -

A table of platters full of cheeses, crackers, fruits, and vegetable relish trays is the perfect option for an afternoon wedding. You can get as creative as you want with it, even centering items around a theme. Having a sweet country wedding? Use local produce and get friends to help you make homemade baked items, fresh-churned butter or ice cream, etc.

*Consider an alternative to a Wedding Cake -

Cupcake towers have become popular recently and could be switched out with torts, danishes, or other favorite baked items. We had cream puffs! If you do decide on a cake - definitely use the sheet-cake trick. Order a decorated cake that is smaller than needed to feed your guests, and have a sheet cake cut into slices for a reserve.

*Skip the elements you don't care about - and don't feel guilty! -

There are many "traditional" things that may no longer be in any way part of your personal tradition. Not only can including them add stress to your wedding and lengthen the amount of time you are on your feet in front of hundreds of people, they can be costly. If you don't like the idea of a garter toss - don't buy a garter. If you and hour fiancé don't drink - why buy alcohol? Let your wedding represent you, not your guests. This is your day after all.

Here's a peek into our big day in 2006 to give you a reference as to how this could all be possible:

Our budget -

Venue: Our college chapel and a fraternity house lobby - $400 for 3 hours
Dress: $40 french silk designer dress, $40 alterations = $80
Tux: free with 3 groomsmen rentals -$0
Rings: Gifts from our grandparents -$0
Makeup and hair: did them myself - $0
Shoes: $7 from Walmart - no one saw them anyway
One wedding planning book on sale: $3
Invitations: $25.00 of supplies at Hobby Lobby - enough to make 130 invites
Stamps: $40
Flowers: Artificial flowers from Hobby Lobby on sale and floral tape: $30
Cake: Woman from church made a cream puff mountain for us instead -$0
Photography: Friend's mom gave us the shots and proofs free, we paid $60 for enough prints to give families copies and send out personalized Christmas cards
Music: friends and family played the piano and cello as sang as gifts -$0
Decorations: tulle and roses gifts from the wedding party - $0
Food: Purchased the groceries for mom to make relish trays and fruit bowls - $45
Birdseed for throwing: $5
Marriage certificate: $51
Honeymoon: 1 week in a log cabin in the Ozarks + driving there - about $1000

Total: $1746

Now, as you can see, we were very blessed with a lot of help, and we let go of a lot of things we weren't too attached to (unity candle, cake, favors, bridal party gifts, dancing, alcohol, extensive decorating), but we also got to include a week long honeymoon in the package where you might be able to afford paying for in separately, or it might be a gift from your parents.

The most important thing at the end of the day was that we were married. But I don't say that to brush off not enjoying the wedding or being disappointed in the way it went - on the contrary, we received compliments that our wedding was one of the most enjoyable some had been to and that it was simple yet elegant, etc. As I look back through pictures, that is my impression too. We were happy, surrounded by our loved ones, and have wonderful, unique-to-us memories about the way we planned things. I wouldn't change much even if we had the standard $20,000 to spend. Especially because it meant being able to purchase a new car (my adorable Scion) in the first year of our marriage and pay of student loans. Even if you can't bring your budget down quite as far as we did, I'd encourage you to challenge the current trend of budget-breaking wedding days and stick to what you can do with what you have.