Wedding Savings and Discount Tips: Ideas for Brides on a Budget

If you are having your wedding reception or ceremony at a hotel or inn, ask if a discount on a honeymoon suite can be arranged. Many larger caterers will have a package with a room at a complimentary local hotel.

Make sure to mention anywhere you go - hotels, restaurants, and entertainment, etc. that you are on your honeymoon, especially if it is your wedding night. Most facilities will throw in complimentary champagne, breakfast, dessert, or other free goodies.

When trying to cut down on a sizable guest list, have each person who is allowed to invite guests (bride, groom, parents) make a list starting with their most important people first. Compare lists and remove duplicates. Add the totals and if guests need to be cut, have each party cut the required number starting at the bottom of the list.

Decide if a wedding consultant will save you money. They do have good relationships with vendors, but you have to make sure you want to use the vendors on their list. For instance, some consultants have the ability to negotiate a discount on receptions, which may pay for their fees in of itself. However, if you are not using her preferred vendors, it is not likely you will see significant savings. Wedding consultants cost around $1500 but they can save you up to 10% - 25% on each service you purchase. You can also consider hiring a consultant for just on your wedding day such as decorating your reception site. It may be a good idea to have a consultant to make sure you get your favors and table décor set up, to set up the place card table or if you are doing your own bulk flowers on the tables, a wedding consultant can do these things. This is a good idea so that some carefully planned detail - like the favors you made or the Music CD's you burned actually do not get forgotten. A friend spent a long time making favors and had a special heirloom ring pillow and had these set aside in a box that she forgot to bring to the ceremony; a coordinator can be in charge of these sorts of things and help with things like dressing, etc.

Before buying anything, estimate your budget and take a look at some of the pricier items, such as reception costs and photography. If you need to scale back on the type of reception, this will alter your flowers and attire.

Try paying with a points back reward credit card that you can redeem for cash, gift certificates, or vacation miles. The collective costs of your reception and other high price items will likely pay for a honeymoon or a wedding night fancy hotel stay with your collective miles or points.

Saturday night is the most expensive for weddings; consider Friday or Sundays for a major discount on catering and reception fees. Brunch and afternoon weddings are cheaper, as are weekday evenings, such as a national holiday (like a bank holiday such as Presidents Day).

Consider having an officant marrying you at the reception site if you are able to do so cheaper than in a religious venue or park to save on the location fee

It is important to use a credit card to pay for your gown so that there is consumer protection on the purchase, meaning that if the store goes out of business or can't deliver your gown on time then you get your money back without costly legal battles.

Choose in season flowers and make the arrangements simple to keep down on labor costs. Loose cut flowers in a vase are less expensive than sculpted centerpieces. If you must have a favorite flower, keep it in your own bouquet and limited accents.

Make sure to review all contracts for hidden fees for overtime or delays. Some areas likely to delay include the limousine service that might have to wait for someone to be ready longer than anticipated, make sure your video photographer schedules enough hours to cover your wedding without overtime charges. Some rental halls charge extra or forfeit your deposit if you are not cleaned up and out by a certain time. If you or another party in the wedding is likely to run late, consider what overtime charges might occur.

Find out what it will cost to get the negatives of your wedding photos. It will likely be cheaper to buy the negatives or digital photos on CD and reproduce prints yourself than to purchase them via the photographer.

A small band can sound like a big band if the keyboardist has the capability to use a synthesizer to preprogram string, horn, and percussion sections to create a bigger sound with few musicians.

Many formalwear stores offer package deals that the groom gets a free tuxedo with 5 or 6 rentals. Once you factor in the father of the bride, the groom, the ring bearer, and a few ushers, it is easy to get a free rental if the men coordinate.

White gold can provide the same look as Platinum wedding bands for less money.

Consider favors like herbal sachets, cookies, jam, crafts that you can make yourself and save money. There are several good ideas on Associated Content for wedding favor ideas.

To save on a stretch limo consider a luxury car like a Lincoln or a Cadillac, especially if your gown is not big or will get crushed and so you do not need lots of space. You can also just have a limo to get the bride and bridesmaids to the ceremony and to take the bride and groom to the reception.

Consider serving the top layer of a wedding cake is traditionally reserved for freezing and having while celebrating your first anniversary, and while sentimental, if year old cake if that is not your kind of thing.

A luncheon or rehearsal party can be at your home, a friends' home, your parent home, you do not need to have it at a restaurant.

Ask around to friends and family to borrow what you can of ring bearer pillows, wedding cake knife, and if you feel comfortable asking, wedding day jewelry. These items are often saved but never used again and a friend may be happy to see it used. Often these items generally blend in to the overall picture of the day, so less than perfect condition will not be noticed by your guests.