Please welcome back our usual Tuesday contributor, Cat from Budget Blonde. After you read Cat’s post, head over to Sprout Wealth to read Why I Love Using Credit Cards…
Summer is a really popular time for weddings and so traditionally, vendors are not going to be offering many discounts when it comes to your wedding and reception. It’s kind of like buying flowers on Valentines Day – the basic rules of supply and demand that cause a dozen roses to triple in price on that day, apply to summer weddings, driving up the cost of everything from floral centerpieces to outdoor venues to wedding cakes. However, there are a few things you can do to save money on your summer wedding without giving up the style and substance you’ve been dreaming of.
1. Have a Brunch
Lots of people know tips about having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday but rarely do people talk about switching up the time of day. If you are a morning person, you might want to consider having your wedding ceremony and reception as a brunch.
It makes catering really easy because all you really need are a couple of breakfast food options. You can save money on the alcohol too because all people should be drinking at that time of day are mimosas (but no judgement otherwise, folks!) 
Best of all, everything can be really casual, and if you are having the ceremony outdoors, a morning wedding will be much cooler temperature-wise. You should be able to have a lot of time to wind down and really enjoy the day with your new spouse too, instead of spending all morning getting ready and all evening interacting with guests. Looking back, I wish I would have thought about this. Our wedding was at 1:00 p.m. so we did have a lot of time to enjoy the day, but a brunch wedding reception would have been much, much more affordable.
2. Forget the Dress Hype
Every time I see one of those “Say Yes to the Dress” shows, I want to scream. How is it possible that these shows have convinced people that a $5,000 dress is okay? If you have it in your budget and your parents or your spouse don’t mind, more power to you.
However, if it’s not in your budget, please don’t walk out of the store with it. It’s just not worth it when you can order dresses online for far less. On eBay you can buy dresses directly from China, and they are so inexpensive you could order a few of them and just pick the one you like. Or, go to a seamstress and have them design a dress for you. I wore my mom’s dress and had it changed up a bit. I enjoyed wearing something that was one of a kind, vintage, and had a personal history. It cost a few hundred dollars to transform, and it was perfect.
3. When Planning a Summer Wedding, Stay True to Yourself
This is an extension of the previous point, but it’s really, really important. The wedding industry is a billion dollar industry, and it’s important to remember that. Stay true to your tastes, and try not to be swayed by what your friend or sister had at her wedding. Stick to your guns if you don’t want certain people invited, and remember what it’s really all about. Whether you had an iPod or a band, $100 invitations or $10 ones, or real flowers or fake flowers, the end result is still the same – a marriage (and hopefully, a good one!)
Are you planning a summer wedding or did you tie the knot in the summer? If so, what are some of your ideas on ways to save money on a summer wedding?
Photo courtesy of Chris Photography Similar Posts:
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