How to Save Enough to Hire a Wedding Photographer
More and more, I have realized people struggle with the idea that a wedding photographer is just not within their budget. I personally consider this a tragic mistake, and tried to come up with the best solutions I know how to save and cut costs in other areas so people CAN afford that photographer they're wanting!
Ladies, if you want to save money on weddings in order to make sure you can hire a photographer you love, here are some ideas I've come up with for my own wedding:
1) Buy a smaller cake (or bride and groom cake) and supplement the lack of cake by baking homemade mini cupcakes. You can get a 48 count mini cupcake tray on Amazon for like $10. Then, just buy the cake mix and icing and bake 4 or 5 batches and viola--money saved. (The average cost of a 3 layered wedding cake ranges from $100-$200 so it's really not worth the cash).
2) Have your ceremony at a church. It doesn't have to be your church. Look for pretty churches nearby you (a stellar example of this is Marion Church of Christ. If you don't believe me, google it). Most of the time, churches don't charge for ceremonies. And if they do, the cost is minimal.
3) Have your wedding on a weekday! (SERIOUSLY). Many wedding venues charge 2x or 3x as much on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. If you want to cut out the largest cost, have your wedding Monday-Thursday. Sure, some people might not make it. But if you have it around 6 pm, and warn people 6 months in advance, they can either take off work for the day, or leave work a little early.
4) This is one that might make some of you cringe--but here goes nothing: shop for your wedding dress at a consignment or thrift store. Yes, it is PERFECTLY okay to wear a used wedding dress (so long as the condition is good). Wedding dresses brand new cost between $300-$1500. Why waste so much cash on a dress you'll (probably) only wear once?
5) Do your own hair and makeup. OR, better yet, involve your bridesmaids in the process to make it a fun experience. I can almost guarantee you that no one will know the difference (unless you just really can't do makeup. Then, you can still find someone who does for free or really cheap compared to the salon).
6) Bring your own food to the reception. People spend $8-$30 per PERSON at their wedding by catering through companies. Make some Hawaiian roll sandwiches, deviled eggs, Swedish meatballs, a veggie tray, etc. Finger foods are totally acceptable (and far cheaper).
7) I literally cannot stress this enough: don't buy flower bouquets. A friend recently told me it was $200 for her bouquet alone (not including her bridesmaids). Most of the bouquets I've seen bought are already beginning to wilt the day of the wedding. Plant your favorite flowers 6 months in advance and string them together with a ribbon the day of. It will mean so much more to you.
8) Buy wedding decorations on local Facebook groups and Amazon. Someone probably already has those Mason jars you're looking at or table runners you want. And more likely than not, they are far cheaper to buy second-hand. Seeing as they're only used once, it's likely they're still in great condition.
9) Unless you are a hardcore music fan, there's no need to hire a band or DJ. My recommendation would be to buy a month's premium spotify, create your playlist, rent the venue's sound system, and hook it up to play during the reception. No having to worry about a song you don't like coming on seeing as you picked all of them!
10) Send e-vites as your save-the-dates (and potentially even invitations). There are so many free templates online. Seeing as most everything is digital nowadays, why not jump on the bandwagon? After all, you would need to collect addresses anyway; why not just collect emails? You'll be helping the environment and saving money in the process. Basically, all these savings amount to you still having a beautiful venue AND being able to afford a photographer to capture moments you can't ever redo. It's worth every penny spent to hire a photographer because they aren't quite as easily replaced. I hope these tips help you guys and give you something to think about! ❤️
