If you hire an event coordinator for your wedding planning and execution, you will save time and thus money by selecting from his/her recommendations of experienced vendors and ways to save. Most specialize in cutting costs.
Learn how to do your make-up well in advance of the event date and complete your own prior to putting on your gown.
If you select “in-season” flowers for your bouquets and décor, you can save a third of the costs.
Let the bridesmaids carry one long-stemmed flower keyed into your wedding bouquet.
If you use mirror rounds under the flowers, you'll expand their appearance on tables. Expand the flowers for your table décor with 2/3 greenery to 1/3 flowers.
Purchase a cheap or less expensive plain white dress and buy the applicas at a yardage shop by the yard to enhance the dress with simple stitches. This can change a $400. dress into a $4,000. dress quickly.
If you want to save on event location fees, you can hold your event mid-week or on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday.
You can save money by taking advantage of wine sales the months prior to the wedding day.
There are some tux formalwear companies that give the tux free for the groom when they bring four or more men in to be fitted for a wedding. Try to find such a company.
Go to discount houses and see if you can find decent wedding and attendant dresses. You can save much money this way.
If you let the photographer shoot only the formal shots and have a qualified friend take the rest of the day with a high resolution camera, you can save money.
A Band or a DJ is often countered with “a D.J. is only one or two meals extra, but a band can be 5 or 10 meals.” Negotiate to not feed the band a full meal, but a nice boxed lunch. Maybe they'll agree so that you can save money.
If possible, shop for a specific price per slice on your cake. This can range from $3. to $9. per slice.
Don't pay money for everything. When evaluating the funds available for the wedding and reception, take into consideration the people in your circle of family and friends who can do the vendor work as part of their gift to you.
