Happy August! Vacations are wrapping up, school shopping is upon us, and all the stores are gearing up to get fall on the shelves.  It may be a few more months before that first blessed cool morning wake up, but it is ON THE WAY! Whew.  I’m here for it though: surviving summer in the South can feel like an Olympic event.  I’m all about some rich, earthy color tones, pops of copper or gold, dried grasses and flowers…plus I won’t feel like I’m the same temperature as my coffee while I’m working!

This year has been such an intense year for so many people.  Sadly, we are in a time and space where just a trip to the grocery store can make or break someone’s budget for the week, or even the month depending on their situation.  When you’re working like crazy only to make enough money to barely cover the essentials of living, it can make planning a wedding seem like an impossible (and highly stressful) task.  Let’s be honest: planning a wedding even with an insane budget can STILL be highly stressful; there’s so many moving parts and pieces it can make you dizzy! But can you still manage to plan a small budget wedding in this day and age?? The answer: absolutely.  This post we’re going to talk about those small budget weddings, and ways to strategize planning for maximum impact with less funds.

Of course, everyone’s perspective and situation is different: you may have the funds for a huge extravagant wedding and simply not want to spend tons of money on a wedding.  You may seriously be holding onto and nurturing thoughts of saying “screw it” and just eloping! Or you may have big dreams for your wedding day but a limited budget to work with.  Whatever the reason, keeping the budget for your wedding small is not a bad thing at all, and very do-able!  First up, let’s talk timing.  Don’t be afraid to give yourself plenty of time to plan when choosing your wedding date.  Typically, planning spread out over a year is the average “sweet spot” for just enough time.  If you can even add a few more months on to that, all the better! This will allow you more time between payments to vendors if you are having to procure some funds as they come, and do not have a lump sum already set aside to cover all of the wedding expenses.  Most vendors will require a booking deposit with the remaining balance being due at a designated time closer to the event date.  

I think one of the first thoughts when planning a wedding on a smaller budget is that you will save a ton of money if you opt for somewhere like a park, or a backyard.  But let’s go into that a little bit: it really depends! When you opt for a designated venue over a free or much cheaper option, you are paying for all of the things included and covered that will NOT be included and covered in the cheaper version.  You may save a lot of money on the space, but those funds will be taken up with all of the additional things you are going to have to pay for, even down to the trash cans and staff to clear food/drink from the tables.  Look into venues that are appropriate for the size of your guest list to see what packages they offer and what all is included before you pull the trigger on that backyard wedding: it might surprise you! You can also opt for a Sunday, or really any day but Friday and Saturday, and usually save a fairly significant amount of money.  It generally gives you much less to stress about, and a much more compact vendor list if you opt to go with a wedding venue.

Another area that can be a lifesaver, but a little tricky too: that infamous DIY.  In general, I’m here for it! I love DIY, and I truly feel like it adds a special touch you couldn’t otherwise achieve.  However: some DIY projects can turn into time sucking monsters that cause more stress and headache than they are worth! If you utilize it wisely, have a plan that’s realistic and budget appropriate, by all means go for it.  To me, some of the best examples of those projects are wedding signage, table/seating charts, wedding favors, centerpieces and even florals (with a REALLY good, realistic plan!).  You could even manage to DIY a pretty awesome photo backdrop for your guests.  It’s really all in knowing your plan, your strengths, and your helpers.

Of course, we gotta talk about some of those big budget hitters, and some ways to keep those within some necessary limits! There are several heavy hitters to the budget, but the main 3 are the venue, the caterer and bar, and the photographer.  I’m here to say: don’t skimp on the photographer.  Don’t try to make that cheap: you do get what you pay for and your photos are one of the most important aspects of the day.  The photos are one of the only physical things you will have after the big day is done for memories…that’s not to say freak out because you can’t afford that photographer you desperately want! There ARE plenty of good photographers who charge reasonable prices.  Do your research, and even have a test photo shoot to see how you work together, and how you feel about their work/process.  Working with someone newer in the game tends to have a bit of a cheaper price tag, and as long as you do your due diligence, you stand a great chance of finding a real gem.  Next up, the food and the drink! A lot of people think that if they simply opt for heavy hors d’oeuvres and finger foods that they will come out a little lighter in the budget.  No dice.  In reality, this choice ups the labor, as many individual items must be constructed for multiple food choices.  It’s actually most cost efficient to opt for the buffet style and allow your guests to go through the line to be served.  Cooking large batches is much more time and labor efficient as well as cost efficient for everyone involved.  Gotta throw in a little side note that food trucks are actually becoming a popular option now, and depending on your venue and their rules, it may be a cool, fun option that is kinder to the wallet also.  

With the food, comes the drinks! Not just the water, tea and lemonade, the bar of course!  There are several ways to structure your bar option: you can go full open bar, which means you foot the bill for the entire alcohol consumed for the event and the guests simply order what the want from their choices.  Next option, you can set a limit, for example $1,000, and when that limit is reached your guests can pay for their beverages. Really this option is best used if you know that most of the people on your guest list are not big drinkers: chances are you won’t meet the limit, or will meet it late into the evening just before ending. Last but not least, you can have a limited bar, where you cover the cost of beer, wine and soda, and liquor drinks available for the guests at cost.   An all cash bar really isn’t a great choice.  Keep in mind that in the interest of etiquette, you are hosting an event so it really is best to provide at least beer, wine, and a couple of non-alcoholic options for your guests: the best way to cut cost really is to cut liquor, or drastically limit it: depending on your wedding location there can also be permitting rules and such regarding liquor, although most designated wedding venues do have their liquor licensing.  If you are opting for that backyard or park wedding, just beer, wine, soda and water is definitely the way to go.  (And double check any permit requirements.)  Keep your selections simple, with 2 or 3 beer options and 2-3 wine options.  You don’t have to go crazy and your guests will still be happy!

Another area you can end up dumping some serious money into: those lovely florals.  Pinterest gives us some AMAZING inspiration, can’t doubt that.  Trouble is, they give that inspiration with no context of the actual cost of the creation.  Florals can be a massive hit to your budget, depending on the blooms you select and how many arrangements you order.  If you’re really trying to stretch your dollar, this is a great place to do it if you have some creative friends and bit of creativity yourself.  Start off by thinking about what season your wedding is in: if you’re having an October wedding, you can still get those spring/summer flowers: at a crazy cost! Research what blooms are around for your time of year so you don’t set yourself up for a beautiful flower dream that can’t happen.  Next, think about how many florals you picture: every table for the centerpieces? Installations on or near an arch for the ceremony? Arrangements for the food tables, or marking the aisle you walk down? Bear in mind that any florals used during the ceremony can typically be “repurposed” and moved to a designated space in the reception area once the ceremony is over: double duty means less money! You can also opt to procure a florist for some of the florals, but not all of them.  For example, hire your florist to create your wedding party flowers, and the florals for your arch/arbor.  Then, tackle the rest yourself! If you’re willing to use blooms readily available and not dead set on specific flowers, you can make a trip to Costco or Trader Joes (or both!) I have to throw it in there, because YES you can DIY florals, but it CAN be tricky: bear in mind you will have to wait to purchase those flowers until the morning before the wedding, and then assemble all of your arrangements that day so they are fresh for the wedding.  Totally doable: but have a good plan in place and plenty of helping hands.  You should be going in to that morning simply needing to purchase the blooms and arrange them where you want them, not coming up with the whole plan that week.  Also remember: you’ll have your rehearsal the day before as well so good time management will be your friend if you DIY florals.  Gotta throw it in there too: these days a lot of people opt for minimal to no florals! Table centerpieces have begun to venture into the realm of things besides flowers, and I’m all the way here for it.  Dried flowers, dried palms and grasses, candles and lighting, assorted sizes/colors/shapes of vases, table runners from greenery, and even houseplants are giving old school florals a run for their money.  Don’t be afraid to branch out from the florals and find some more budget friendly options that you like.

Creating your wedding day on a small budget is really all about coming up with a solid, realistic plan at the beginning.  Think about what is important to you, where you will get the most bang for your buck, what things you feel you can do without and what you can’t.  Use DIY where you can, and give yourself plenty of time to plan and find things that you need for decor along your way.  Also, some grace for yourself: it’s all going to come together and be beautiful.  Happy planning ya’ll!