
Tips for Planning an Affordable Wedding
With the dress, food, decorations, flower arrangements, tablecloths, tables, and more, the cost of a wedding can easily skyrocket. However, with some extra planning, prioritizing, and creativity, it is possible to stick to a strict budget and cut corners where you can without the cut corners ever showing on your wedding day. To help you achieve a budget-friendly yet stunning wedding, here are some tips for planning an affordable wedding.
1. Plan an off-season wedding
The easiest way to take some money off the total cost of your wedding is to plan a wedding that is not on a Saturday or in peak season. Many venues offer discounted prices for weddings that occur in winter versus summer or on a weekday versus a Saturday. When it comes down to it, a Saturday wedding date might be necessary to accommodate travel for guests, but the season you choose can usually be flexible. Luckily, Savannah is known for mild weather almost year-round, so if you skip the heat of the summer and opt for a winter or fall wedding, you will still have a perfect, less expensive wedding day.
2. Incorporate recycled or DIY decor
Although this takes some extra time and creativity, incorporating DIY projects into your wedding can take hundreds or even thousands of dollars off the final cost of the event. Consider substituting expensive decor for candles and lanterns to lay around the venue, use silk flower petals at the ceremony instead of real flowers, or create your own invitations and wedding day signage. For items that you cannot make yourself, there are many websites where former brides sell their decorations, dresses, tablecloths, glassware, and more. These items were most likely only used once, so they would be in perfect condition for you to use at a discounted price.
3. Skip the things that are not important to you
When planning your wedding, it is not necessary to include every detail that might be expected from traditional weddings. If you do not care for a three-tier cake, heaps of flowers, fancy centerpieces, a grand wedding arch, etc., then you can exclude certain items from your day and save money to put towards something you do want. When you start your wedding planning, it is beneficial to sit down with your fiancé and discuss what is and what is not important to the two of you for your wedding despite traditional wedding norms and work your budget around those decisions.
4. Cut down on the cost of flowers
When you start deciding on flowers for your wedding, ensure that you are working with a trusted florist who will work with you on your budget. Florists know how to make stunning and interesting arrangements out of the more affordable local and seasonal blooms, so even though you might think you do not want roses or another common flower, wait to see what your florist can do with them. Bringing nature into wedding spaces is also trending, so instead of big flower arrangements from a florist, you can incorporate twigs, baby’s breath, moss, and wood for a whimsical wedding. Whether you decide to use a florist or not, deciding on the placement of flowers and where you can go without them will help you budget your spending.
5. Opt for a more casual meal service
A formal, seated meal can be costly for weddings, especially for those with hundreds of guests. If you insist on having your guests enjoy a seated meal, plan a more affordable process like a family-style meal where a table passes around a main dish and a few side dishes. Food stations made up of pasta, potatoes, Thai, or Asian food are also an affordable alternative, or you can choose to serve tapas. For dessert, include different bite-sized cake or candy stands. As for alcohol, you can serve beer, wine, and only one signature cocktail to cut costs, or you can limit your open bar to only the first couple of hours.
The Mackey House sets the stage for weddings, while the bride and groom dress it up however they choose. This style of venue allows couples the chance to make budget-friendly wedding planning decisions where ever they see fit. Whether you want to bring in your own handmade decorations, hold your wedding on a weekday, change up the way you serve food, or regulate the bar area, The Mackey House invites this creativity while also providing the setup and break down of two event spaces with chairs, tables, twinkle lighting, and heaters or fans. We also know the best caterers and vendors in Savannah, and we work closely with each client to help them stay within their personal budget while still throwing a beautiful wedding at The Mackey House.