The Top Wedding Money Wasters & What to do Instead – Part 1

The wedding industry makes billions of dollars every year.  Put the word wedding in front of anything and watch the price instantly rise.  If you have done your research you know to search for the things you want without using the word “wedding” to get the best prices.  Regardless there are countless vendors out there telling you what you absolutely need to have at your wedding, reception and as mementos of your wedding day.  Even if you can afford it with your wedding budget it doesn’t mean you should.

This week, we will be focusing on where you can save a little cash. Here are some of the top wedding budget money wasters to avoid, and some alternative options to make your wedding special without the extra costs.

Expensive Wedding Favors – There are so many wedding favors available.  Let’s admit it some of them are absolutely gorgeous and some even have reuse value like personalized silver picture frames. But do they really?  How many of your guests will really want to display a picture frame with the time, date and location of your wedding etched into it?

Wedding favors are a place that many couples go overboard with spending.  There are so many DIY projects and cheap options there is really no reason to spend a fortune on wedding favors.  You can even have another item double as a favor.  Like those personalized picture frames?  Get small, plain picture frames in bulk and order personalized escort cards to fit or hand write your guests names and seating assignment on a pretty card stock and place it in the frame.  Having a candy bar? Provide cute takeout boxes and tie a note on card stock to the box telling guests to fill their own favor boxes at the beautiful display of candy you have arranged.  If you are the baker in the family, hand tie some family recipes that you printed on special paper and place a copy of your recipe book at each place setting for your guests.  Are you music savvy?  Make a CD for each guest with an insert about why you chose each song.

Bride & Groom Branded Merchandise – You can buy nearly anything with the word bride or groom stamped on it these days.  From sweatpants to flip flops to tote bags the choices are endless. How much bride and groom merchandise do you need really?  Is that all you want to be known as?  Do you wear a sweatshirt shouting that you are a waitress or a lawyer?  How long will you really consider yourself a bride after the wedding?  Do you really think your bridesmaids or groomsmen will ever wear their swag again?  Some may not even enjoy it the first time!

Go ahead and buy yourself some bride and groom merchandise but be selective and limit it to an item or two.  Buy pajama pants, underwear or flip flops that have bride or groom written on the bottom and not where it can easily be seen.  By purchasing items you know you can use again you are making the purchase worth your money and getting the gear you crave.  For bridesmaids and groomsmen gear, consider T-Shirts that have a funny saying or phrase on them instead of just reading groomsmen or bridesmaid.

Huge Wedding Cake Creations – There is nothing that awes the same way as a gorgeous tiered wedding cake.  But if you are only having 50 guests do you really need a cake that serves 130? Probably not.  Lots of extra cake at $2 to $15 a serving is a lot of wasted money.

If you want a huge wedding cake that causes your guests to “oooh” and “aaah” but don’t have the huge guest list, or budget, to match, consider having your baker use false tiers or a separator set and layer fresh flowers between the tiers.  If you have the opposite problem and have a ton of guests but don’t have the budget for a gorgeous multi-tiered cake do the same thing and use a sheet cake from the same bakery, cupcakes or other dessert options to feed your guests.