16 Biggest Wedding Money Wasters đź’Ť

  

It can feel good playing the big spender at your wedding and showing off to all your guests with lavish plans. However, this feeling of opulence can be quickly replaced by despair once the party is over and realize just how much you have spent. If you need to bring a little sanity to your wedding plans, stay away from these huge wedding money wasters.

1. An expensive wedding venue


Wedding venue costs can be exorbitant enough to take over your wedding budget all by themselves easily. Sometimes, you can get in over your head even if you are not looking for an expensive place.

Many venues try to reel people in by advertising low prices but building them up with expensive add-ons – china, furnishings, lighting options, etc. It’s important to make sure that your venue does not use up more than 20% of your budget.

More: 47 Wedding Infographics for All You Need to Know

Choosing an outdoor venue is a great way to save on decorations. Consider some low-cost locations like your backyard, parks, forests, or gardens. Another way to save you money is by choosing an all-inclusive package, which usually includes the reception, wedding, and are more expensive, so try booking yours on another day of the week!

2. Trying too hard to save money on the venue can be bad, too


A bare venue, such as a large loft in a building or an empty hall in a barely used part of a property, can be priced very cheaply.

However, the problem with such low-end venues is that it will be up to you to bring in everything you need for your weddings, such as lighting, furniture, carpeting, cutlery, and silverware.

More: 3. Indulgent entertainment

DJs, a string quartet, and even a five-piece wedding band can liven up your wedding beautifully without costing too much. If you need to indulge a special love of Elvis impersonators, jugglers, or belly dancers, though, you can easily run out of money. It’s important to keep your wedding entertainment expectations under control.

More: without huge expenses. A local college band is also a good option to consider. Young musicians will likely jump at a chance to get experience and such bands usually cost less than professionals. In general, a DJ will be cheaper than a live band.

4. Inviting everyone

It may seem like the right thing to do to invite every relative and everyone that you’ve ever been friends with to your big day. However, each additional guest can cost an extra $150 at the average venue. You can quickly inflate your final bill when you don’t have the heart to keep your guest list to a reasonable length.

When making the guest list, try to omit your coworkers, children, and separated couples. If you cannot decide on the number of guests, use the rule of thumb: if you can spend more than two minutes with that person, invite them.

More: 5. Acquiring a sizable set of groomsmen and bridesmaids


At some weddings, the bride and groom show up with a small army of attendants. While it may feel good to have of large posse watching your back, they can cost money.

Even if you don’t shell out for the dress, you have to think of paying for invitations, gifts, bouquets, and places at tables. You can end up paying hundreds more.

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6. The wedding attire

According to a recently published survey, half of all brides are uncomfortable spending more than $800 on their wedding dresses. Yet, the average wedding dress costs around $1,100.

It’s easy to buy into the glamour-filled messages of the wedding industry and spend far more than you are comfortable with. But wedding attire is actually an expense you have plenty of opportunities to save some money on!

Nothing bad will happen if you buy a wedding dress off the rack or at a department store. If you love the dress, that’s all that matters! If you feel good about once-worn or as well. Other cost-conscious variants include a rented gown or a dress bought at an online auction site.

7. Personalized wedding outfits


Personalized wedding outfits are incredibly trendy these days. Wedding retailers offer custom-printed clothing for all involved, with formal wedding titles printed on. Everyone from the best men to the bridesmaids get monogrammed outfits to wear around while they help. Since these touches are a luxury, they come at a heavy premium.

Moreover, you are not going to wear such clothes permanently, even though it is fun to have something personalized at first. Thus, it is not a good idea to spend money on such short-lived pieces of clothing.

Instead, you can order a pair of simple monogrammed pajamas with your partner. You can wear them at home where just the two of you can admire them!

8. Making mementos of everything


Wedding service providers sell the idea that weddings need to be treasured and remembered with all kinds of keepsakes – tokens that you can hand down to your children one day. They try to sell you monogrammed pens, picture frames, toasting glasses, preserved wedding flowers, and vases to commemorate your wedding day. While mementos are certainly important, you don’t need to spend anything on them.

More: 9. Elaborate wedding invitations


Wedding invitations are so expensive that you can easily end up spending $20 on an invitation with the works. It’s much more reasonable to go with mass-produced invitations. Just because they are store-bought does not mean your invitations can’t be classy and beautiful. You can even find some designs by big-name designers such as Vera Wang! Ask your guests to respond via telephone or e-mail instead of adding a reply card or using usual postcards.

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