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10 Ways You Might Be Wasting Money On Your Wedding
After the initial shock of finding out your dream videographer charges $5,000 for a five-hour event, planning your wedding on a budget basically becomes about where you can save the most money. Wedding vendors go crazy with skyrocketing prices, but with a little organization and research, you can avoid wasting thousands on unnecessary additions.
Amidst a sea of buttercream cake flavors and satin tablecloths, it's easy to get caught up in craze of the wedding planning world. If you want to have something left of your finances for your honeymoon, or you know, your upcoming married life, it's important to consider where you might be wasting your money. Check out these top money-wasting offenders to avoid (or at least be aware of) for any wedding.
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Overpriced Venues
Why pay thousands of dollars for a stuffy, boring event space that looks like a convention center when the world is your oyster? Look at your favorite local parks, outdoor destinations, or simply the beach for an unforgettable setting to celebrate when searching for your perfect wedding venue.
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Extravagant Wedding Cakes
For some reason, this is always the first question old ladies ask when you get engaged. What flavor is the cake going to be, what is it going to look like, etc. Chances are, you have a friend who either is a baker or is an avid baker in his or her spare time. With the cost of supplies, decorations, and maybe a little gift as a thank you, a cake made by a friend could save you hundreds (plus it’s more memorable!)
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Plated Meals Instead Of A Buffet
Skip the fancy plated service and save with an easy, laid-back buffet. The caterer will know how to keep things moving and flowing way better than your average barbecue, and you won’t be giving off any pretentious vibes; sometimes non-traditional wedding planning is the way to go.
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The Wedding Hair Updo
Most hair salons and wedding hair stylists charge a much higher rate for wedding hairstyles than a regular event updo. Ignore all of the wedding-specific marketing and schedule a regular event updo or styling appointment to save big-time.
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Unnecessary Displays
It’s not 1995 — forget any tacky displays like ice sculptures or chocolate fountains. Put together a solid dessert buffet with several options and your guests will thank you.
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An Open Bar
Let’s be real, shelling out the cash for beer and wine is a must for any reception, but think twice about paying for a completely open bar. Most people will be content with beer and wine, and will be totally fine paying for cocktails if they want. Plus, it makes it less likely there will be any drunken outbursts during the speeches.
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Wedding Favors That You Can't Eat
Sure, some adorable DIY mini succulents as favors sounds like the cutest idea ever, however in reality no one is going to actually remember to take theirs home at the end of the night. Get your money’s worth by giving guests a little treat that they can either eat right away or fit in a small purse. Or, here's an idea, just skip wedding favors altogether!
Image: All Favor Shop/Etsy
Venue-Provided Beverages
Whether you’re going with a full open bar or just beer and wine, consider buying bulk amounts of your favorite brews and varieties. Depending on regulations, some wedding venues will let you supply the beer and wine for the bar; this will save you plenty of cash, so it’s worth it when you have to ask your friends to haul the cargo there on the big day.
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A Fancy Videographer
A gorgeous wedding video with Oscar-worthy cinematography sounds like it’s worth every penny, but you’re better off spending a bit more for the best photographer you can find instead. Enlist a family member or friend who’s camera-savvy to film the ceremony so you at least have something to watch when the mood strikes. In general, you’ll be getting a lot more use out of your future wedding photos than you will on a five-minute video that will end up in storage after a year. Besides — sometimes wedding photographers are kind of the worst.
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Accents That You Will Never Use Again
It’s great to have a selection of mementos to remember your big day. Pick out a few ideas that mean the most to you or concepts that you for sure want the photographer to get, and then forget about all the rest. There’s an endless supply of wedding DIY ideas, accents, and trinkets that you could spend your money on, and those small things add up. Stick with your favorite unique wedding decorations and save in the long run.
Image: Lynn Claire/Etsy
