This goes to all lovebirds who got engaged over the holidays and are now planning a wedding without any experience in event planning.
Somehow you are expected to create a day that is traditional yet modern. Well attended and yet intimate. It’s about you as a couple, but it shouldn’t offend any of your guests either. Most importantly, don’t spend too much, just make sure it looks expensive.
Sure, weddings are fun, but the most important part of any wedding is everything that happens after that – your real life, together. Don’t start this life with credit card debt that lasts through your fifth anniversary.
If you focus your spending on what you and your guests are actually noticing and leaving out expensive things that nobody really cares about, you will have a beautiful wedding without debt.
CREATE YOUR BUDGET
Before planning anything, establish a budget based on what you (and your families, if they contribute) can afford. Make every decision with this number in mind, whether it’s $ 250, $ 5,000, or $ 50,000.
At its core, a wedding is simply “a celebration of love,” says Jen Glantz, founder of Bridesmaid for Hire and an email newsletter called The First Years of Marriage. “There are no rules at this celebration. … See your wedding as a blank chalkboard, an empty room. What would you like to fill it with?
EVALUATION OF THE TRADITIONAL MUST-HAVES
“That’s the biggest thing I have to say to everyone when they are planning a wedding: you don’t need anything at your wedding to get married,” says Glantz. “If you don’t want cake, then don’t eat cake. If you don’t want to wear a dress or a tuxedo, then don’t.”
Here are some other ways to save.
– DECOR: Guests remember the general atmosphere, not the tiny details. “People at weddings are busy,” says Glantz. “And when you’re busy, you don’t see things.” Save on decorating by renting it or browsing the Buy Nothing groups on social media. Already married friends may have leftover items that they would like to lend or give away. There are even services where you can share flowers with another couple who are getting married in the same week.
– TRANSPORT: “We really believe the big stretch limo can get you to church or the venue,” said Sheavonne Harris, owner and primary coordinator for Events by Sheavonne in New York City. But your guests will be seated inside when you arrive so that the car is not part of your grand entrance. According to Harris, you also need to book for a minimum number of hours with autoservices, so you end up paying for the time you don’t use. She recommends booking a ride hailing service – yes, just like if you need a ride to the airport.
– INVITATIONS, PROGRAMS AND MENUS: All the paper items that you carefully select will end up in the trash. Programs stay in chairs after the ceremony, and menus are hidden under plates after a quick scan. Even your invitations only end up in the guests’ refrigerator for a few months before they end up on the landfill. “You just threw a $ 10 bill in the trash,” says Harris. If you want the paper tradition at a lower price, skip the menus and programs. You can also find beautiful paper invitations for a fraction of the price at certain online retailers. Many of these print shops also have seasonal sales.
– PARTY FAVORS: Please let 2022 be the year we cancel parties. Guests leave them behind and you’ll be stuck with 75 personalized beer koozies for the rest of your life.
OUTPUT WHAT WILL NOTICE
– PHOTOGRAPHY: Long after your wedding, all you have left is memories and pictures. This isn’t what assigns this cousin who took a few photography classes in college to be assigned. “If you want to put money into something, put it into photography,” says Harris. “In photography, you definitely get what you pay for.”
– THE GUEST EXPERIENCE: Both Glantz and Harris recommend checking out weddings that you will be attending as a guest before your own big day. What made you feel welcome? Guests won’t remember getting married in a quaint historic mansion, but they will remember if that mansion only had one bathroom with a 20-minute queue. Cut down on spending elsewhere to focus on dining, drinking, entertainment, and guest comfort.
– PROFESSIONAL PROVIDERS: Hiring a friend or doing a task yourself might feel like a money-saving move. Harris warns that, unlike a professional salesperson, your friend likely won’t have a backup plan if the flower order is late or the sound equipment is out of order. And if you hire a pro at the last minute because that friend is stepping down, you’ll end up costing even more.
USE REWARD CREDIT CARDS
Many self-employed sellers do not accept credit cards, but pay the wedding expenses with a premium credit card whenever possible. Not only can you earn cashback or travel rewards (hello, discounted honeymoon!), But should a provider fail to honor their commitment to you, you can dispute the fees.
This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Sara Rathner is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: srathner@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SaraKRathner.
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NerdWallet: Steaks and registration bonuses: How to save with credit cards at your wedding https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-credit-cards-save-wedding