5 money-saving secrets wedding planners don’t want you to know

If the best things in life are free, and the best day in a gal’s life is her wedding day, then getting hitched shouldn’t cost a cent, right? ...It was worth a try.

Nowadays, weddings can cost an absolute fortune! In fact, according to Wedded Wonderland’s recent survey, the average cost of an Aussie wedding in 2019 is a whopping $53,168!

And if that made your jaw drop, would you believe, on average, Aussies are forking out as much as $12,000 for the engagement ring and $22,000 on the venue alone? ...Those wedding bells sound more like a ka-ching if you ask us!

Now, if these numbers have you going from bridezilla to runaway bride; before you hang up your veil and throw away the bouquet, check out these 5 juicy money-saving secrets that wedding planners don't want you to know!

Name your price

All it takes is one fancy floral arrangement, and you’ve blown your entire budget on a bunch of flowers that’ll wilt by the reception and riddle you with hayfever right before your honeymoon.

Set a wedding budget and be upfront with your florist, caterer and other vendors about how much you’re willing to spend, right from the get-go. This way they can make recommendations that you can afford, saving time and money for both of you.

Go for a package deal

When we sat down with wedding planner Sarah Johnston, she revealed that sticking to one events company for all your bookings (venue, DJ, catering) will usually score you a better deal. At the very least, you’ll save by only paying one lot of delivery and set up fees.

Looking for a venue that includes all the extras like wait staff, linen and cleaning fees can also help you avoid unexpected costs. Plus, if you’re a first-time bride and groom and don’t know the first thing about planning a wedding but can’t afford a wedding planner, then a venue package will ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Never use the ‘W’-word

Everyone knows, the moment you mention the word ‘wedding’ another zero gets added to the bill. Think about it, the average wedding cake costs around $955, but that same cake minus the bride and groom cake toppers would cost a quarter of that!

Call it sneaky, but if you play your cards right and avoid using the ‘W’-word then you can potentially score some super savings. Piece of advice, ask for a ‘celebration’ cake, NOT a ‘wedding’ cake. You’ll save hundreds and have a total ball decorating the cake yourself anyway!

It pays to be picky

A common wedding-planning misconception is that you need to go out and spend big bucks on every minute detail for your big day. However, the danger in this is you could wind up chucking all your money away on things you don’t need, like personalised fridge magnets and gold-trimmed napkins, before you’ve even had your first dress fitting!

Trust us, you’d be wiser to invest a little more towards something special, like the ring or your dream venue, and then find budget-friendly options for everything else. If your heart’s set on strutting down the aisle in the perfect dress, then ditch the red velvet cake and put your pennies towards a Vera Wang couture piece instead!

Dare to dream of a destination wedding

If you’ve adopted the mindful spending approach, then you’d probably think that a destination wedding-palooza is out of the question. After all, the honeymoon alone will set you back $10,145 on average. But, as the adorable little girl from the El Paso commercial once said, “Porque no los dos?”

Believe it or not, if you keep the numbers small, then a basic outdoor ceremony in Bali could actually save you more than a local wedding, especially if you kill two birds with one stone and have a combined wedding/honeymoon.

Just steer clear of peak travel periods for a better deal and go for a cheap destination where the exchange rates are in your favour.

How to pay for the big day

With the average cost of an Aussie wedding in 2019 adding up to a super steep $53,168, it’s safe to say that not a lot of folks have this kind of cash just laying about in their bank accounts. If you’re looking for a way to cover those hefty wedding costs so that you can pay them off later, then be sure to compare low-rate personal loans.

When searching for a loan to cover your wedding, keep an eye out for one with little or no fees, a killer interest rate (hint: this sometimes changes depending on your credit score) and, if you’ll use them, flexible features like free extra repayments, so you can pay off your loan quicker and save on interest.

Want more frugal wedding planning tips? Check out these 6 travel hacks to help you save on your honeymoon or head over to our weddings hub for more savvy-savings tips for when you’re getting hitched.