5 ways to trim $5,000 off your wedding venue
While you’ve probably been dreaming of your wedding day since FOREVER, there’s no reason to blow your entire life’s savings on glitzy centre pieces and lavish limos, when there are plenty of ways to cut costs and still have a wonderful wedding venue.
Tighten your bridal belt and save money with these 5 top trimming tips:
1. Get married off peak
You can reduce the cost of your wedding venue significantly by becoming a winter bride and getting married between June and August or alternatively opt for a Friday or Sunday. These off peak times usually reduce the price by around $20 per person. With 110 people that’s a saving of $2,200.
Total saving = $2,200
2. Negotiate
You can reduce the price of your wedding venue further by haggling. While it may not seem like the most romantic endeavour, cutting hundreds off the price will help you on your way to marital financial bliss. So conduct some recon work to see what competitors in the same area are offering and ask the vendor if they can match it. Say you’re inviting 110 people, by getting the vendor to cut $10 off the price per person you’ll save yourself $1,100.
Total savings: $1,100
3. Hold your ceremony and reception in the same location
There are many fantastic wedding venues where you can hold your ceremony in the same location as the reception, such as vineyards, estates and function centres. You’ll save yourself the extra site fee of around $500 and a wedding car that can cost $400 just to chauffeur you between locations.
Total savings: $900
4. Create an inexpensive reception cocktail hour
Modern weddings are becoming more lavish by the minute. With everything from champagne on arrival to cocktail hour, the costs can quickly begin to soar. Avoid the wedding blowout by asking the venue to swap the caviar and sushi for a simple platter of cheese and crackers. Even if this saves you as little as $5 per person with 110 people that’s still $550 extra in your pocket.
Total saving = $550
5. DIY decorations
Be warned wedding venues love the “add-ons” - guest book, centrepieces, bridal table floral arrangements, wedding favours...the list goes on. For example, if the wedding venue quotes you $100 for the guest book and $600 for 11 floral centrepieces and instead you purchase the guest book online for as little as $25 and create your own table decorations for only $240, you’ll save yourself a total of $435.
Total saving = $435
And there you have it, $5,185 that could potentially be in your pocket not the wedding venue’s. Put the saved cash towards massages and mojitos on your Honeymoon!
