It’s no secret that weddings tend to cost a pretty penny, but sometimes couples are blindsided upon seeing the individual cost breakdowns of wedding services. Here are the top three wedding cost shocks and some tips to overcome them.

Photo by Husar Photography. Floral by Petal Play.

Floral. One common wedding decor element comes as no surprise: fresh floral. The price of the floral, however,  is often not anticipated by couples doing their wedding planning; it’s typically much more expensive than they thought. Here’s the secret on how to cut down that cost – think local, seasonal, and be flexible. Here are some examples: 1) clients on a tight budget can incorporate candle-heavy centerpieces on half of the tables, while the other half has complete floral centerpieces. 2) Have low centerpieces (as opposed to the big, tall ones) because they are much more cost-effective. 3) Reduce your bridal party, because personal flowers can be expensive. 4) Be open to substitutions. You don’t have to have peonies. Be open to garden roses instead – these flowers are very comparable and more readily available (which means less money). One big piece of advice we give to our couples – make sure to go with a good florist who is in your budget – DIY floral is definitely something we highly recommend avoiding.

Photo by Studio Starling. Invitations by CW Designs.

Invitations. When you’re mailing over a hundred pieces of finely crafted paper goods, it’s going to get pricey. People often forget that even just the amount of postage can add up to over a hundred dollars. Here are some tricks to cut down your invitation cost: 1) Typically, each additional information card (map & accommodations, RSVPs, other activities…) costs additional money. Consider including your wedding website on your invitation to deliver this information rather than including it on your mailed invitations. 2) Make sure your invitation is a size that can fit in a standard size envelope (or else you’ll have to pay a postage premium). 3) For addressing, cut out calligraphy writing and go with digital printing instead. 3) For RSVPs, go with a postcard (without the envelope) or with a digital RSVP. Don’t forget that your guest count does not equal the amount of invitations you’ll be sending – it’ll be per household instead.

Photo by J. Brown Photography.

Transportation. Providing transportation services for your guests – especially if you have many of them – can be an all-day, unnecessary expense. Think about it – from their hotel, to the ceremony, to the reception, to their hotel again – that’s an entire day of transportation rental. Here are some different ways to cut down on this expense: 1) Choose a hotel near the venue, whether it be the ceremony or the reception venue. We typically recommend getting a hotel near the church or ceremony location, so guests can walk there at their leisure. 2) Only cover transportation from the reception back to the hotel. 3) Consider using the same vehicle to transport the bridal party and guests. 4) Especially if you have a younger and/or local guest list, let them fend for themselves. Uber is great for times like these! 5) Have your ceremony and reception in the same place. 

 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with wedding planning and staying on track with your budget, let us help! We love guiding our clients and helping them achieve their wedding dreams. Email Naturally Yours Events at info@naturallyyoursevents.com today.