Every couple I talked to wants to know how they can save money in planning their wedding. Weddings do cost money and I do encourage couples to spend sensibly with their budget. However, today I want to address some of the not so good ways to save money during wedding planning.
(1) Hire only the cheapest vendor
Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. When you are hiring the cheapest vendor you can find, you have to ask why is his/her rate so low compared to other vendors? There are vendors who are good with reasonable rates but if you have one that is priced significantly lower than other vendors in the market, that is normally not a good sign. Proceed with caution is all I can say on this.
(2) Cut all entertainment
I have heard many times the couple said we are not going to hire a DJ because we need to save money. Now, not every wedding I planned has a DJ. Sometimes the couples told me they did not want to dance, in which case I tried to suggest other alternatives and together we planned some other activities that will still be fun for the guests.
Just to cut out the DJ is not going to save you money because you still need to think about how you are going to get a sound system so that the speeches can be heard and if you are renting a sound system, who will be your Master of Ceremony for the evening? Sure you may save a few hundred dollars but at the end of the day, what will your guests remember (if they cannot even hear a word)?
Once I attended a wedding with no DJ, no Master of Ceremony, and really no program at all. However, the bride told me that she still spent a lot more money than what she originally planned. Honestly as a guest I was not sure why she did not spend some of those money to at least get someone to give us instructions on what is to happen next during the reception. Most people left early that day because we were not sure what else is to come during that reception.
(3) Trying to DIY everything
If you are talented in crafts, DIY your wedding decoration/invitation/other paper products may save you money. If you are not good with them, the DIY projects may end up looking like a first grader's creation and even that may take you a long time to do. Is your hourly rate worth the time spent on each wedding DIY project or is it better to pay for someone else to do the work for you? Afterall, your time is valuable too!
Besides, some of the things are actually not easy to DIY. For example, wedding flowers will have to be arranged at the very last minute due to the perishable nature of the products. The day before the wedding is when I would rather see the bride get a pedicure and manicure instead of busy arranging floral centerpieces. You may also waste a lot of flowers because you do not know how much flowers need to be ordered.
My planning philosophy as a planner is to help couples look at the overall picture and allocate the funds available accordingly to that they can have a great "balanced" wedding. It is not the cheapest way to go but I aim for it to be an easy way and for it to be a less stressful planning experience for my couples!
