In our current market, it is very difficult to think about spending a lot of money on a wedding, but weddings are expensive and everyone wants their wedding to be beautiful. No one wants to have to worry about money, but it is an issue, especially now. Here are some ways to keep your wedding beautiful while on a budget.

Venues

When picking a venue, sometimes it can be less expensive to find venues that allow outside catering. There will still be corkage fees and cake cutting fees, but there is a good chance you can find a good caterer for a good price. At venues that don’t allow outside catering, find out if you are able to just serve appetizers (there will be a minimum fee that you have to hit, but it will still be less expensive than a sit down dinner). Bring your own wine and champagne because you can find a decent bottle of wine or champagne for a good price at beverage store and with the corkage fee it will still be less expensive.

Save the Dates

When sending out your save the dates; consider using a Wal-Mart or a Costco for picking out your border and for printing. By doing this you wont have to pay any delivery or shipping fee from another company.

Bridal Party

For beach weddings a good place to find bridesmaid dresses that are very decently priced and are versatile is American Apparel. They have a number of colors and styles that are very fitting for a casual wedding or beach-side wedding. When thinking about favors for your bridesmaids or groomsmen; consider items like jewelry that they can wear on the day of the wedding or cigars for the men.  Items such as these show that  care and appreciate their presence.  Also, the bridal party can look back upon these items and remember your special day.

Centerpieces

Making your own wedding reception centerpieces is another great way to save on costs. For beach or winter/outdoor type weddings there is a very easy way to make your own centerpieces, which will cut down on costs on flowers, etc. You can find inexpensive vases at your local Wal-Mart or Dollar Store and find some inexpensive candles to put in them. If you are having a beach wedding you can fill the vases with sand or shells, or if you are having an outdoor wedding, you could fill it will stones or flowers or put some neat branches around it. If you decide to do flowers, there are open flower markets that you can go to, or if you have a friend with a nice garden that could also be beneficial. Also finding small mirrors to go under the centerpieces adds a nice touch to any style centerpiece.

The Little Things

Cutting out things like name card for the tables or bows around the chairs are simple little expenses that can be done without. Having your pictures printed at a Costco is another way to cut down on costs for your photography, which is one of the more expensive parts of a wedding. However finding a good photographer is still very important and can be rather expensive, but this way you can at least keep the prints on the lower end. Remember you can have a beautiful wedding on any budget because your family and friends are there to support you. You can entertain on a budget and still remember how beautiful everything looked on your wedding day, and you didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg!

Image 1 via Organize Our Wedding

Image 2 Wal-Mart

Image 3 American Apparel

Image 4 American Apparel

Image 5 via Seashell City

Image 6 via Wedding Bee