Last Updated on February 21, 2022 by Guillermina
Today, we’re going to be looking at the best ways to pay for a wedding. Let’s be honest, a wedding will likely be the most expensive event of your life. It’s a day you’ve probably been dreaming about since you were little and you want everything to be perfect. But the biggest problem most couples face when planning their wedding is financial ones. So what’s the best way to pay for a wedding? How much is the average wedding? What’s the best way to save? Let’s take a closer look.
How Much Is The Average Wedding?
In the US, the average wedding is around $25,000. The venue will no doubt be the most expensive part of your wedding; alongside the photographer and videographer, if you decide to have one. I’m from the UK and was on a particularly tight budget and managed to have my wedding at just over £5,000 (around $6,500) but it took a lot of time and effort to find such good deals!
Tips For Cutting Down The Cost Of Your Wedding
If you’re still struggling with how to keep the costs down of your wedding, try some of these foolproof tips.
- Set a Budget. If your budget is $12,000 and you want to get married in a year’s time, divide 12,000 by 12 and you’ll on average need to be saving $1,000 a month. If that’s not viable, consider pushing back your wedding date or using one of our ideas above (asking for monetary wedding gifts in advance, asking friends and family for help, personal loans, etc.)
- Use Savings. Most people have some kind of savings. If it’s something you’re comfortable doing, dip into your savings to pay for some of the weddings. Although you’re still technically paying for the wedding, it’s money that you would never have touched usually!
- Time of the Year. The time of the year you have your wedding will affect the price massively. Try having your wedding on a weekday (as they’re much cheaper than weekends) and try to avoid busy months such as July and August
- Scout Out Vendors. I spent days upon days trawling the internet for the best deals, receiving quotes from various suppliers and I managed to take hundreds of my wedding just by putting extra time and effort in
- Party at Home. If it’s possible, have your reception at home, or later down the line so it doesn’t have to be paid in one whole chunk. Sacrifices like this will make the wedding significantly cheaper
If you’re looking for more advice for weddings on a budget, check out this fantastic article. From hand-me-downs to haggling, there are some great tips!
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you to discover ways to pay for a wedding and how to make whatever budget you have stretch to your dream wedding day. It may take some extra time and effort but it will most definitely be worth it!
Do you have any other tips and tricks on how to pay for a wedding and stretch your budget further? Please feel free to let me know any suggestions in the comments below. Sharing is caring!
FAQs
How Do You Pay For a Wedding With no Money?
If you have no money, it's almost impossible to have a wedding. But there are ways to make whatever budget you have stretch further. For example, if you get married in a religious venue such as a church, or somewhere like a court - that will cut back on venue fees massively. Another way is to ask friends and family for help if they're financially able to, and you feel comfortable doing so. Parents are usually more than happy to help. Another suggestion is to ask for your guests if you can have your wedding gifts in advance, and ask if they can gift money towards the wedding. If you choose to do this, ensure each guest knows what their money is going towards.
What is the Cheapest Way to Have a Wedding?
The quickest and easiest way to make your budget stretch as far as possible is to limit your guest list. Although you may want to invite lots of people, adding more guests means substantially more money. An intimate wedding is definitely the cheapest way to have a wedding. Another way is to do everything you can yourself (with or without friends and family's help). While this takes more time and effort, it will significantly lower the price. For example, a candy bar can be hundreds of dollars - but borrow a table from your venue and buy the candy in bulk; you'll save a lot from doing things yourself!
How Does a Wedding Get Paid For?
If you're following tradition, it is the bride's family's responsibility to pay for the majority of the wedding. However, in more recent years, the groom's side of the family contributes towards the wedding too. Or if you're like me and my husband, although our families gifted some money, we saved for most of the wedding ourselves. Saving for the wedding can take a while and you may have to have your wedding later than originally planned - but I was happy to wait a little longer and have the day of my dreams.
How Can I Get Money For My Wedding Fast?
If you simply can't wait for your wedding (it's understandable), there's a range of ways to get money fast - but most of them will require you paying the companies back for several years, so only choose these options if you must. If you have a steady income, a personal loan could be an idea - you can usually borrow anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000 (depending on your credit score). Credit cards are another quick way to get money - however, be careful with interest rates! If these aren't options for you and you have a social media platform, why not try something like crowdfunding, getting sponsored or entering a competition? You have to be in it to win it!