5 Ways to Actually Save Money on Your Colorado Wedding
You’ve been dreaming of your wedding day for a long time now. You have the perfect wedding dress picked out, you’ve spent countless hours deciding on what colors to use and which venue is just the right place to say “I do”. You might have even had your bridesmaid list finalized longer than you’d like to admit (no judgment here, we get it!).
It’s clear that there are certain things you just can’t part with, but you may also be wondering where you can trim some costs. It’s actually pretty easy to save money on your wedding without sacrificing the things you really care about, so whether you’re having a Colorado wedding or you’re tying the knot elsewhere, here are 5 ways to actually save money on your big day.
1. Cut your guest list
More is more when it comes to having a huge wedding guest list—more food, more drinks, more guest gifts. This will drive up the cost of your wedding faster than anything. Don’t think of paring down your guest list as “leaving people out.” Think of it as creating an intimate experience and really personalizing the way the day feels. If your parents are helping to pay for your wedding or you have other key decision-makers that this will impact, share your heart when it comes to how you want the day to feel and the environment you’re trying to create at your wedding.
2. Create a custom bar menu
Instead of stocking a full bar, stock several classic favorites. For example, you could offer beer and wine only. Or you could provide one to three custom drinks with personalized names. You could even create a “Local Favorites” menu featuring local beer, cider, wine, and whiskey! It’s your day and a custom bar can make it yours even more.
3. Get servers for your buffet
If you want to have a buffet instead of a plated dinner, that’s awesome and totally doable! But, we really encourage you to hire servers for the buffet to serve your guests. This helps with portion control and minimizes the need to purchase extra food to accommodate for how much people eat at a buffet that isn’t monitored.
4. Ditch guest gifts
As a wedding venue, one of the things we see go to waste more than anything else is guests’ gifts, aka wedding favors. At the end of the night, there are always a bunch of gifts left and they usually end up in the trash because, surprise, the couple doesn’t want 100 jars of jam! It’s okay to just skip the gifts entirely. Few people will even notice!
5. Combine florals and decor in your centerpieces
There’s no question about it, flowers are beautiful and can instantly transform a space. But they can also be expensive if you’re trying to outfit 25 guest tables, the wedding arbor, and more. One way to save money is to decorate some of your guest tables with floral arrangements and other tables with other types of decor like arrangements of multiple candles and crystal candle holders. Rachel and Travis did their tables this way and the effect was luxurious and stunning!
When you trim a few things in your wedding budget, you’ll have more funds for more impactful parts of your wedding—like bulk guest transportation to and from the hotel (which they will LOVE you for!) or that custom wedding dress with a stunning train or even the dream honeymoon to Europe. Your wedding will still be gorgeous, memorable, and fun, and no one will know the difference.