Sarah Metlova
Planning A Wedding On A Small Budget – Marriage is not always fair. In 2022, the average wedding ceremony and reception cost $28,000. This is roughly equivalent to 3 years of public college education or 28 new iPhones.
I don’t know about you, but most of us don’t have that kind of money. So what if you’re planning a wedding on a budget?
Planning A Wedding On A Small Budget
Don’t worry – there’s no need to procrastinate. It is entirely possible to plan a wedding without spending a dime. You can do it for $1,000. (Seriously.) If math gives you a headache, don’t worry. With this guide to planning a wedding on a budget of $1,000 or less, you’ll have a budget-friendly wedding day plan — down to the last rose petal.
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It’s time to talk numbers. Where does the money go for a typical wedding and reception? Total Wedding Expenses:
A full breakdown of costs can be found in our blog: How to Plan a Wedding on a Small Budget.
However, don’t lose hope. Although these numbers are high, you can certainly have most of the elements of a traditional wedding on a $1,000 budget. You have to be creative – and a little flexible.
As a general rule, the bigger your wedding, the more expensive it will be. Because for every guest you invite, you’ll need:
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If you run your calculator, that’s an average of $87.75 per guest. You can easily blow your $1,000 budget on catering for your guests. But before intermittent fasting, there is another solution – a micro-wedding.
A true micro wedding has 50 or fewer guests, but you can make it even smaller. Calculating average wedding costs, you can save about $877.50 by removing 10 people from the guest list.
Although this is a budget-friendly tip, hosting a micro wedding can make your day even more special and intimate. You’re not calling old college acquaintances or a list of forgotten third cousins. Your wedding will be held with only your closest family, friends and loved ones. Sounds like a special wedding day recipe to us.
At all costs, your wedding is huge. The average couple spends around $10,000!
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I mean… it’s a little hard to rock when it’s a tenth of the entire wedding budget. They do not rent 1/10th of the mansion.
The easiest option is to find budget-friendly or even better, free weddings. For example, let’s take the mayor’s office. The place is free, the organizer is there! Additionally, City Hall has amazing architecture depending on your location.
Don’t like any of these platform options? Try finding budget-friendly wedding favors on a site like Peerspace.
With beerspace weddings averaging $130-$220 per hour, getting by on such a tight budget can be a little difficult. However, if you only need a couple of hours of space, it can help you maximize your ceremony or reception without blowing your budget.
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It depends on where you want to post and how good a deal you can get. But to keep things budget-friendly, the backyard ceremony and reception are — AKA, free.
To get married, you technically need a marriage license, which costs between $40-$100 from the state. There’s really no way to break this cost, so you’ll need to budget for what your state will pay. And the wedding officiant? Now, there is an option to save.
Fees for professional wedding celebrants vary depending on their experience level, what they bring to your ceremony and whether they are religious or civil. Regardless, the average salary for an officer is $300.
It’s not good to hear that the wedding budget is shoes and chewing gum. But here’s the thing – you don’t need a lot of experience to officiate a wedding. In fact, you don’t need anything.
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Some states do not require the appointment of a marriage officiant. So a close friend or family member can host your ceremony. Don’t worry if your state requires you to appoint an officer. Appointments can also be made online for free or for a small fee — usually $29 to $60.
Imagine how wonderful it would be to have your best friend say “I do” or your brother help you sign your marriage license. Not only is it a sweet and impressive ceremony, it is also perfect for a budget wedding day.
Even if you don’t usually pay a family member or friend to host your ceremony, it’s nice to give something in return for their hard work. We’ll leave with a $50 gift or tip to say thank you.
Ready for some big sticker punch? A professionally designed wedding invitation costs an average of $530. If you don’t want to spend half of your budget on invitations, we have another solution: e-white.
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With digital apps like Canva, it’s easy to create and customize templates for exceptional quality invitations without the price tag. You can send them by email – no post here. You can also track online RSVP with services like:
For free. Not seriously. While many of these services offer premium upgrades, they don’t necessarily offer amazing electronic intelligence. If you play your cards right, you can walk out of this party absolutely free!
A bakery cake can cost up to $500. But box cake mix? Almost $2 a box (and that’s in 2022!) seems like reason enough to roll up your sleeves and bake us your own cake.
Let’s crunch the numbers here. To make a 3-layer round 9×13 cake, we need three boxes of mix. Three boxes of mix x $2 each = $6 for your cake, plus other ingredients like eggs or butter. But what about the cold?
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For a three-layer cake, you’ll need 3½ to 4 cups of frosting. These days the Wilton Box Frosting Kit is $6.89 and makes 2 cups of frosting. There is no such thing as too much frost, let’s say three. 3 Wilton Royal Icing Box Kits $6.89 x 3 = $20.67.
So currently we spend about $27 on our cake. We’ll whip up two cans of food coloring (currently a 1 oz can of Wilton’s for $2.69) and a starter piping kit to make frozen roses. (Wilton 12-Piece Piping Tip & Decorating Package, currently $10.99.)
About $43.04 for cake ingredients and supplies. All you have to do now is show off your cool skills on YouTube or baking TikTok.
Or, if cake scares you, try dessert at your wedding instead. If you are not a cake fan, there are many varieties of them. They are super budget friendly to accompany or replace your wedding cake.
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Don’t be afraid to ask for help here too. If you have siblings who can cook, send a representative. If they are willing to work, what else does the family need?
It all depends on whether you want to bake it yourself or outsource it to your baking family. But let’s come up with a mix of 3 brownie boxes, because you’ll never have enough. If you’re keeping track, that’s about $5.22.
Unfortunately, people can’t live off cake (I tried.) But feeding a crowd can add up quickly—even if you’re making all the food yourself. How to make it budget-friendly? Try to make your wedding a wedding!
Your guests can bring their own food and create a buffet where everyone can choose from. Plus, you don’t have to worry about choosing a menu that your diners will love. They do it themselves, so it’s all good.
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Well, it varies – depending on the number of dishes you bring and what you want to serve. However, you can easily serve dessert and call it a day, giving yourself this party element for free.
A new wedding dress from a bridal salon costs an average of $1,800. But no one says you have to buy a wedding dress. Can rental shirts be included?
Rental gowns start at just $50, depending on the style. Check out the following sites:
The same goes for the groom suit – you can find many suits at local stores or through the following sites:
Episode 89: Planning A Wedding On A Budget — Frugal Debt Free Life
It depends on the styles you choose. But according to Brides.com, wedding dress rentals average between $50 and $600. Let’s assume a budget of $180 per dress.
What about tux rentals? According to YeahWeddings, tuxedo rentals will average $135 in 2022. So the total cost of your wardrobe is $315.
Beauty is not only a pain, it can be expensive. Professional hair and makeup artists cost $250 or more. For a $1,000 budget wedding, it’s best to do your own hair and makeup.
Lucky for you, there are many brides
How To Plan A Wedding
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