Tips for budget-friendly weddings

Think of all the things you could do with $40,000.

Pay off debts. Take a much-needed vacation. Start a new business. Start a college fund, or pay for all of your child’s college. Make a large donation to an organization of your choice.

The list could go on.

The crazy thing is, the average cost of a wedding in the United States is just under that amount — $38,700 — according to WeddingWire’s 2019 Newlywed report.

The report looked at data from more than 18,000 U.S.-based newlyweds who got married in 2018.

A breakdown of that report includes:

Officiant: $300

Cake and desserts: $550

Invitations/stationery: $550

Lighting and decor: $1,400

Dress: $1,700

Flowers: $1,800

Photography: $2,400

Band: $3,900

Catering: $6,700

Venue: $9,000

That doesn’t include rings and a honeymoon. WeddingWire averages those two common additions to $5,000 and $4,500, respectively.

Of course, all of those totals are situational. Are you going to Paris for a honeymoon? Disney World? Opting for a quiet getaway in your family’s cabin in Colorado?

More options

Another option against the norm of expensive diamonds is lab-created white sapphires.

Do yourself a favor and Google white sapphires. Looks like a diamond, doesn’t it?

While white sapphires look very similar to natural or lab-created diamonds, they are also a lot less expensive: A 1-carat diamond of high color and clarity will cost anywhere between $7,000 and $10,000. A similar white sapphire will cost around $450.

Sapphires are also very durable, similar to diamonds.

Tips for a wedding on a budget

While one option is a small, family wedding with a big party with friends later, a lot of brides aren’t ready to forego the big day altogether.

Trent Hamm, founder of The Simple Dollar, has some suggestions to save money on your big day.

1. Plan, plan, plan: When you’re trying to have a wedding on a budget, it’s important to plan ahead. List everything you can think of and walk through these items step by step. The earlier you get started, and the more things you think about early on, the less last-minute stress you’ll have, and the more time you’ll have to find sales and discounts and research other good ideas.

2. Go minimal with the flowers: Instead of spending boatloads of money on flowers that will die shortly after the reception, keep it simple but elegant. Or even cheaper: go with fake flowers instead. It’s likely that no one will even notice, and you could save a bundle by making the arrangements yourself well ahead of time.

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