10 Ways to Outshine Your Friend’s Wedding on a Budget

You went to your friend’s wedding, and it was beautiful. It had all the bells and whistles and felt like something straight out of a fairy tale. Maybe there was even a horse and carriage!

Thankfully, you can still have just as grand of a wedding without spending a fortune. Here are 10 ways to outshine your friend’s wedding even if you’re on a budget.

1. Find the Perfect Venue

Get a good snack and a big cup of coffee, and make Google your best friend. You need to really dig and research to find a wedding venue in your price range.

Start your search in towns near you, so you can cut down travel expenses. After all, renting a limo or hiring a ride-share service can be pricey. Once you’ve got a list of locations, look up “affordable wedding venues” or “wedding venues in so-and-so town.” Public parks and park districts also have hidden gems that are worth looking into.

2. Consider a Winter Wedding

Winter is the off-season for weddings, so as a result, the dress, tux, and most notably, the venue will be significantly cheaper.

Winter weddings can be just as beautiful as your friend’s expensive ceremony and reception but for a fraction of the cost. Plus, snow is a sparkling backdrop for some truly breathtaking photos and videos.

3. Negotiate with Vendors

Not everything is set in stone once you get a contract from vendors. Open your mouth and negotiate the pricing.

When it comes to catering, for instance, you may be able to bring your own tablecloths instead of using their rentals. It’s also possible that you could supply cups, cutlery, plates, and napkins. The same goes for the venue, flowers, and even the wedding dress alterations. Some vendors are willing to work with you and your budget.

4. Be Creative with Catering

You don’t have to shell out the big bucks on lobster and steak. Save money on your wedding by ordering from a local restaurant, asking family or friends to do the cooking, or even turning the reception into a potluck where everyone brings their own dish.

Modern weddings have also been hiring food trucks for guests to enjoy at any point during the reception. This is a win for you since you’re staying on your wedding budget, and it’s a win for the food trucks who are small and often family-owned. They can use the business boost they’ll get from a big event like your big day!

5. Create DIY Centerpieces

Skip the costs of hiring a fancy wedding planner or decorator. Your friend may have had a ritzy ballroom wedding, but yours can be even grander if you craft beautiful centerpieces to put on each table at the reception.

Mason jars, flowers, decorative stones, frilly lace, tealights, and a good hot glue gun can really work wonders in creating DIY centerpieces for your wedding. When in doubt, there’s nothing wrong with flowers or framed photos of you and your bride or groom-to-be.

6. Recruit People You Know

Do you know an excellent photographer? How about someone who rocks at hair and makeup? Hire your friends to do as many jobs as possible.

Some college students may also be willing to do work pro bono for the opportunity to pad out their resume with more experience. Explore your options before hiring the most expensive vendors. Your friend is going to be so jealous of how awesome everything looks!

7. Trim Your Guest List

Great Aunt Betty doesn’t have to come to your wedding. Tailor your guest list, so only your close friends and family are in attendance.

Some weddings have as many as 250 guests. While it feels lousy to cut people from the list, it’s even worse to go over your wedding budget because you feel bad. Make it up to the people who get left out by meeting them for dinner and explaining why you had to be strategic with the guest list. Your loved ones will understand, and if they don’t, they’ll get over it eventually.

8. Don’t Splurge on Extras

Do you really need a live band playing an acoustic version of your favorite song as you walk down the aisle? Cut out the extravagant extra costs wherever you can. Weddings are expensive, and every little thing you choose not to include will save you money down the line.

If you do still want to host a wedding as grand as your friend’s, then there are ways to work around the expenses without splurging. Choose a memorable theme for all the decorations, or bring lawn games for your guests to play if you’re having an outdoor ceremony and reception. There are budget-friendly ways to make any wedding seem a bit more special.

9. Shop at Thrift Stores

Some women are lucky enough to find their wedding dress at Goodwill for less than $50. Troll the aisles of thrift shops to see what you can find for your wedding. Decorations, vases for flowers, jewelry, shoes, thank you notes, and so many other essentials can be bought on a budget.

Your friend had a lovely wedding, but you still are listening to her vent about how much money it all cost. You will be sitting pretty if you do the legwork and hunt at thrift shops for the items you need to make your wedding special.

10. Cultivate Your Playlist

Admit it. You were totally bored when you watched your friend dance with her partner at their wedding. Why not make your celebration a bit more lively with a good, energizing playlist?

There’s no need to hire a deejay. As long as the venue has a speaker system, you can connect to Bluetooth and play your Spotify playlist the entire night. Dancing is totally optional, but if you put out a few glowsticks and have an open bar, there’s no doubt that your guests will be getting into the groove.

Beautiful on a Budget

Now’s not the time to compare your wedding to your friend’s. It’s not competition, after all. With all that said, though, it’s still going to feel amazing to throw a magnificent wedding without going over your budget. Give any of these ideas a try, and enjoy your big day!

Read More:

Here’s How to Have the Best Outdoor Fall Wedding

5 Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Wedding