For Jessica Bishop, who formerly worked in marketing, starting BudgetSavvyBride.com in 2008 was personal. Newly engaged during the Great Recession, she had wondered, “How do I have this dream wedding on the budget that I can actually afford?”
In 2009, she managed to pull off a wedding for 150 guests at a venue in Smyrna, Tenn., for around $10,000, thanks to several cost-cutting measures. Since then, Ms. Bishop, who is based in nearby Nashville, has devoted her career to helping couples on a budget, publishing a book, “The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer,” in 2018.
Ms. Bishop says she has noticed a recent increase in social media posts promoting luxurious budget weddings. “These TikTokers sharing their expenses show you what is possible,” Ms. Bishop said.
One of those people posting on TikTok is Dina Zappone, who owns the Cottage, a wedding venue in Gilbert, Ariz., outside Phoenix, with her husband, Sal Zappone. On the social media platform, Ms. Zappone regularly gives behind-the-scene tours of the venue’s wedding packages, many of which are under $5,000.
Tess and Robert Ansell, 23-year-olds from Buckeye, Ariz., wedded at the Zappones’ venue in February, paying around $4,900 for 30 guests, all-inclusive. “We had the food, the D.J., the venue, the day-of coordinator, all wrapped up into one package,” said Ms. Ansell, a substitute teacher.
The Cottage also supplied complimentary games, including Jenga and Connect Four, while the couple brought their own cornhole set inscribed with “Team Ansell,” as well as board games. “We’re big board game people,” Ms. Ansell said.
There are many ways for couples to show their personality, like the Ansells, and have an enjoyable, stylish wedding on a budget. Wedding industry professionals and couples share some suggestions.
Pare Down the Guest List
“Keeping that guest list intentionally tight is going to be your best chance at providing the nicest experience possible,” Ms. Bishop said.
Ms. Zappone says she has observed a shift toward shorter guest lists since the start of the pandemic. “I always say invite who you love and want to hang out with and share your moments,” she said, “and save the extra guest-count money for the things that matter to you.”
Those savings could go to “wow factors” like ice cream trucks and photo booths, she added.
The money the Ansells saved from their downscaled wedding went toward a down payment on a house. “And we’re still going on our honeymoon,” said Mr. Ansell, a software developer.
Book a Low-Cost (or Free) Venue
Todra Payne, 56, and Paul Emberger, 49, of Berkeley, Calif., married on April 3, 2023, at Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens, a nonprofit spiritual center in Los Angeles. The center had not hosted a wedding before, but eagerly obliged when Ms. Payne inquired about having her ceremony there. The cost was $250.
“I’m a writer, so we also considered bookstores, which make me so happy,” Ms. Payne said.
After the ceremony, which was webcast to more than 100 family members and friends, the couple and seven guests dined at Figaro Bistrot, a nearby French restaurant. Along with the $500 lunch, the pair paid $200 for champagne and $180 for a cake.
Edgar Masangkay, 47, a chiropractor, and Jan Consuelo Masangkay, 38, a surgical nurse, married on Feb. 8 before 20 guests at Albertson Wedding Chapel in Los Angeles, which was founded by the Rev. Alex Franco in 1974 as an alternative to Las Vegas chapels.
“We looked at the website, and I was like, ‘Heck yeah, everything’s already prepackaged,” said Ms. Masangkay, who wasn’t interested in wedding planning with her demanding work schedule. Like the Ansells, the Masangkays are new homeowners “because we were able to save so much from our wedding,” Ms. Masangkay said.
The Masangkays selected the $2,279 “LoveBites” package, which, among other features, included appetizers, décor, photography and videography. The ceremony livestream was helpful in limiting the guest list. After the wedding, the newlyweds picked up the $2,500 tab for their 20 guests at the nearby restaurant Casaléna, which served dinner in a private room overlooking a garden.
Free space can provide even more opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of family members, Emmy and Alinah Gimenez, of Corona, Calif., were able to host a $5,000 backyard wedding on Oct. 13, 2023 at Emmy Gimenez’s parents’ house in the city. (They paid a $170 permit fee for their ceremony at Pines Park in Capistrano Beach, Calif.)
“We don’t have a ton of money, but we still wanted something really special and beautiful because you only do it once,” said Alinah Gimenez, 26, an aide for elementary school students with special needs. She and Emmy Gimenez, 25, a student and help desk technician, were engaged for three years before planning their wedding in six months for 42 guests.
Rethink Catering
Instead of pricey catering, serving more casual fare, like pizza or burgers, or even using food trucks can save couples a bundle. So can home cooking.
“We actually made all the food,” said Loralei Applin, a 20-year-old preschool teacher from Dothan, Ala., who married Logan Applin, 22, a warehouse employee, on Oct. 15, 2023 at the Art and History Museums of Maitland in Florida. Their total cost was $4,500.
“My grandfather loves to cook, and he offered to help,” she said.
The dinner, for 45 guests at a nearby lakeside park, highlighted Southern cuisine near and dear to the couple’s hearts, like grilled chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes.
Hosting a daytime wedding is also typically less expensive. “We do a lot of brunch weddings, which are probably half the cost,” Ms. Zappone said.
Serving just wine and beer — and maybe a signature cocktail — can keep costs down as well. “It’s still free alcohol,” Ms. Bishop said. “Alcohol is always a budget buster. A full open bar for $5,000 might not be realistic.”
And, of course, you can always opt for a dry wedding.
Network, Network, Network
“We are a very do-it-yourself family,” Ms. Applin said. Along with her grandfather cooking and officiating, her father stepped in as the D.J., using playlists she created, and her aunt baked the wedding cake.
Similarly, Emmy Gimenez’s aunt officiated, a cousin served as a D.J., and a bridesmaid made cookies and cakesicles, all free of charge. “People should sit down and be like, ‘OK, who do we know?’” she said. “Had I not asked, we wouldn’t have known who could help.”
Using the skills of friends and family members will not only lessen the costs, but also make loved ones feel included in the planning, said Ms. Bishop, who had a friend bake her wedding cake.
Ms. Payne paid a friend who is a local jazz singer $250 to perform at the ceremony, and hired an acquaintance who does portraits of Black actors for $400. “As a woman of color, I don’t always trust photographers to get it right with my skin tone,” she said.
If you can’t tap someone in your network for affordable photography, Mr. Emberger, a photographer, recommends contacting local art colleges.
And skip a videographer. Instead, ask a tech-savvy friend to set up a phone tripod and film the ceremony and speeches at the reception.
Buy and Resell Locally
“You wouldn’t believe the things that you can find,” on social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Ms. Applin said, noting it’s “dirt cheap” for wedding-related items. She said she bought candles and her veil through Facebook.
After the ceremony, couples can recoup some of their expenses by selling their wedding items.
Additionally, on Facebook groups, Ms. Bishop sees brides trading services, like social media content creation swaps. (Ms. Bishop said she did photo editing and social media tasks for her wedding photographer to work off her balance.)
A Little D.I.Y. Can Help
“I did D.I.Y. everything,” Ms. Bishop said. “I was literally collecting wine bottles to repurpose and spray paint and things like that. What we lacked in finances, we made up for in crafting and creativity.”
But Ms. Bishop stressed that taking on too much yourself, especially on your wedding day, can distract from your experience. “You want to be the guest of honor,” she said.
Floral arrangements are one of the best tasks to take on yourself. Friends and family can help with centerpieces, for example, Ms. Zappone said.
Ms. Bishop, recommends silk flower rentals like Something Borrowed Blooms or buying discounted fresh flowers from BloomsByTheBox.com, Sam’s Club or Costco.
The Applins used authentic blooms for the ceremony and silk flowers afterward. “The reception was covered in florals and none of it was real,” Ms. Applin said. “You couldn’t tell.”
For bridesmaids, a wedding arch and centerpieces, the Gimenezes bought foam flowers from Ling’s Moment. All of their table décor, charger plates, chandeliers and champagne flutes, they said, came from “99-cents stores.”
“They still looked pretty nice,” Emmy Gimenez said.
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