How to Plan a Frugal Wedding and Save Over $10,000

Key Takeaways for a Frugal Wedding

These are the core points of frugal wedding planning to remember.

• Prioritize What Matters Most: Decide early what’s non-negotiable and where to save. This guides every decision.
• Guest List is Gold: A smaller guest list is the most effective way to cut costs across food, drinks, and venue size.
• Unconventional Venues & Vendors: Backyards, public parks, and emerging photographers can reduce spend significantly.
• DIY Smartly & Embrace Secondhand: Choose a few high-impact DIY projects and consider pre-owned attire/decor.
• Weekday & Off-Season Wins: Weekdays or your area’s off-season often come with vendor discounts.

Getting a Grip on Wedding Costs

Before you jump into saving, it helps to know where budgets go. Typically, the venue, food, and photos eat up most of the spend. Dresses, flowers, music, and invitations add up quickly.

Trends and expectations can drive overspending. Keep the day centered on your values, and use a frugal approach to craft a heartfelt, budget-friendly celebration.

Your Frugal Wedding Planning Guide to Saving $10,000+

Big savings come from a series of smart, intentional choices. Here’s how to trim costs across the main categories.

Step 1: Define Your Frugal Wedding Planning Priorities

Discuss what matters most: food, music, photos, ambiance. Aligning priorities ensures you spend where it counts. For daily money routines that reinforce your plan, see our budgeting habits that stick.

• Make a Top 3 List: Each partner lists their top three must-haves (e.g., live music, outdoor ceremony, great dessert).
• Find Common Ground: These priorities guide where to splurge and where to save.
• Example Savings: Choosing a beer/wine bar over a full open bar can save thousands.

Your wedding budget should reflect your values, not just traditions.

Step 2: Trim the Guest List for Big Savings

The guest list is your biggest lever for cutting costs, since each person affects catering, drinks, and venue size.

• Be Selective: Create A, B, and C lists to prioritize invites.
• Adults-Only Option: Reduces headcount and sets an intimate tone.
• Micro-Weddings & Elopements: A small ceremony or elopement can reduce costs dramatically.
• Example: Cutting from 150 to 75 guests can save roughly $100–$200 per person.

Step 3: Choose a Budget-Friendly Venue

Think beyond ballrooms. To align spending with your long-term goals, browse how to start living frugally for smart trade-offs.

• Backyard Bliss: Use a family backyard; rent tables, chairs, or a tent if needed.
• Public Parks & Community Centers: Often offer scenic, affordable spaces.
• Restaurants: Private rooms may have low fees with food/drink minimums.
• Off-Peak Venues: Museums or galleries may discount weekdays or off-season dates.
• Watch-outs: Ask about preferred-vendor lists, corkage, power, and tent permits.

Want a separate home for your wedding savings so they don’t mix with everyday spending?

Step 4: Wedding Attire on a Budget

Special doesn’t have to mean expensive.

• Secondhand & Sample Sales: Platforms like Stillwhite offer designer gowns at deep discounts. For example, a $1,500 secondhand gown can save ~$3,500 versus new.
• Non-Traditional Dresses: Consider evening or vintage styles.
• Groom’s Attire: Rent suits or choose an affordable off-the-rack option.

Step 5: Food & Drinks on a Budget

Serve great food without the price spike. Set aside savings with our free financial tools so those dollars don’t get re-spent elsewhere.

• Brunch Wedding: Morning menus typically cost less than dinner.
• Food Trucks: Trendy and often cheaper than traditional catering.
• Buffet/Stations: Casual service can reduce staffing costs.
• BYOB: If allowed, buy alcohol wholesale and hire certified bartenders.
• Limited Bar: Offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail.
• Dessert Bar: Small cutting cake plus cupcakes or pies.

If serving alcohol, check local laws and venue policies, use licensed/insured bartenders, and consider event insurance.

Step 6: Smart Photography & Videography Choices

Capture memories wisely.

• Shorter Coverage: Opt for 6–8 hours to cover key moments.
• Emerging Talent: Photographers building portfolios may offer value.
• Digital Only: Skip pricey albums; print favorites later.
• Skip Videography: A friend can capture ceremony footage on a phone or action cam.

Step 7: Budget-Friendly Decor Choices

• Use the Venue’s Beauty: Scenic locations need less decor.
• Bulk Flowers: Buy from markets or warehouse clubs for DIY.
• Greenery Over Blooms: Eucalyptus or ferns are elegant and affordable.
• Thrift & Rentals: Source vases and lanterns secondhand or via rental.
• Fairy Lights & Candles: Create a dreamy vibe for less.

Step 8: Affordable Invitations & Stationery

• Digital Invites: Consider Paperless Post or similar platforms.
• Printable Templates: Buy templates (e.g., Etsy) and print locally.
• Fewer Inserts: Use your wedding website for details.
• Postcard RSVPs: Save on postage.

Step 9: Budget-Friendly Entertainment

• DJ vs. Band: DJs are usually more affordable and versatile.
• Curated Playlist: Rent a sound system and use a pre-set playlist.
• Limited Live Music: A solo musician for the ceremony or cocktail hour.
• Quick guide: Band = energy, higher cost; DJ = flexible, mid-cost; Playlist = lowest cost, needs coordinator.

Step 10: Rings & Favors on a Budget

• Wedding Rings: Consider alternative metals or lab-grown stones.
• Skip Favors: Or choose consumables or a charitable donation.
• DIY Photo Booth: Simple backdrop + tripod for guest photos.

High-Impact Budget Wedding Tips

These ideas help you save big without losing the magic — start with the quick wins below.

The budget wedding tips below deliver the biggest savings without killing the vibe. Planning a budget honeymoon? Check out our frugal travel hacks.

Prefer to boost your wedding fund with extra income instead of trimming more guests or decor?

• Weekday or Off-Season Wins: Many vendors discount non-peak dates (off-season varies by region). Potential Savings: substantial
• All-Inclusive Packages: Compare itemized costs to ensure true value.
• Selective DIY: Tackle 2–3 projects (centerpieces, signage). Potential Savings: meaningful
• Borrow & Rent: Use friends’ items or rent decor.
• Negotiate Smartly: Ask about bundle or early-pay discounts (e.g., “Is there an off-peak or pay-in-full discount available?”).
• Skip Non-Essentials: Ditch items that don’t support your top priorities.

Example: a 50-guest backyard wedding with a food truck and DIY decor can reduce costs dramatically while keeping the day personal.

Real-World Savings Breakdown

Here’s how a frugal approach to wedding planning can look for a 100-guest wedding originally budgeted at $37,600.

Applying these strategies can exceed a $10,000 savings goal.

Example figures only; confirm local quotes before budgeting.

Recommended Tools to Cut Wedding Costs

Use these resources to support a budget-friendly wedding (alongside your broader budgeting tools):

• Secondhand Dresses: Stillwhite and PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com list designer gowns at lower prices.
• Printable Templates: Etsy offers affordable digital invites you can print at home.
• Affordable Decor: Search marketplaces for fairy lights, vases, and reusable decor.
• Planning Guides: A Practical Wedding offers budget-savvy checklists; free platforms like The Knot or Zola provide planning tools and websites.
• Marriage records & licenses: See official guidance on licenses and certificates on USA.gov.

Wrapping Up Your Budget-Friendly Wedding

Budget-savvy wedding planning means focusing on love and commitment, not debt. Prioritize what matters, explore creative options, and use the savings tracker to guide choices. Every dollar saved supports your future together. If you want a tighter monthly plan, grab our zero-based budgeting template. 🥂