There are many ways to beat the rising costs of having a wedding, some which may come as a big surprise to you. Here are 7 ways to cut your wedding costs.
Did you know that the average cost of having a wedding in America in 2022 has increased by 17% since the pre-pandemic year of 2019? The average cost of a wedding when considering all fifty states in America in 2022 was 29,000. In Houston, the average wedding ranged between 33k in 2022. In Washington DC, the average wedding cost was 45k. In New York, the average cost of a wedding could range from 44k to 60k. In Chicago, the average wedding in 2022 was 47k.
So many factors played into this increase and one of those factors wa the increase in cost of services themselves. DJ’s are charging an average of 25% more for their services in 2022 than in 2019. To hire a makeup artist costs 20% more than in 2019. And florists have increased their prices by 20% as well since 2019. Wedding dresses will now cost an average of 19% more than they did in 2019. Your hairstylist will charge 18% more for dawning you with that just right look.
Now for the good news! As a Master Certified Wedding and Event Planner, (MCWEP), I have learned through years of experience and excellent training many ways to save each couple money while planning their wedding for them. In fact, it may surprise you to find out that wedding planners usually save the couple more money than the planner’s cost to the couple!
Create a Budget FIRST!
Budgets serve a very important purpose. They force you to take a realistic view at your resources, to find out the perimeters you will need to work within. Your certified wedding planner can help you know the hidden costs of planning a wedding on the outset to help avoid pitfalls along the way. The budget leads the way throughout your wedding planning process, whether you know what your budget is or not. So better to go into the planning with your eyes wide open. For greater details about wedding budget building please see, Building My Wedding Budget.
Hire a Certified Wedding Planner
For the vast majority of couples, your wedding will be the single biggest most lavish event you ever plan. You only get one shot at it. Hire a professional who is experienced in planning events and plans them all year long. When researching which wedding planner to hire, ask them where they received their certification. If they say they are not certified, move on to your next choice. When they give you the name of the organization, they obtained their certification from, look that organization up online. If it is a do-it-yourself online quick certification program, I would advise you to look further for your wedding planner. Make sure you are hiring a certified wedding planner from a reputable certification program such as CWP Society, the largest most reputable certification program for wedding and event planners in the world.
A certified wedding planner will walk you through step by step and give you cost saving tips that are pertinent to your specific needs each step of the way. Weddings usually require hiring about 14 different types of vendors. Your certified wedding planner has a working relationship with a network of wedding industry providers. Through that network your wedding planner can find the best fit for you for the best price. Your certified wedding planner also has the knowledge needed to get the most fabulous looks and services for the best rate.
Some Wedding Expenses Can Be Tax Deductible
Always check with your CPA who can tell you the most updated laws about tax deductions. Your Master Certified Wedding Planner can assist you in finding nonprofit organizations to donate items. You carefully keep track of the receip
ts and contracts your CPA lets you know are needed and you may be able to write off tax deductions for donating your wedding dress to a nonprofit organization. If your wedding ceremony is in a religious venue that asks for a suggested donation, that ceremony venue donation may be tax deductible. Another beautiful gesture that your certified wedding planner can help organize for you is to donate your flowers to a non-profit organization after the wedding. These may include a hospital, homeless shelter, or nursing home. Sometimes, leftover food from your wedding reception can also be donated to a non-profit. This must be carefully planned and arranged ahead of time so that the food is kept at the correct temperature while being transported to the non-profit. Event-Serendipity offers several options for creating sustainability as well.
Don’t Forget How Valuable Your Time Is
Think about your time. It is the one resource that is non-replenishable. If you attempt to plan a do-it-yourself wedding, your time may be overtaken by the process. I have a friend who was fired after planning her own wedding due to being unable to perform her work duties efficiently during the time she was planning her wedding. This is an extreme example, however, take into consideration how much peace-of-mind your wedding planner can give you when work deadlines are coming up at the same time that wedding planning deadlines. Time saved can add up to money saved as well. Event-Serendipity offers several levels of support in wedding planning packages which in turn gives you more autonomy over your budget. You can get the help you need with a smaller wedding planning package. Event-Serendipity customizes packages to meet the needs of all types of engaged couple’s budgets.
Get Married on a Weekday
Many venues offer a reduced rate for weekday weddings verses weekend weddings. Your certified wedding planner has worked with many venues throughout your area and knows which venues to direct you to for weekday discounts.
Combine Services into Discounted Packages
Whenever possible, combine services into packages to receive an overall discounted rate. This strategy can be used when hiring your certified wedding planner. You get a much better value when services are bundled. When hiring your DJ check to see if they also have other rental items that could be added to their package. Find a photographer that offers both still shot photos and videos to get a bundled discount if you know you will want both types of media. Be careful when bundling venue with catering. Some venues offer a great discount when these are bundled, others require you to use a caterer may not be the most economical. Here again, a certified wedding planner is excellent at knowing where to find these best values and save you a great deal of money in this area.
Take Advantage of Free Add-Ons
Shop wisely. Sometimes vendors offer perks such as free add-ons under certain conditions. Your (MCWEP) wedding planner knows which vendors offer free or discounted add-on services and can direct you to the vendors that have what you most want for your wedding. Event-Serendipity also offers a six free services to their lucky couples as well. Our certified wedding planners are also professional travel agents. We specialize in destination weddings, free honeymoon planner for all our couples, and much more. Contact Event-Serendipity for more information on more ways to cut costs when planning your wedding.
Pam McClendon
Master Certified Wedding and Event Planner
