My partner and I sent out save-the-dates for our own grand wedding, which we planned to take place in July 2020, just before the epidemic struck.
We followed up with wedding cancellation cards a few months after sending postcards asking guests to mark our wedding date on their calendars.
The extravagant party we planned would have cost around $40,000 had it not been canceled. We had to start from scratch because of the pandemic. We couldn’t decide how to proceed for months because neither of us had the energy or desire to prepare another large wedding.
Then my partner and I did something completely out of the blue: we chose to marry on the eighth anniversary of our first date, with only a week to organize everything.
We chose to drastically reduce our wedding budget, spending only $2,000 on the entire day in order to use the remainder of our initial wedding budget for other vital things like joint savings, a future down payment on a house, and retirement contributions.
I looked through my old notes to come up with a fast celebration for us that wouldn’t deplete our funds. We chose a place outside of the coffee shop where we had our first date and invited 25 socially distant and in-person guests to join us.
Cheap Wedding Ideas
Here are the steps I took to arrange a gorgeous budget wedding in less than a week for under $2,000, and how you can do the same.
I looked for bargains
I didn’t know precisely what I wanted for my wedding clothes, but I knew I didn’t want to wear a typical bridal gown.
I’d always wanted to wear an outfit to my wedding that I’d want to wear again, especially after shopping with other women who spent anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 on their gowns.
I wanted to make that purchase with great care. My wedding attire was $450 for both my partner and me.
We were able to find a 50% off discount code online when looking for his off-white suit, which helped cut the price down. I saw a lovely gold sequin suit online that caught my eye, but it was out of my price range.
I signed up for the website’s email list to receive a 10% off voucher right away. I chose to wait one more day and was rewarded for my patience. The website was having a friends-and-family deal, and using the promo code got me a 35% discount.
Our costumes did, in the end, surpass the $450 budget, but only by around $100. It seemed justified because we’d both wear the outfits again.
The must-haves were prioritized.
There were a lot of things I wanted during this event but couldn’t afford. I had hoped to have a musician there, but we were unable to do so due to a lack of availability at the last minute, with the exception of a few who charged us $500 per hour.
I wanted more intricate flower arrangements on the bench outside and the tables, but it would have cost at least $500.
I’d seen how important it was to have professional hair and cosmetics done to tie the whole appearance together, so I hired a local makeup and hair artist for $250.
I also wanted a brightening bouquet, so I went to a local florist who was able to design one for me in just 24 hours for $175. Those two products were high on my must-have list, and they were well worth the money.
Overall, I reduced my nice-to-haves and instead spent money on what I knew I actually wanted.
The decor was kept simple.
I wanted to dress up our wedding venue a little bit with some décor because it wasn’t anything spectacular and contained a small outside area in front of a coffee shop.
While many couples spent hundreds of dollars on décor, from personalized napkins to centerpieces, I saw that many of their guests didn’t notice or appreciate such touches at many of the weddings I’d worked at over the years.
I spent $25 on tablecloths, plates, and napkins from the dollar shop. While it wasn’t very remarkable, it served its purpose and contributed to the area’s appearance.
I customized the food and beverages.
The food and beverage options available to guests are generally a highlight of any wedding. While I can’t recall exactly what I ate and appreciated at the weddings I’ve attended, I do recall which ones had wonderful food and drinks and which ones didn’t.
I didn’t want to hire a caterer or present infinite alternatives because we had such a tiny party. Our entire party lasted two hours and took place during the day. I chose to serve only sweets, such as cake, chocolate bars, cupcakes, and treat balls, rather than a small buffet or even a complete meal.
I also opted to customize the beverage selections. We asked each guest ahead of time what kind of coffee shop drink they’d enjoy and had it ready when they came because we got married outside the coffee shop.
We didn’t have to worry about placing any orders on the day because of this customized, pre-planned, and Covid-safe method.
We spent a total of $205 on pre-ordered drink options for 25 individuals, including tax and tip.
I enlisted the help of friends.
We planned this elopement at the last minute, and with the support of friends, we were able to pull it off on a shoestring budget.
One of my best friends is a pastry chef, and she graciously offered to provide the desserts and refreshments for our wedding. According to one bakery I spoke with while conducting my research, this helped me save roughly $300.
I asked a photographer friend of mine if she could photograph us for a few hours. We were able to save approximately $1,500 as a result of this.
Free Vintage Floral Wedding Invitation Templates
Those who wish to know how to save money on wedding invites can do so in a variety of ways. If you want to save money on wedding invitations, whether you’re mailing them or ordering them online, you may use these Free Vintage Floral Wedding Invitations.
Download Instruction
- Right-Click each one of your selections.
- Then select “Save Image As” and locate the destination.
- Click “Save”, or tap “Enter” to start the download process.
The printing shop may charge you more depending on how you want to “write” on the invitations. If you’re sending a large number of invites, it’s more cost effective to have them printed at $2 each rather than engraved at $15 each.
