The average wedding in the US is $28k.  That is enough to buy a new sedan.  Whether this is a wise choiceis debatable. Mostly it depends on whether a couple can afford it. I have a friend spending $50k+ (will not give a number but from piecing together different parts like $6k dress, 200 people, etc), but they have no debt, already own a house, make close to $150k/year and are well off.  So I can understand why they would spend a lot on a wedding.  But my frugal tips I used to keep my wedding more reasonable.  We spent $15k on our wedding including honeymoon in Switzerland, wedding reception in Hawaii, tickets, dress, etc. 

1.  Have a Lunch instead of Dinner - We saved a ton by having a lunch instead of dinner.   Just like a regular meal lunch is cheaper than dinner by $5/entree.  And the meals  usually don’t have to be as elaborate as dinner.  So you can pick cheaper dishes.  Also typically it’s easier to end the wedding because sites will have a deadline because a night wedding needs to be set up.

2.  Don’t have alcohol - Obvious reason why it’s a huge money saver.  We didn’t serve alcohol at our wedding mostly because I didn’t want rowdy guests.  And yes my family can get rowdy when drinking.

3.  Choose flowers in season - I changed my flowers based on what was available.  I really wanted peonies but it wasn’t available in September.  I ended up with orchids because of availability, instead of paying a premium for flowers I really wanted.  This also changed my color choices, but because I was flexible, I probably saved 50% or more on flowers.

4.  Order Invitations online -  I went to a store and figured out what invitiation I wanted, wrote it down, and then went online and ordered it.  It could be nerve wracking ordering a bunch of invitiations online, but you have to do it early so you can order a proof for $6.  In order to really save money you have to order invitations probably an extra 2 months in advance of when people typically do it to make sure it’s correct.

5.  Limit # of Attendants - It’ll save you money on buying gifts for them and having to organize such a large wedding party.  Also honestly many bridesmaids don’t want to be asked because it’s very expensive to have to buy the dress, makeup, alterations, shoes, etc.  So don’t feel bad by not having 3 or 4 bridesmaids and having 1 or 2.  I had two but mainly it was because DH wanted his best friend and brother.  Otherwise I might have just had a maid of honor.

Bonus -  ELOPE - Granted this is not really a tip, but eloping can save the couple $28k.  Personally we got married 1 year ahead of our “wedding” for personal reasons at the courthouse.  It was just the two of us, and in a way it was pretty special.   We savored our “private” ceremony.  And I got to laugh whenever my mom said “It’s different when you’re married.”  But eloping was still special, so my advice is, if you think you want to do it, it’s not as bad as it seems.

Use these tips to save money, but don’t scrimp too much.  Enjoy your special day the way you see fit!  Cheers!