How to Plan a Classic Wedding on a Budget

A classic wedding is timeless and elegant. The bride wears a traditional white mermaid or ball gown-style dress and the groom wears a tuxedo for a very formal affair or a suit. The color palette of a classic wedding varies from all white with silver and black accents to bringing in a red for dramatic contrast or softening it up with a pastel hue in light blue, peach or yellow. Nothing is “funky” or uber-modern at this wedding — everything is all about the simple elegance. Now how to pull this lovely wedding style off on a limited budget? Following are some tips on where to save on your classic wedding.

1. Select a budget-friendlier location. Oftentimes, classic brides prefer for their ceremony to take place in a church or another house of worship. If this is the case, a local church with a reception hall is way, way less expensive than other ceremony and reception locations. Otherwise, a wedding reception at a family or friend’s home can still be incredibly tasteful while creating big-time savings on venue costs.

2. Choose Friday. Saturday is obviously the most popular day to get hitched. Consider a Friday, or even a Sunday, wedding since vendors are more likely to give discounted rates on these less-popular days of the week. If you were planning on a church wedding, in most cases, Friday would be a better choice than Sunday.

3. Buy affordable wedding stationery. From save the dates to wedding invitations and thank you cards, there are loads of beautiful, classic options online that won’t break your bank. You can get cheap wedding invitations that don’t look cheap.

4. Discount dress shop. There are lots of lightly used wedding dress stores and websites out there — just think of all those brides who wore that designer gown one time and decided it was time to sell. It’s a major opportunity for a classic budget bride to find the gown of her dreams.

5. Cut the guest list. Classic brides tend to have a longer guest list that may include friends of parents and every extended family member living on the planet. Well, we hate to break it to you, but shortening your list means major savings (less food and drink, reduced rentals, fewer florals and the list goes on). If you just have to invite Aunt Trudy from Canada who you met in fifth grade, consider making it an adults-only event so you can at least eliminate the expense of all your friends’ kids.

6. Splurge wisely. Maybe you’re all about the ah-mazing white flowers or maybe your dream wedding must have a magical quadruple-tiered classic white cake with red roses. Splurge on the elements of your classic wedding that are absolute musts, and then cut back on things that are less important.

7. Offer wine and beer. Alcohol is one of the biggest wedding reception expenses — if you let it be, that is. Instead of a full open bar (yeah, old gramps might be disappointed about his bourbon), opt for wine and beer (in glasses, of course, per classic-bride style guide).

8. DIY, darling. Decide on one or two items, such as favors, that you are going to DIY. (You can always have your bridesmaids help.) Ca-chink. That extra change is now in your honeymoon fund.

Have you planned a budget wedding? What was your favorite part of the planning? Have a question for us? Leave us a comment below, on our 123Print Facebook page or tweet us @123Print.