This is How Real Brides Saved Big at Their Wedding

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From getting married in December to BYOB’ing and saying goodbye to wedding favors, real brides recently shared with our friends at The Huffington Post how they saved hundreds and even thousands of dollars on their wedding. And considering how much weddings cost, we all know that cutting back ANYWHERE we can is more than welcome.

We’ve compiled a few of our favorite tips, below. Head over to The Huffington Post to see the full list!

Etsy! I found most of my wedding ceremony accessories, decorations and even my veil at a fraction of the cost. Plus it’s run by artists, so if I had a vision for something that didn’t exist, I could create a custom order and get something even better than I ever imagined. And it feels great to support small businesses.” – Myla Pothiawala

Skip favors for guests — they don’t care. The parting gifts for your guests will get left behind and/or thrown away within a month. Set aside some of the money you save and donate it to charity, letting your guests know via plate cards.” – Rebekah Bacigalupo

“Look at a Friday or Sunday weddings for discounts, and also consider weddings in December, as most venues are decorated for the holidays, which is less decorating for you!” –Tracy Englund

“When friends or family offer to provide something as a gift (e.g.: my bridesmaid paid for the hair and makeup for the wedding party; my sister got the cake, etc.), take them up on their offer!” – Rachel Oliver

“Our friends and family members like to drink; A several thousand-dollar bar bill was a serious reality. So it was important that our venue allowed BYOB. We purchased all the alcohol ourselves and ‘hired’ (really didn’t pay much at all) our bus driver’s girlfriend to bartend. I am guessing we saved several thousand on the bar alone. And the best part was that at the end of the night, we had a bus to ensure people got home safely.” – Alicia Beverly

“For the ceremony music, we contacted a local music school whose students were available for hire for events at a fraction of the cost of professionals and they sounded amazing.” – Charlotte Lowe- EDITORS NOTE: I HIRED TWO MUSIC MAJORS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI TO PLAY OUR CEREMONY MUSIC AND THEY WERE SOME OF THE BEST VENDORS OF THE NIGHT!

“Buy a small wedding cake and decorate it with real flowers. Plus buy a sheet cake from the grocery store.” – Deborah Wall McGraw

I rented my wedding dress! Best savings ever!” – Shannon Muat-Jachetta

Do things as nontraditionally as possible. As soon as you start dealing with vendors who specialize in weddings, you’re going to have your pockets ripped out. We had a Sundaybrunch wedding in October. We were married in a movie theater and had our reception in a music hall within a bar. Having a nontraditional wedding in nontraditional venues saved us a lot of money and our wedding was fun for everyone.” – Amy Dillon Cody

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