10 Incredibly Useful Tips For Saving Money On Your Wedding

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Recently, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their tips and tricks to planning a wedding on a budget. Here are some of their suggestions...

1. "Pick the three things that are most important to you and your partner."

Lisa Schaetzle / Getty Images

"Spend the majority of your budget [on those three things] and then go cheap on the rest. For us, the photographer, food, and venue were most important."

—tiihonenc

2. Try to find a venue that can accommodate both your ceremony and reception.

Kelvin Murray / Getty Images

"We did everything at our church and paid less than $300. Basically, we just had to pay the pastor. We had a light buffet with sandwiches, pasta salad, and other summer foods."

—holly_vrhel

3. Tables and chairs for your reception don't always have to come from wedding rental companies.

Stephen Simpson / Getty Images

"Tables and chairs are such a huge budget suck and if your venue does not have them, go to local churches or fire stations! Most churches and fire stations own their own tables and chairs for fundraisers and will let you rent them for a fraction of the cost a rental agency would charge!"

—staceyelizabeth

4. Just because a dress isn't marketed as a wedding dress doesn't mean you can't wear it for your wedding!

Ada Summer / Getty Images

"I bought a bridesmaid dress in white and only spent $180."

—Ally13

5. Take advantage of local bridal shows and sign up for all the giveaways!

Materio / Getty Images

"I went to a bunch of bridal shows and entered into every single drawing/giveaway there. I got a free engagement session, free hour of a photo booth, and a skincare prize pack."

—clarissaraeh

6. "If you can’t afford a full-on planner, use a day of coordinator to give you help and peace of mind the day of your wedding."

Jetta Productions Inc / Getty Images

"Some planners can save you money because they have discounts for referring you to their recommended vendors."

—patriots2401

7. "For the wedding cake, say it's for an engagement party, NOT a wedding."

Vaksmanv / Getty Images

"No joke. I saved more than a thousand bucks and got a beautiful three-tiered, fully decorated cake. It's wild how much the price increases when you say 'wedding!'"

—Tabylc

8. "Ask your attendees for gifts of service."

Kelvin Murray / Getty Images

"I got married in my early twenties and many of my attendees were recent college grads, so it felt weird to ask them for a $200 kitchen appliance; but many were very eager to contribute their time and skills. Friends and family were amazingly kind to pitch in to help with setting up reception and tearing it down, preparing baked goods, designing centerpiece arrangements, assembling of favors, hosting out-of-town visitors, providing car pools to the reception site, etc. It's a win-win situation: You save money, friends are eager to help, and the ceremony and reception itself feel more personalized!"

—vrlapuma

9. Save money on your honeymoon by taking advantage of credit card points.

Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images

"My husband planned a three-week honeymoon in Egypt and paid for half of it with credit card sign-up bonuses! If you have good credit and can stay on top of payments, look for hotels and airlines that offer the best points value."

—patriots2401

10. "And don't sweat the little things, like linens, because you won't remember them."

Cavan Images / Getty Images

"You'll remember how you FEEL and prioritizing the things that we knew we'd remember made the day feel so special without feeling cheap. We were able to have the wedding we wanted, without cutting the guest list!"

—operadoc216

Note: Submissions have been edited for length, grammar, and/or clarity.

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