According to the estimates of a recent sector study carried out by ProntoPro.it , the average cost of organizing a wedding in Italy is around 25,000 euros. It takes into consideration all the professionals involved in the organization, the cost of the clothes, the restaurant and the entertainment but it is still a considerable amount and, for many, unattainable.
While it is true that a wedding must be an unforgettable day, it is equally true that we cannot imagine staying broke or even going into debt for 24 hours of partying. But how to cut costs without giving up the dress, the location, the guests and the honeymoon?
Saving money, even when it comes to marriage, is possible. Doing it, without sacrificing quality and refinement, requires a little patience, research and a lot of creativity but the results are guaranteed and will not disappoint you.
So let’s see together 15 original ideas to organize a low cost wedding:
1) Equity investments
One of the biggest advantages in organizing your wedding today is being able to rely on the internet. In the past, going to the printer, having the invitations prepared and mailing them already meant spending a lot of time and money. Today, however, the web offers us the opportunity to create a page dedicated to our wedding thanks to free and manageable landing page apps or templates in a few clicks. In this way you will be able to inform by paper only the closest relatives (and less technological ones) certainly saving a lot of money.
2) The wedding day
Getting married on a Saturday or Sunday is part of the Catholic tradition and is certainly a huge advantage for the guests who will be more easily free from work commitments. Being so popular, however, the weekend is also the most expensive time of the week when it comes to renting wedding venues. If you do not want to go crazy and spend a blunder, it is better to choose carefully the day and the period of the wedding. Prefer the low season – between October and March – and opt for a midweek day , perhaps carefully evaluating the commitments of the guests you care about the most.
3) The bride’s dress
When preparing the budget for the wedding, one of the most expensive items is certainly the dress and accessories for the bride. We all dream of the perfect wedding dress, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend astronomical amounts. In fact, we may have to add to the price of the dress that of the lingerie and that of the shoes. So, to save money, you can opt for a second-hand dress, one purchased on the internet or even a vintage dress. By significantly reducing the cost of the dress, you can make the changes you prefer while giving yourself the performance of a good seamstress. However, they will be much cheaper than buying a dress in the atelier.
4) Makeup and hairstyle
Relying on professionals for wedding make-up and hairdressing means facing the costs of a consultation, tests and service on the morning of the wedding. To save money you can ask friends and relatives or prefer do-it-yourself . In this case the only precaution is to use quality, long-lasting and waterproof products: we know that during the ceremony there will be tears.
5) The groom’s suit
Even the groom can save on the suit. To do this, you can opt for a rental ceremony dress or a complete passe-partout. Especially if she works in the office, she could choose a suit jacket and trousers to wear even with more casual shirts and shoes for the daily routine. The important thing is to focus on colors, fabrics and versatile cuts, also suitable to be worn on broken looks.
6) The rings
A wedding ring must be made from a precious metal: platinum, yellow gold, pink, white or silver. To save on rings, first of all, it is better to avoid the big brands , the ones for which you pay the name as well as the metal and the workmanship. After that a lot is in the weight of the vera. On the market there are very tall and thick ones, but also thin and light ones. Even the processing involves costs: if you cannot do without a small incision, then it is better to avoid set stones.Alternatively, you can also have them made with the so-called “old gold”. This is not necessarily a fallback to save. You could give new life to a family jewel that you care a lot about but that you wouldn’t have worn otherwise.
7) The location
According to the research of the ProntoPro.it Observatory, the most sought-after locations are villas and historic residences, followed by castles and restaurants. Of course, an elegant and princely wedding requires a refined location but there are excellent alternatives, less expensive, and equally spectacular. Preferring beaches, ancient villages and farmhouses , properly decorated, they can make the wedding cheaper but equally unique and unforgettable.
8) The decorations
Decorations are indispensable in a wedding but you can make choices suitable for any type of budget. If you don’t want to give up fresh flowers, choose them in season , definitely cheaper. If, on the other hand, the theme chosen for the decorations is more country-chic , you may prefer non-cut plants, wooden boxes or vintage jars. This type of decorations, extremely trendy and scenographic, will allow you to reduce costs by using recycled materials , to give space to your creativity, to personalize the style of your wedding more and not to waste mountains of cut flowers.
9) The food
Another sore point in the shopping list is food. To keep costs down, first of all, it is good to choose the guests carefully : ask yourself who you would really like to share this wonderful day with. Another way is to avoid waste by reducing the flow in favor of food quality. Another consideration that is worth making is to understand what type of meal you want to offer. If it is a lunch or a dinner, know, for example, that a welcome cocktail costs less than a selection of appetizers or that the appetizers can be followed directly by a single main course or a choice of main courses. A last alternative is to offer an aperitif or a typical sinoira snackPiedmontese. It is a lighter meal to be consumed in the late afternoon, perhaps followed by a good selection of desserts to accompany the evening celebrations.
10) The cake
“Does it still make sense, in 2020, to spend a lot of money on a 6-tier wedding cake?” . Obviously the answer is up to the newlyweds, but if we are organizing a low cost wedding, saving on the cake is certainly an excellent solution. The main alternatives are 2. The first consists of making a small and pretty symbolic cake , dedicated to the moment of cutting and accompanied by a selection of sweets for the guests. The second is to eliminate it completely in favor of a tower of cupcakes or other sweets , perhaps presented on a stand that resembles the classic tiered cake.
11) The favors
Raise your hand if you have never thrown a “kitsch” favor, a relic of some 90s wedding, into the dustbin. Wedding favors can be very expensive and not particularly popular with guests. Better to choose something that truly represents you as a couple and that can be useful and appreciated by your friends and relatives. Prefer do-it-yourself objects, small packs of oil or homemade jams or even a jar with a plant, a symbol of the flowering of your love.
12) Music and entertainment
Entertainment is one of the key parts of marriage, the one where you really let yourself go to the celebration and the joy. If you love live music, look for local groups so as not to have to pay for travel. If, on the other hand, you prefer the Dj set, search among your friends and relatives and choose the musical lineup with them. Alternatively, you can prepare the music selection yourself on CD or USB stick ; after all, when you are surrounded by the right people, it doesn’t take much to have fun.
13) The photos
A wedding photography service can cost between 500 and 2,000 euros. To limit costs, call a professional for the classic custom photos and then let the guests do the rest. You can also create a hashtag dedicated to your day to find all the photos of the day on social networks. They will be less accurate, but certainly more real and fun.
14) The honeymoon
If you have a craving to leave and indulge in a romantic honeymoon in a dream place, it doesn’t mean that you have to spend exorbitant amounts, on the contrary, you could get it as a gift! Especially if you already live together and therefore do not need the classic wedding list with crockery, cutlery and accessories for the home, the ideal is to ask the guests to pay for the honeymoon. There are many travel agencies that offer this type of service. It will be enough to inform the guests and each one will pay the fee he prefers. Once the “nest egg” has been accumulated, the agency itself will offer you a series of tourist destinations. If, on the other hand, you are a “super wild” couple, choose the plane flight that inspires you the most and go on a backpacking adventure.
15) Relying on a wedding planner
Let’s dispel a taboo. It does not mean that relying on experts in the sector necessarily means paying more. Indeed, part of their work is also staying within the budget set by the client. Furthermore, a professional has much more contacts of suppliers and locations than a single couple who wants to try their hand at organizing the wedding. If you do not shine with creativity or if you simply do not have time, contacting a wedding planner can therefore be a solution. Never rely on the first one you find, make a careful choice and evaluate different quotes. Once you find the right one, your low cost wedding will be in good hands.
