If you’re looking to save money on your wedding, you’ve come to the right place today. Weddings are EXPENSIVE, with the national average cost being over $35k. THAT’S INSANE. While there are a million little ways you can shave a few hundred off your wedding budget here and there, there is only one way you can make a big impact on it – CUT THE GUEST LIST.
Ok, that’s no secret, right? Other wedding bloggers and magazines have talked about this before. But none of them have really broken it down, showing you all of the ways that inviting fewer people to your wedding affects the overall cost. Here are all the little ways that cutting your guest list can help you save BIG!
- Fewer guests means fewer save the dates, invitations, and thank you cards to be printed. Don’t forget about all the money you’ll save on postage because you won’t have quite as many mailings!
- Speaking of fewer mailings, you also won’t need to pay a calligrapher to address as many envelopes.
- With fewer people, you can look at smaller venues, which tend to be less expensive than larger ones.
- If you have a lot of out-of-town guests, you won’t need to make as many hotel welcome bags.
- Providing transportation to and from your host hotel? A smaller shuttle (read: cheaper) for a smaller crowd!
- A smaller crowd also means fewer tables and chairs to rent.
- Since we’re talking tables, let’s talk tablescape. Fewer tables equals fewer linens and fewer centerpieces. It also equals fewer place settings and all of this adds up big time.
- You’ll obviously save on food since you won’t need as many hors d’oeuvres and meals. But you won’t need as many servers either. More money in your pocket.
- A smaller crowd demands fewer bartenders. It also means less alcohol consumed (and a less expensive corkage fee if you’re supplying your own booze)!
- In terms of your day-of wedding paper, you can get away with printing fewer ceremony programs, escort cards, and menu cards.
- Favors can be sort of a waste anyways (although here are some of my favorite wedding favor ideas!). But with a smaller guest list, you won’t need quite as many.
- A two or three tier cake, which is more than enough to feed a small crowd, won’t break the bank quite like the way a four or five tier one will.
Individually, these savings are seemingly insignificant, but together, they make a HUGE difference! Add them all up and you can easily save thousands. Your wallet can thank me later.
What other ways can cutting the guest list help you save on your wedding? Did you invite fewer friends and family so that you didn’t have to spend quite as much? What was the outcome? Comment below!
Yes! I always like to encourage clients to start with their guest list 1) because it will dictate the majority of your budget and, 2) celebrations are only as good as the people you share it with, so why not start with the people you want present on your special day. A great way to control the list is to break it down.
List A – Family and close friends who you absolutely want there.
List B – Friends and extended family with whom you still keep in touch and would love to have in attendance.
List C – People you would like to invite, if budget allows.
This way, you don’t have to feel locked in from the start and can adjust if and when you can. 😁
what a great way to help clients really nail down their guest list! it can be hard but having these categories can be really helpful!