7 Ways Couples Overspend on Their Wedding

FACT: Average cost of a wedding, roughly $30,000 (Gulp!)

FACT: Majority of couples go over that budget! (Double gulp!)

We get it, you have a budget but you still want an incredible wedding day experience. Mike Staff Productions is here to help you accomplish both goals!

We’re here to point out the common budget busters, the red flags, the wedding planning no-no’s to keep your wedding day dreams (and bank account) intact.

1. NOT Doing Research

Couples often fall into the trap of waiting to set a budget and jumping into the “fun stuff,” like shopping for attire or booking a venue and then finding themselves completely overspending early on in the process. You’re excited! It’s easy to jump into planning right away!

PRO TIP: SLOW DOWN and compare the value of all of your wedding goods and services with multiple vendors before whipping out your credit card and booking on the fly.

How To Set a Wedding Budget

Talk with your families about who will pay for what, if they plan on contributing.
For many couples, talking to each family separately is the best way to have truly open discussions.
Decide how much you two, as a couple, can contribute between now and the wedding.

Don’t Dip: If you are financing part or all of your wedding, put your wedding money in a separate bank account. This will help with overspending and dipping into your savings. If you are using credit cards, choose a card that gives rewards or cash back.

Prioritize the Percentages: Pick one or two parts of their wedding that are really important, and allow yourself a little wiggle room to splurge in those areas.

2. NOT Bundling Services

When you bundle services, you save more than time and money. Our team works together to stay on top of all the details, so you can stay in the moment.

PRO TIP: Teamwork between your wedding videographer and photographer makes a huge difference in getting the perfect shots throughout your wedding day; and the joint effort with your Wedding DJ at the reception will ensure no one misses out on key moments.

Play Video about The Team Approach

3. NOT Getting Photography Copyrights

You’ve tied the knot!
You had the time of your life on your honeymoon!
Now to you want to decorate your home from head to toe in wedding photos!

Did you know that buying extra prints from your photographer can cost you hundreds of dollars more than you budgeted?

It’s true, unless you own the rights to your photography — which is something Mike Staff Productions believes in. A personal copyright release allows you to display and re-print your wedding images from the printer of your choice.

You won’t have to contact your photographer once your wedding is over or even years down the road to get permission to print your own pictures. When you pay for wedding photography at Mike Staff Productions, you get your personal copyrights FREE!

PRO TIP: DO NOT hire a photographer that doesn’t give you full personal copyrights to your images … it will not only save you a lot of money, but also a tremendous amount of frustration.

4. Inviting EVERYONE

Nearly all wedding professionals will tell you, the number one way to save on your budget is to lower your guest list.

Easier said than done, right?

But here’s a reality check: cutting just one table from your reception can save you well over $500! (WOW!)

Read More: Tips to Trim Your Guest List

5. Choosing Flowers That Are NOT in Season

Choosing flowers that are in season can result in major savings and chances are you can still achieve the beautiful look you are hoping for. If you want something out of season, ask to use them as accent flowers rather than the primary. The key is choosing wisely!

Ways to Save on Flowers:

From Ceremony to Reception: Don’t leave your ceremony arrangements at the altar! Make arrangements to have any floral arrangements used at your ceremony to be taken to your reception and put back on display in another way. Talk to your florist about how you can reuse your ceremony flowers to get the most bang for your buck.

Go Green(ery) It’s on trend and cost-effective: A lot of brides have been adding succulents and other natural accents to their bouquets which fills them up. Then simply adding “pops” of floral for color.

Make it Twinkle: Candles create a sense of romance, they help set the mood. Whether you use candelabras for an elegant feeling or simple hurricanes for a rustic reception, candles can be a beautiful and inexpensive way to make a statement.

6. Timing Late Night Snacks

Having a late night pizza buffet or a Coney Island stand is a great idea. Who doesn’t get the munchies after hitting up an open bar and dancing for hours?

BUT a late night snack becomes a budget buster when it’s not timed right.

PRO TIP: Make sure your wedding DJ makes an announcement that the late night snack has been served so your guests know it’s there! Your guests won’t be hungry for that pizza bar at 10:00 pm if dinner ended at 8:30. Don’t want all of that food going to waste!

7. The Cake

A wedding cake is somewhat of an irreplaceable wedding tradition but it doesn’t need to be an elaborate one — you can save money and still satisfy your sweet tooth! Fun flavors, Geo-cakes, metallic details are all the rage when it comes to wedding cake trends. But there are options to save money and still have your cake be a show stopper!

Ways to Cut Back on Cake:

Simple & Sheet Cake: Stick with a smaller 2 tier wedding cake for photos and cake cutting and supplement with sheet cake in the back for serving your guests.

Go Naked: Skip the frosting! They’re called ‘naked cakes’ and they are super on trend.