Weddings are bigger, more expensive, and more popular than ever. The average wedding now costs nearly $30,000- more than the down payment on a house in some cities. While this might be daunting, you might not have to give up your dream wedding. Here are some of the ways technology can help you reduce costs and save money while still having a classy, elegant wedding.
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Digital Invitations
Invitations are one wedding expense that you can reduce easily, without changing anything about the big day itself. While it is understandable that people want the invitations to be memorable, and elegant, and say something about them as a couple, the fact is that most will end up in the trash within a few weeks. Rather than going with expensive cards that have to be mailed, consider sending digital wedding invitations. You can have the same lovely, elegant look, save money on printing and postage costs, and reduce the carbon impact and paper waste of traditional mailings.
Online Wedding Planning Tools
Among the best technologies that can help those planning a wedding are (not surprisingly) wedding planning apps and online tools. There are many free or low-cost online tools available to help you plan your wedding, including budget calculators, guest list managers, and vendor directories. Some of the best apps allow you to automate to-do lists and tasks, input dates and workflows, coordinate with other people who are helping you and the members of your wedding party, and customize based on your needs and the timetable you are following. They will even notify you about the things you should be doing so you don’t forget anything important.
Online RSVPs
Rather than including RSVP cards with your invitations, consider asking guests to RSVP online. This can save you money on printing and postage costs and, depending on the wedding planning app or website you are using, you may be able to integrate RSVPs directly into the program to keep track of who is coming. This can help you with planning for seating, catering, and more.
Digital Photography
By using digital photography technology, you can potentially save money on your wedding photography because you can approve each picture and select the prints you want. Most photographers now automatically edit the best pictures and send you digital copies to preview in a digital file, and film photography is now rare.
Instead of hiring a professional photographer, you can also consider asking friends or family members to take photos with their high-quality digital cameras. You can even create a hashtag for your wedding and encourage guests to share their photos on social media. If you still want some professional pictures taken but you don’t want to spend the money on a professional photographer for the whole event, consider a compromise.
One way to do this is to hire a professional photographer to take pictures of a certain part of the wedding, such as the ceremony, or to handle only portraiture. Then you can rely on friends and family to provide you with photographs of the rest of the day.
DIY Decorations
There are many tutorials and inspiration boards available online to help you create your own decorations and centerpieces. This can save you money on expensive florists and decorators. You can make centerpieces, backdrops, and even favors yourself, which can save a lot of money. While not everyone is crafty or has time to make all the decorations, arrangements, and favors, you can get a lot done simply by working a few hours a week, during the evenings or weekends.
Rent Your Dress
One of the large expenses in any wedding is the gown. For many people, this is the most important thing that will make the day into their dream wedding. However, when you combine the expense with the potential waste (as you will never wear the dress again) it can seem unnecessary.
One way to have your dream dress for less expense and less waste is to use a gown rental website. This will allow you to wear a designer dress at a fraction of the cost. In fact, you will likely be able to find a dress that you like better and that is more expensive without spending as much money. These websites will have a much larger selection than a local shop.
Skip the Band
While hiring a band or professional musicians for the ceremony and reception is still a common practice, recorded music is much cheaper and often sounds just as good- or better! By using recorded music, you will be able to have exactly the songs and versions you want for each step of the ceremony, and you will avoid the band accidentally playing a song you or your fiance hate or that brings up bad memories.
If you still want live music at your wedding, you could consider choosing to have it at just one part of the wedding and using a recorded playlist for the rest of the day. For example, if you really want live music in the ceremony, consider using recorded music for the reception.
Streaming the Service
One of the best inventions of the modern age is streaming technology which allows people to have more intimate connections with each other. If you have guests who cannot attend your wedding in person, consider live-streaming your ceremony and reception. Friends and family will appreciate the thoughtful gesture and will love being a part of your special day. This can also reduce your expenses because you can limit your guest list to the closest and most intimate family and friends, and invite everyone else to attend online.
Conclusion
While every marrying couple desires to make their special day perfect, there are many things you can do to lower expenses while still having your dream wedding. The most important thing is to understand your own priorities and make sure you don’t compromise on those things. Then you can freely find ways to lower costs and save money on less-important things.
