How to make your wedding budget look bigger

We’ve already written about ways to save money on your wedding. Now let’s take this from a slightly different angle. Just because your budget is on the smaller end, that doesn’t mean your wedding has to be or look small. So let’s look at how to make your wedding budget look bigger.

Elegance is not something that is defined by money, first of all. Taste can’t be bought. And your wedding (we sound like a broken record but this is that important) should reflect you. What is your idea of elegance? What is your taste as a couple? Wedding planning starts with questions like that.

Then ask what kind of experience you want to have. How do you want to feel at your wedding? After your wedding? How do you want your guests to feel?

After answering questions like that, ask yourself what’s the most important parts of the wedding and reception? Where do you want your money to go?

Making your wedding budget look bigger starts with the budget itself and being really clear on what your goals are.

Wedding planning for elegance on a budget

What’s most important?

This is a big one. Is it more important to you to have a certain venue or to have a large number of guests? Have you always dreamed of a certain wedding gown and would gladly give up the perfect meal? Start with drawing your boundaries around what you want the most and what’s negotiable.

Location

Your location choice can do a lot of work in terms of creating the ambience you want without a lot of effort or money spent on decor. Imagine your wedding in an art gallery. There needn’t be anything extra added in this kind of environment. And of course, the same goes for outdoor weddings. So little needs to be done to create beauty because it’s already there.

Consider out of the box sorts of venues, too. An aquarium could create a really fun and interesting backdrop for your wedding photos.

(Here is a list of unique venue ideas to get the juices flowing.)

Many for the price of one

Of course you could have your wedding ceremony and your reception all in one place. That can save in myriad ways, including decor, travel between venues, set up, and helpers. But you could also consider having your wedding and reception in the very place where you plan to honeymoon. Bundling just saves money — whether it’s your wedding or insurance. ((ha))

Simplicity is beauty

Things don’t have to be complicated. Complication is usually rather… expensive. Whether you’re thinking in terms of dollars spent or the time it takes to figure out all the details.

Simplify your entire wedding scheme. Keep every detail as simple as you can, from your dress to your wedding party to your rings to your music … you get it… everything.

This can be difficult in today’s world of bigger is better weddings or over-the-top, multiple day wedding events. This can feel like you’re swimming against the current. But stay true to you and your vision. What’s most important — the wedding or the marriage?

Borrow and repurpose

Maybe between you and your families, you already have beautifully framed family photos that could be used in your decor scheme. Perhaps someone in your family has a large collection of candle holders. Or linens. Borrowing is part of the wedding tradition after all and it’s a way to make everyone feel really involved.

Also, repurpose materials the day of, as much as you can. That arch of flowers over you as you say your vows can be quickly moved to use as center pieces. This might sound difficult but it’s not and where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Resist the tchotchke

Yes, all the Mr. and Mrs. stuff is adorable and fun and it can be very tempting and very easy to just snag all of it. But don’t. Save your dollars for the things that really matter. And even though each of those little pieces of tchotchke can seem inexpensive, it all adds up.

More detailed ways to up the posh

Besides the overview questions and then the general approach that we’ve outlined above, what are some details for how to make your wedding budget look bigger? Here we’ll just list a bunch of ideas to consider while wedding planning.

• Pick a rich color. Deep hues are great for creating a feeling of high end. Of course, this can depend on your date and your location but keep it in mind for easy richness.
• Have a cocktail reception instead of a sit down meal. This can feel so… fancy. And fun. And it really can cut down expenses without feeling cheap.
• Think about lighting. Inexpensive little lights that wash color over the walls can give such a finished feeling to any venue for very little cost.
• Pool the linens on your tables. Don’t just go floor length. Go past that. Pooling linens look very elegant and are not a big added expense.
• Go to the fabric store and be inspired. Use beautifully rich colored gauzes, for example, as table runners. This is super inexpensive and can add a lot of visual interest and uniqueness to your venue.
• Instead of expensive floral centerpieces, go with candles. You can get mirrored trays at craft stores. Then set a variety of heights of candles out. Instant romantic and instant elegant.
• If you’re having a cocktail hour, look into hiring a solo musician like a harpist or violinist. Very elegant. Very demure. (IYKYK)
• Doing something simple like floating a slice of citrus or a fruit in your guests’ water glasses adds a lot of chic for very little. People notice.

We would love to hear the tricks you’ve noticed at other weddings or are planning to use at your own to make your budget wedding look as elegant as any wedding with an unlimited budget!

PS The wedding photos used in this post are not meant to represent “budget weddings,” but we would like to point out that a good photographer will always make your wedding memories stunning.