According to The Knot an average American wedding now costs over $31,000! Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think of $31,000 I immediately think of a down payment on a house, an SUV, savings deposit, or making a respectable investment.

I get it, a wedding is a “once in a lifetime” event (or twice if you’re me). It’s special. It’s memorable. It’s a day you’ll remember forever, but what if I told you that all that can be possible for only $5,000 and you can save your hard earned money for other things that will actually make a difference in your marriage!

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Major wedding expenses, in my opinion, don’t make a wedding at all, and aren’t the reasons why your guests show or why your family loves or supports your nuptials.

My husband and I got married at Alderbrook Resort and Spa, an award winning waterfront venue 2 hours west of Seattle on Hood Canal. We planned our wedding date on Easter in order to coordinate with other resort events. Our guest list was 13 people. Why 13? Because those were the 13 we knew would be there for us when marriage gets rough, when times were a struggle, or when health or money tested our vows. Some things are worth sacrificing; by having a small guest list, we were able to pay to cover the cost of every guest’s overnight stay in waterfront bungalows; they got a fully paid mini-vacation to join us! We felt this was a sacrifice worth making and we have never regretted it!

There are ways to make your wedding memorable, gorgeous, and leave your guests feeling like they’ve just been to a $30,000 wedding! Thinking outside the box and using some of my tips below could save you $25,000 or more!

Event Venue & Location
An event venue can suck up a large portion of a wedding budget, but it doesn’t have to. Don’t get married in the city. If you’re willing to go 1-3 hours outside a major city you’ll cut your venue costs substantially. Guests don’t mind the drive, and in fact might appreciate a mini-trip. In addition, many large, costly venues offer smaller packages that aren’t advertised, such as “elopement package”. These packages offer all the tradition of a wedding without the cost of unnecessary add-ons. If your guest list will be small (under 40-60 people) search for restaurants that offer private accommodations; one of my closest friends got married in an elevated private room above a trendy restaurant in downtown Seattle. It was one of the neatest, intimate and most unforgettable weddings I’ve attended.

Many local, state and Federal parks allow reservations. If you live in a state that has predictably nice weather this is a great way to have a venue for free or under $100!

Food
Sit down plating can raise costs by $40-150 per guest; this is absurd. Having a family style, buffet or potluck can be as casual or upscale as you chose. One of the most elegant weddings I’ve attended was buffet style with a plated salad; the bride did a fantastic job of making it feel fancy. Alternatively, simply do not offer a meal; this is becoming more popular. Many brides are opting for hors d’oeuvres and appetizers only, or a beautifully designed dessert bar with a variety of sweets.

For our wedding we opted to coordinate with the resort’s scheduled Easter Brunch Buffet. The resort provided us with a gorgeous private dining room that attached to the resort’s restaurant; this allowed our wedding guests to enter the restaurant to enjoy the elegant buffet, but eat in private with us. The meal cost us nothing as it was included in the resort stay.

Bride’s Gown & Groom’s Attire
With so many retail and online stores available now there is really no reason to feel limited to only a bridal specialty store or boutique. Open your mind to finding a white dress that wasn’t designed to be a bridal gown. Or, if you do chose a real bridal gown (I did), shop discount racks or reduced price sales. My dress cost $99, and I actually purchased two in different sizes due to my weight fluctuations. Many brides are against wearing a used dress, if you are open to wearing a used dress this is a fantastic way to wear a designer gown at a gigantic discount. Used dresses found online at Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and many other online used dress websites can be a steal (and no one has to know!)

It’s now trendy for grooms and groomsman to “dress down”. Grooms look great in khakis or casual suits. My husband wore a suit he had already owned.

Photography
Photography, like the venue, can be a budget sponge. Wedding photographers range in prices and quality. While I do think photography is an admirable skill, I do not believe a bride has to pay an exuberant amount of money for quality pictures.

Photographers are humans too! Perhaps you have a skill to trade or barter, or offer to compensate in addition to cash. I was very fortunate to have a friend that needed to add more weddings to her portfolio, and while she did charge most customers a large rate, I offered to pay for a weekend away for her and her boyfriend at the resort (and their meals). She loved that offer and it was a win/win for both of us. She got an all-inclusive weekend getaway and new portfolio material in trade for 2-4 hours’ worth of work. We got free photography!

Cake
Our cake was included in the cost of our elopement package; however, cake does not have to cost hundreds or thousands. Consider making it yourself (what a fun night with girlfriends!), or have a friend or family member make it. Cupcakes are a budget-loving alternative and are still trendy. On the other hand, you could skip the cake altogether and opt for a variety of desserts.

Flowers
Pbffttt…why bother? Or, have a friend or family member swing by the local farmer’s market to pick up stunning arrangements for $5-20 each.

Rings
I’m not an overly sentimental gal (smart financial decisions are more important to me), so having my dream wedding ring from the get-go wasn’t a “need”. My wedding ring has since been upgraded; however, I started with a ring from a major department store that cost 60% less than a jewelry store.

For grooms, tungsten carbide rings are durable (more so than gold, silver or platinum) and can be purchased as cheap as $50. Don’t be fooled by jewelry stores that overprice tungsten rings; the material used to make tungsten rings varies very little and they are an awesome, classic, good looking option.

Honeymoon
Very few are fortunate enough to have a honeymoon gifted to them. If you and your fiancé find yourselves paying for your honeymoon be reasonable with your destination and bear in mind you’ll have a lifetime to take luxurious trips. If your trip requires flights make sure you learn to FLY FREE!

Your wedding is about you and your fiance. Don’t allow others’ ideas of how your wedding should be, look and feel get you in debt!

Congratulations and Happy Wedding Planning!

Have you had a look at some of my most recent FREE flights? How about how I plan to retire by 40? Or how I’m quitting my high paying career to do what I LOVE!

• Want to LEARN HOW TO FLY FREE? Start Here! 
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• How I made over $200 in my first 3 weeks blogging (AND HAVE NOW MADE OVER $400 in 4 weeks!)
• 3 Roundtrip Tickets to Maui, Hawaii for $33.60
• I’M QUITTING!  Leaving my $80k+ career for happiness! 
•  3 Roundtrip Tickets to Chicago for $33
• One Way Ticket from Seattle for $5.60
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-Serena