According to a 2013 statistic, the average American spends $800-$1000 on invitations. I've included Save the Date, Bridal Shower, and Wedding invitations below for much less!
Some people like to send out Save the Date Cards. For me they are not necessary, especially if you
are on a budget. If Save the Dates are your thing, then these are for you! These are $1.00 each by dovetaildesignok on Etsy, and would cost 100 to send to 100 people!
If you really want to save money, use printable invitations. This PDF file is $15.00 by IrisPola on www.etsy.com. You can print as many as you would like. Factor in the cost of high end paper and you're looking at around $50.00 for 100 save the Date Invites!
These adorable bridal shower invitations are a printable file by CLaceyDesigns on www.etsy.com. For $15.00 you can print as many as you would like!
If printable invitations are not your thing, check these out! These adorable bridal shower invitations are $3.50/each. Not the MOST budget friendly, however, you can get 25 of these for $87.50
These invitations are printed for you and include the envelope all for $1.75/each! They can be found in LovableInvitations Etsy shop, and would be $175 total for 100 invitations!
These printable invitations are $8.00 by WeddingTemplates on www.etsy.com! With the cost of high end paper they would cost around $35.00 to print 100!
If you were to go with the printable PDF option your total for Save The Date Cards, Bridal Shower Invitations, and Wedding Invitations would be around $125.00!! The printed ones would be $362.50! So either way you would be way below what the average person spends on invitations!
Now that we have the invitations under control, lets move on to the wedding party! Bridesmaids dresses are not typically part of the cost of a wedding because many brides opt to have their bridesmaids pay for their own dresses. The average cost of a bridesmaids dress before alterations is $175.00. If your bridesmaids love their dress and can possibly wear the dress again, that's not too bad, however, if they have no intention of ever wearing that dress again it can be hard to ask them to pay $150-200 for a dress!
$59.00 by DressFan on etsy
If you want a floor length gown, this gorgeous option is $108.00 by SanctSophia on Etsy
$85.00 by 21weddingdress on Etsy
$109.00 by DressHome on www.etsy.com
Flower Girl and Ring Bearer attire is also typically not covered by the bride, the assumption is the little girl and boy will be keeping the dress, and therefore, the cost falls on the parents. Here are some amazing finds for flower girl and ring bearer attire for affordable prices!
This adorable Flower girl dress is only $46.99 by dresstalk on www.etsy.com
Rompers are an adorable alternative to a dress and the little ones will definitely be comfortable in this option. This Romper is $22.99 by HappyBOWtique on Etsy
$47.99 thstylee1 on www.etsy.com
This is my super bargain find! $19.99 and comes in sizes infant-4T! This adorable dress can be found in carmiashop on www.etsy.com
Now for those little boys!!!
This ADORABLE little suit comes in a wide variety of sizes for $36.00 in carmiashop on Etsy
If you were to decide to cover the cost of your bridesmaids dresses for a typical party of 5 the lowest priced dresses they would cost you $295.00 the highest priced dresses they would cost you $545.00. Again, most brides do not offer to cover the cost of their bridesmaids dresses. A great alternative to asking your bridesmaids to cover the entire cost, is splitting it with them. Whatever works best for you, the options above are gorgeous and budget friendly!
If you have decided to cover the cost of your flower girl's dress the lest find would cost you $19.99 and the highest $47.99!
OK so not that we have the wedding party covered (I suggest having the groomsmen rent their tuxedos or attire), lets move on to the dress, accessories, flowers and fun stuff. These are all items that are typically covered by the person(s) paying for the wedding.
The wedding dress is probably the first thing you think about after the proposal (or before ;)). Below are some of my favorite budget friendly finds. These dresses are gorgeous!
Most people don't think to look on Amazon for their wedding gown, however, they have a wide selection at great prices! This gorgeous dress by GEORGE BRIDE is originally $588.00 on sale for $197.00!
Another GEORGE BRIDE find on Amazon. $149.00
Above are some gorgeous options for a strict budget, but if it's a designer gown you're looking for that won't break the bank, below are some more great options.. I adore Maggie Sottero, she does amazing work!
This gorgeous blush pink gown by Maggie Sottero for $779.00 at www.bestbridalprices.com
Maggie Sottero Adrien Dress on www.bestbridalprices.com for $1,029
This dress perfect for your pink and gray themed wedding. Blush under and a gray belt, perfect!
Maggie Sottero Style Ascher, $1198.00 with free shipping, PLUS $170 towards a veil and wedding
shoes! www.bestbridalprices.com
Speaking of shoes :).. These gorgeous light pink pumps are $83.00 by ChristyNgShoes on Etsy
$90.00 also by ChristyNgShoes on www.etsy.com
Really want to save? Jaz up a pair of white pumps with these flower clips, $12.00 by KyliesChicBoutique on www.etsy.com
Flower girl basket and ring bearer pillow set $59.99 by CutieButtsBoutique
$58.50 for this set by RomacingJuliet on Etsy
This is an 18 piece set for $249.00 by BellinaBlue on www.etsy.com
If you want real flowers for your wedding day then consider some of these options:
If your ceremony and reception space are separate, consider moving your ceremony flowers to your reception area. A cocktail hour is a perfect disguise for flower set up! Get flowers that are in season, they are always cheaper. Use big retail chains instead of local florist. I love to give business to small vendors, however, when it comes to flowers you get a long more bang for your buck going big. Safeway and Walmart both carry a beautiful variety of flowers. Some pink roses, tulips, lilies, or carnations tied with a gray ribbon would be gorgeous.
$17.50 for the set by JuliasDesign on Etsy
These work great for a decoration behind the cake table, buffet table, candy bar, or even at the ceremony itself. Set of 11 for $35.95 by ThePapierStudio on Etsy
These table numbers are $4.00/each. If you send out 100 invitations you can assume half will come. (our course RSVP are always a good idea). If you factor in your guests each bringing a significant other, or a friend, as well as kids you should plan on about 125 people. At 8 to a table you would need roughly 16 tables. Total of $64.00 for table placement cards!
Wedding Card Box holder $58.00 by itsmyday on www.etsy.com
This adorable 16X20 wedding guest book alternative is also budget friendly! $32.00 by Karimachal on etsy
$15.00 for 100 by HeathersBlankets on www.etsy.com
4 for $14.00 by PomGoddess on www.etsy.com
Set of 12 Mason Jars for $50.00. Would make amazing table centerpieces with a simple arrangement.
Simple, yet very elegant table arrangement. The $ store has a wide variety of glass containers!
$15.00 for 25 wedding favor boxes! These would be adorable sitting by a candy buffet!
$25.00 by BeforeYouSayIDo on www.etsy.com
In general cake artists charge way more for fondant covered cakes, this beautiful cake would be a budget friendly option.
If it's fondant you want, shop around, what cake decorators charge varies greatly!
If you chose everything above at the lowest price I provides your total would be under $1050! So to break that down you can get your wedding dress, shoes, bridesmaids dresses, save the dates, bridal shower invitations, wedding invitations, decorations, etc etc for UNDER $1100!
Listed below is the 2013 average for what people spent on Venue, Catering, and Retnals, with an average of $2500 for photography and entertainment (DJ or Band). I wouldn't recommend ever skimping on your entertainment a good DJ can make or break your wedding. Your guest are going to remember how great of a time they had, and little else!
I think you can easily cut cost on a lot of these below totals by simply shopping around. You can take the 206 off for ceremony accessories and the 203 for reception accessories, those are listed above. You can also save thousands by having your ceremony in a church or by having your ceremony and reception at the same venue.
| Venue, Catering & Rentals | $10,500 |
| Ceremony Accessories | $206 |
| Ceremony Location | $937 |
| Ceremony Officiator | $219 |
| Hotel Room for After Reception | $281 |
| Reception Accessories | $203 |
| Reception Bar Service | $2,207 |
| Reception Food Service | $4,339 |
| Reception Location | $2,672 |
| Reception Rentals | $1,385 |
| Rehearsal Dinner | $865 |
| Wedding Cake/Dessert | $386 |
