JACKSONVILLE, Fla — 2022 is the year of the weddings.
CNN indicates 2.6 million weddings will take place this year. Weddings were not spared by inflation.
Reports show 70 percent of couples are spending more on their 2022 weddings than originally planned. Your most affordable wedding is at the courthouse, but if you want the big dream wedding, this is how you do it.
Take out your notebook because I can help you save around $7,700.
- Plan it yourself: Free checklists online will guide you through. That cuts $1,800.
- Don’t have your wedding on a Saturday. Having a Friday or Sunday wedding could save you thousands. Ask your venue for the price difference.
- Have a family member or friend officiate the wedding. It’s free to get ordained online! It’s more personal and will save you about $300.
- No more paper invites. It may scare your grandparents that they won’t be holding a paper invitation, but free websites like Zola or The Knot help you design a detailed website with all the information guests need to know. This saves you about $530.
- Cut wedding programs. That'll save you $50 to $100.
- Cut party favors which will save you $1 to $3 per person.
- Cut printed menus to save about $75.
- Cut the guest book and cut $45.
- Cut boutonnieres which cost $10 to $20 each.
- Get your wedding dress from a non-traditional place: Stores like Nordstrom or Revolve sell wedding dresses as “white gowns” online. Seemingly the lack of the word "bridal" greatly reduces their price. You're looking at $200 to $800 dresses versus dresses starting at $1,500 at a bridal boutique. That’s a saving of at least $700.