Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, but it can also be one of the most expensive. You want your day to be perfect, but with the average cost of a wedding totaling $25,200 – that price tag is hard to swallow. That’s a lot of money to pay for a few hours of celebration.

Thankfully, you don’t have to spend your life savings or go into a huge amount of debt to have a fabulous wedding. You can still have a beautiful day on a tight budget. Here are 5 tips to help you save on your special day.

1. Set the Date During Off-Peak Seasons

One of the first steps to planning a wedding is setting the date. Choosing the right one has a big effect on your budget. Wedding season tends to run from April to October, and during this time – costs can be a lot higher. If you’re flexible, consider scheduling your wedding during an off-peak season or less popular time of year. Additionally, Saturday is the most popular day of the week for weddings by far. While it may be slightly inconvenient for you and your guests, a weekday or Sunday afternoon wedding can save you a lot of cash.

2. Rent Your Dress

For women, choosing the dress is one of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning process. Your dress is probably something you have been dreaming about for years – but the fact of the matter is, most dresses don’t come cheap. Do you really want to end up paying thousands of dollars for a dress you’re only wearing for a few hours?  In order to avoid this, many women are now renting wedding dresses for their big day.  This way, you can get your dream dress and still save money.

3. Limit the Options at the Bar

Your guests will undoubtedly be looking forward to the open bar at your wedding. But, you don’t necessarily need to go all out either. To save money on drinks, you have a couple options. You could limit the bar to wine and beer only — just don’t forget about champagne for toasts! Even though the selection will be limited, the drinks will be flowing and your guests will still have a great time.

4. Get Creative with the Venue

Traditionally, most weddings are held in a hotel, country club, or banquet hall – but these locations tend to be the most expensive. To save money, get creative with your venue. Think of places that mean something to you and your partner – like a park, library, or aquarium. You might be able to get a good deal on a nontraditional approach to your venue. Just be sure to get all the licenses and permits you’ll need before moving forward with the ceremony.

5. Stay True to the Purpose

Wedding planning can definitely get a little crazy. And sometimes, you might want to spend more money just to please everyone. However, the most important thing for you and your partner (as well as your budget) to remember – is that the wedding day is to celebrate you merging your lives into one. Stay true to yourselves, and keep the purpose of the day in perspective.  If there’s one thing to remember, it’s this: stop stressing and enjoy the celebration.

Coming into your special day with the right attitude will allow you to focus on the true purpose of what a wedding is supposed to be. And doing so will allow you to have more money to spend on the honeymoon and your married life together!

Getting married in the Monmouth or Ocean County NJ area? Apply for a Financial Helper Wedding Loan from First Financial. We’ll help you cover the expense of your big day with a low interest rate!*

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rates are subject to change. Maximum loan is $25K and maximum term is 60 months. Not all applicants qualify, subject to credit approval. A First Financial membership is required to obtain a loan, and is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties. A $5 deposit in a base savings account is required for credit union membership prior to opening any other account/loan. See credit union for details. Federally insured by NCUA.

Article Source: Connie Mei for Moneyning.com