How to get married on a budget

The average cost of a wedding in the US is $35000 in some states like New York even $65000, an elopement cost anywhere from $5000 to 20000 depending on what you are willing to invest in it.

What is an elopement?

Eloping means that the couple approaches their wedding day in a more intentional, meaningful, intimate and personal way, customized exactly to the couples unique interests for locations and activities. You can elope just as a couple or invite just the closest friends and familymembers who are important to you and keep the focus on YOU.

Long story short, elopements are always more affordable than weddings and you can always find budget friendly options for everything.

The one thing you should never cheap out on is your Photographer to document your whole experience.

Legal cost of a wedding

The legal cost of a wedding or elopement is $120-500 for your marriage license or a licensed officiant to make sure everything is legit

destination elopement on a budget

If you plan a destination elopement I would recommend to plan in advance,

this can safe you stress before your elopement day and a lot of money for travel and lodging

Here are some of my favorite travel on a budget hacks.

1.Check for flights through sky scanner, hopper and skiplegged you can sort it that it shows the cheapest option first

2.not set on a specific location?

you can just book the most affordable flight by clicking on “anywhere” in the US or anywhere in the world and

3.Not set on a date yet? find the cheapest date to travel and plan your elopement on that date

4. Getting married on a Weekday

If you choose to fly in and out on a weekday it can save you a lot of money

Also your accommodations like air bnb or your hotel might be much cheaper during the week instead of on the weekend.

5.Travel light

Only bring a carry on to avoid extra costs during you flight, especially if you plan to go to multiple locations

How to save money on your wedding attire

Suits: did you know you can rent a suit for a wedding? Men’s warehouse and other stores rent you their custom measured suits for your big day.

You can also just get khaki pants and a button up shirt.

Dress/ Jumpsuits: my favorite way to get affordable wedding dresses is online.

Lulus: The best option I have found is lulus (they have sales on every holiday and to seasonal changes, they offer wedding dresses and wedding jumpsuits for as low as $30! All the way up to almost $400 The quality is absolutely amazing for that price and  they are so pretty.

ASOS: asos has great wedding dresses in many different styles

David’s bridal: David’s bridal has physical locations where you can shop off the rack to save some money but they also have great offers online, if you would like to shop from the comfort of your home

Amazon: yes Amazon offers wedding dresses as well, just look for “white maxi dress”to find affordable options or real wedding dresses, just make sure you read the review first if you pay more than 50$ and it’s through a third party.

Bridal store: if you always envisioned to get your wedding outfit at a bridal store or boutique, you can get a dress in your size off the rack and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Pro Tip: if you plan on having an adventure during your elopement, don’t spend too much money on your outfit, so you don’t have to worry it will get ruined! You can jump into the water or hike through the mud and focus on having fun instead of worrying about your outfit. More affordable outfits are also lighter in weight and easier to bring with you.

Budget friendly activities

There are tons of free or very affordable activities you can do on your elopement.

You can decide on an activity by sitting together with your partner and dream up the most perfect date night you would like to have together.

What do you love to do?

Go for a hike

Go to the beach

Have a picnic

Watch a movie

Sightseeing in the city

Ride a Kayak, Canoe, paddle boat, sale boat

Ride a bike

Go Stargazing

….

If you saved money on everything else you can invest some more money in an activity that will give you the most epic unforgettable experience that will forever remind you of your special day

Like doing a helicopter or hot air balloon ride, renting a four-wheeler, going on a safari…

Photographer/ Videographer

Elopements are so special and are made out of thousands intentional and meaningful moments because it’s a very intimate and personal wedding.

So every single moment in that day deserves to be captured and documented to relive these moments for the rest of your life’s.

This is why it’s important to not look at the price range of photographers but their styles and abilities to capture your special day.

There is nothing worse than having this amazing day and then not liking your photos because you found a free or cheap person to photograph it but who wasn’t able to capture the special moments for you. After all, the photographs is the only thing from your weddingday that will last forever and remind you of this day for years to come.

Also, you would probably like to announce that you tight the knot with pictures and videos to the people who weren’t there.

Plan to spend $2k-10k on your photographer/ videographer

Decor

You can hire a vendor to provide decor like an arch and a bouquet for your ceremony, but you can also diy your decor and use nature as a background or get more affordable flowers at Trader Joe’s or some supermarket close to you or even get florals for free at someone’s garden (someone you know and not without asking of course)

Vendors

You can hire an elopement planner to plan the whole thing for and connect with vendors they know or you decide which vendors you prioritize and find the right ones for you, like photographer and or videographer, officiant, decorator, privat band, privat chef etc.

Celebration with friends and family

After your elopement, you can invite friends and family over for a barbecue and show them pictures of your special day or even have a little wedding ceremony in your backyard in your wedding attire and let them be part of your commitment.

Conclusion

Elopements are perfect for the ones who value experience over stuff and you are less likely to regret money spend on experiences than money you spend on stuff.

Have the best experience you can afford and focus on the two of you and your love.