Cost Cutting Secrets For Your Wedding

KCC Photography wants to help you create your dream wedding without breaking the bank. Brides share their best cost-cutting secrets below…Ready, set, save!

Buy, Don't Rent

"When I got a quote for more than $500 to rent linens, I went on Ebay and purchased what I needed for less than $250. And we're going to resell them after the honeymoon!"

Find a Smart Substitute

"Instead of a bouquet, I carried my favorite book wrapped in something borrowed—a friend's blue-embroidered handkerchief. I called it my 'book-quet.'"

Get Intimate

"For the rehearsal dinner, we threw a casual outdoor barbecue for just our families, the officiate, and the bridal party. Keeping it low-key and super-small meant we had more to spend on the wedding itself."

Bail on the Ballroom

"Get creative with your wedding venue. We married on a 1920s theater stage, then had a reception upstairs. Everyone raved about how different and fun it was. And it only cost us a few hundred bucks to rent the whole thing."

Make Yourself Beautiful

"Instead of hiring a makeup artist, I'm going to go to a department store for a free makeover, then use what I learn to do it myself."

Get Married by a Pal

"A friend from high school officiated at our wedding.”

Shop at Home

"We're having a nautical wedding, so we're using a bunch of dé cor that we already own, like lanterns, seashells, driftwood, and model ships."

The Barter System

"The church where we married let us use its wedding ministry for free in return for my volunteering at other weddings.”

Cut It Out

"Every week, I clip coupons for decor and DIY supplies at Michaels and Hobby Lobby­.”

Skimp on Stamps

"We chose postcards for our save-the-dates. It saved us money on postage and envelopes!"

Go Local

"We went to our farmer's market the morning of the wedding and bought all the flowers we needed to make our bouquets and centerpieces.”

Pay with Plastic

"We've been saving credit card points for two and a half years. Our honeymoon is practically paid for."

Choose an Off-Day

"Having your wedding on a Friday night is so much cheaper than doing it on a Saturday."

Get Crafty

"My husband and I made fourteen tissue pomanders by hand to decorate the aisle at our wedding ceremony.”

Dress Differently

"I bought a gorgeous off-white bridesmaids' gown with a full A-line skirt instead of a traditional wedding dress.”.

Go to Bridal Shows

"Vendors often offer great specials and giveaways at shows.”

Do Double Duty

"My mom bought a bunch of colored pashminas in bulk for about $4 each. We used them as chair coverings and as party favors for guests."

Choose à la Carte

"Don't feel pressured to buy a photography package. They often include a lot of extras you may not want. Instead, ask your photographer to quote you a lower price based only on the options that are most important to you."

Skip the Tulle

"I'm wearing fabric flowers in my hair. I found someone online to make them custom for me at a quarter of the price of a new veil!"

Get Graphic

"I designed our wedding invitations using Adobe Illustrator. Then I sent them to CatPrint.com to be printed—it's awesome and super-cheap."

Bribe Your BFFs

"To entice friends to help with my DIY projects, I threw several girly cocktail parties. It made tying ribbons on bottles of bubbles and arranging flowers a blast."

Go to School

"Hire recent graduates from a local culinary institute to cater your wedding. They'll be grateful for the experience and charge way less than an established caterer."

Pick a Public Place

"My fiancé and I booked our ceremony and reception at a state park—it was only $160 for the whole day. And since it's such a pretty location, we barely need any décor."

Pick Blooms Online

"I ordered my flowers in bulk from Fiftyflowers.com and put them together with my family. The site also has premade bouquets and centerpieces."

Say No to Rentals

"Booking a venue with tables, chairs, and china meant we didn't have to rent anything. We ended up saving $900!"

Get Inked

"Letter pressed envelopes are expensive, so I had a rubber stamp with my return address on it custom-made. I still use it for thank-you notes and holiday cards."

Leave a Message

"When I ordered our engagement-photo album online, I had extra pages put in, so we could use it as our wedding guestbook."

Drink More

"I'm saving wine bottles and using them as vases and candle holders."

Learn a New Trick

"I taught myself calligraphy in just a few hours, using a kit I found on Amazon. The invitation and save-the-date envelopes we sent out looked great, and the tutorial and all the materials only cost me $25."

Forget the Favors

"We were more worried about showing our guests a good time than giving them gifts. Trust me, no one missed the little goodie bags of chocolate at the end of the night."

Raise the Bar

"We had the bartender offer wine, beer, and two signature cocktails. It was less expensive than a full open bar, and guests couldn't stop talking about how fun the drinks were."

Be Morning People

"We had a late-morning wedding, which saved us a ton of money. The reception ended at four p.m., and then we threw an after-party at someone's house at six-thirty!"

Borrow for Your Big Day

"I'm wearing the veil my mother wore at her wedding.”

Do a Dessert Table

"We created a homemade dessert buffet instead of ordering a wedding cake. My husband and I asked all of the ladies from his family to make their signature dessert, and we put their names next to each one. Everyone loved the variety, and it saved us a lot of cash.”

Be Good to Your Feet

"If you're wearing a long dress, choose affordable, comfortable shoes, rather than killing yourself (and your wallet) in expensive five-inch stilettos. No one can really see them anyway."

Hit the Town