Everyone wants to save money on their wedding, but they don’t want it to appear cheap.  Unless you do your research beforehand and plan it all out, you can easily be spending a whole lot more on your special day than expected.  If you are looking to cut corners without your wedding looking anything less than classy and stylish, here are some easy ways to do it.

Flowers

The best tip that anyone will tell you about saving money on flowers is to use more greenery on the bouquets and centerpieces than flowers.  No one will even notice, as long as it is done tastefully.  You can also consider using less expensive flowers, too.  For example, a rose is relatively inexpensive when compared to a peony.  Aim for flowers that are in season so there is an abundance of them, meaning that they will cost less (this may be a bit difficult if you’re having a winter wedding).

Reception

Everyone will tell you to cut the guest list if you want to save money on your reception, and there is no new news there.  Cut out anyone you haven’t spoken to in 5 years or who you don’t even care about seeing.  Not only will this lower the cost for food and drink, but it will save you chair cover rentals, invitations, thank you cards, center pieces – the list can go on and on.

If you don’t care about being married in the spring or the summer, aim for a late fall or winter wedding that isn’t on a Saturday (this is the most expensive day of the week to have a wedding).  You can save thousands of dollars on your wedding alone just for having an “off season” wedding!  Then you have a very good excuse to go honeymoon in a hot, exotic location.  Think about also hosting your reception in the same spot as the ceremony, as this will lesson the cost of transportation and will lessen the expenses for any vendors you may be paying “by the hour” for.

Food and Drink

A quick way to save money on food and drink is to find an establishment where you can bring in your own liquor.  To even further lessen the costs, find a place where you can make your very own wine and beer for the event!  Skip the open bar, and splurge on a signature cocktail.  These three drinks are more than enough for a wedding and will surely be enjoyed by the vast majority of people there.

Next is thinking about the food itself.  If you serve those warm, comfort foods like BBQ chicken, macaroni salad, and corn, you will save a bundle on food costs.  Another option is to skip the main course all together and go for appetizers only.  Most appetizers come in portions that are large enough to fill your guest’s stomachs anyway.

As for the cake, the best way to save costs is to buy a nice two-tiered cake, and then a large sheet cake that is of the same flavor.  When the cake cutting is over, the kitchen can then serve the large sheet cake that has been in the back.  Your guests will never know that they’re not having a piece of the real wedding cake!