Money Saving Ideas for Your Wedding

Saving money is not about pinching pennies or cutting out items that are necessary for your wedding. Instead, saving money is about adjusting your wedding plans to that you are in a better position to obtain lower price quotes for the items you want, including live music.

Below are just a few ideas from my book, The Bride's Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable, published by Hal Leonard Books. You can purchase an autographed copy right here on this website, and you'll find it all over the Internet, including a Kindle version of this book on Amazon.com.

If you are interested in hiring me to perform at your wedding, give me a call at 530-541-2575 and ask to see if your event qualifies to receive my money-saving Wedding Budget Package.

By the way, it's not important to use all the ideas I present below. Any one of them has the potential to save you a great deal of money and enable you to afford all the items you want for your big day. All information below is Copyright © 2010 Anne Roos from my book, The Bride's Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable. Contact me for permission to reprint any portion of this page.

Timing is everything!--Choose a date, time, or season that is less popular for tying the knot. Here are 7 ways to time your wedding to help you save money on musicians:

   1. Any day except Saturday

Saturday is the most popular day to tie the knot. Choose a weekday to get married, and not only are all your services likely to be available, but you may also receive midweek discounts.

   2. Be a "morning person"

Morning is the best time of day to get married, for a number of reasons. First of all, most couples have evening weddings, so your musicians and other services are more likely to be available in the morning (and may even offer you discounts). Your guests and musicians will be able to find parking earlier in the day (some musicians and wedding vendors charge extra when no suitable loading zone or parking is available adjacent to the wedding site). One more note: People won't drink as much in the morning hours, so you'll save money on the bar tab at your reception.

  3. Avoid holidays

Musicians and other services may charge time-and-a-half or more if you hold your wedding or reception on Christmas Day, the Fourth of July, or other holidays. Or, they may not be available at all. Valentine's Day weddings can be quite popular, so if you have your heart set on that date, book your musicians, celebrant, and other wedding services far in advance.

   4. Gravitate to the off-season

June is the big wedding month in many regions. Check which months are most popular at your favorite ceremony and reception site. Then set your wedding date in a different month, as long as you are comfortable with the greater possibility of inclement weather. Off-season discounts can add up to substantial savings on airfare and accommodations, particularly when you are planning a destination wedding. Your musicians and other services are more likely to be available for your wedding date in the off-season, too, and they might just offer you a discount.

   5. Decide early, then relax

Book your musicians and wedding services as early as you can. Not only will you get everything you want for your wedding day, but you may also avoid yearly cost-of-living increases that your service provider may pass on to you closer to your wedding day. Once you have hired your services, you can relax and have fun making specific decision about things like music selections, flowers, and menu items.

   6. Stick to your wedding day agenda

Don't allow your wedding day events to run overtime. If your ceremony starts late, then it is likely to end late, which means your reception will start and end late, too. Of course, you may end up having to pay your musicians overtime. And if you do not vacate your wedding or reception halls on time, you may also be penalized monetarily. Your food may get cold or overcooked, your celebrant may have to get to another ceremony and need to come back later to do yours. There may be another function scheduled at your site after your wedding, and there are a multitude of other potential consequences of running late.

   7. Shave off some time

Shaving off some time means saving money. Here are some specific ways to accomplish this:

1. Close the bar early to help you avoid a larger bar tab
2. Don't instruct the reception band to play until the very last guest leaves. Have them stop early so that everyone vacates the location in time for you to avoid overtime reception site fees.
3. Trim your guest list. The fewer people on your list, the less time it takes to feed them, the less time your reception band needs to play, and the less time you need to rent your ceremony or reception sites.

Important Note: These items are all just a sampling of ways to save money on your wedding, from my book The Bride's Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable, Copyright © 2010 Anne Roos. Contact me for permission to print any of the above information.