Weddings/Events

How to have a memorable wedding on a budget

I'm Kari!

Wedding planner, designer, photographer and creative entrepreneur who helps curate epic events and sparks joy for clients through curated photography art. Let's hang and chat!

hey there

Get My Free
Venue Guide

Gimme that

Sharing more about my personal life, products I love + books I'm reading and daily habits.

TOp categories

Spilling the tea on business and everything I've learned over the last 9+ years as well. 

Check out our prints, our process and why we started the shop and more!

Get inspired with our wedding designs and all the details. Whether it's color, neutral palettes, traditional or very non-traditional. Plus lots of wedding planning tips!

Ways You Can Wow At Your Wedding On A Budget

wallet with money, how to stay within your wedding budget

Weddings can be incredibly expensive, with the average wedding in America costing $28,964. Not all couples have that much money to spend on a wedding, or they might rather use the funds for something else instead. If this is you, there are plenty of ways that you can cut costs but still ensure your wedding is a beautiful, special day. After all, your wedding should be personal and significant to you, and about celebrating your love for one another. Below are some ideas to cut costs + stay on budget that will still ensure you have a magical wedding day.

Consider your venue choice

bride and groom backyard wedding ceremony in front of tiki bar
Photo by: Robiee Ziegler

Large venues and private estates look impressive in photos, however they can also cost a pretty penny to book. If you’re looking to cut costs on your wedding, then take inspiration from what you have around you, and go alternative for your venue. (Like this couple who got married in their backyard in front of their tiki bar!) You’d be amazed at what good decor can do to transform a space.

The internet is your friend here – take a look at unusual venue ideas, especially from couples who are in your area. Just make sure that you connect with a wedding planner to ensure you have the appropriate paperwork and licenses.

Buy pre-loved or sale items

Photo by: Emily Morgan and Valerie Noel

Not only is buying pre-owned items cheaper, it’s a more sustainable way to get married, too. When bought from reliable places, second-hand rings and pre-worn wedding dresses are still of high quality. Dresses especially can be professionally cleaned by dry-cleaners, and are likely to have only been worn once.

You can also look for sale items from brands that you love, but you can’t afford to pay full price for. Companies often have sales on wedding jewelry, or on sample size dresses. By signing up to newsletters from jewelers or clothing companies or following them on social media, you can increase your chances of snagging these items cheaply. 

Think about your food

A colorful wedding at Unique Space LA, cocktail hour
Photo by: Mary Costa Weddings

While once upon a time, weddings were formal three-course meals, that is no longer the expectation. Fortunately for budget planners, grazing tables and alternative, more casual food choices are becoming more common. There is something quite cool and exciting about going to a wedding and being greeted with a huge table of food options, or having burgers instead of another chicken and vegetable dish. Also, brightly colored food trucks also look great for wedding photos.

Additionally, instead of an expensive wedding cake, opt for a dessert table! It looks great and gives your guests a wider range of options. Unfortunately, a lot of wedding cake ends up going to waste at the end of the night, so a dessert table can help alleviate some of that waste and cost.

There you have it, friends! Thank you to 77 Diamonds for collaborating with us on this post! If you’re interested in how you can create + stick to your wedding budget, contact me on my homepage!

Feathered Arrow signature

LATTE OBSESSED, CHRONIC OVERACHIEVER, OUTDOOR GIRL, SUCKER FOR LIVE MUSIC, DONUT FANATIC, LIFE LONG GREY'S ANATOMY FAN + DOG MOM. 

Expert Party Planner, Podcaster, and Creative Entrepreneur.

I'm a creative entrepreneur at heart and have been running my business for over 10 years and have planned and executed over 150+ weddings. I'm an expert in this industry and care deeply about my clients and making sure they have the best experience. I just launched a podcast with my work wife, Gabby Pinkerton of Cause We Can Events, called Just Another Biz Podcast! Go check it out!

Learn more

Did you just get engaged and wondering how the heck you should budget for the big day? Download my free guide to help you lay out a budget and how to plan for your big day.  

TOP RESOURCES

TOP RESOURCES

Download HERE

Take Me to the blog

Before You Go, Don't forget we have free stuff!

If you're looking for free tips to get started planning your dream wedding, head to this blog post for a round up of all our secrets and best planning advice.

© Feathered Arrow Studio 2014 -2023. All rights reserved. | Legal | Design by TONIC

@featheredarrowstudio

Planning epic celebrations + curating one of kind weddings since 2014. 
Los Angeles based but open to travel!

Feathered Arrow studio