12 Wedding Budget Trimming tips so you can have your ideal photographers + filmmakers

Weddings can cost a lot of denaro, we feel ya boo! Budgets can be tricky and we totally understand that as well. However, basing your photography + film selection on price may be the worst mistake ever. It is easy to say, “this photographer offers 8 hrs of coverage for $1500 and this one offers 8hrs of covers for $3200, lets just go with the less expensive one. It’s all the same right?!”.  Here are some wedding budget trimming tips for every bride’s budget.

Trust us, it is not all the same. Professional photographers base their price on things like:

• Their experience as a professional
• Their artistic ability
• Client experience
• The quality of their gear
• The quality of their service

This is so important to remember when selecting your photographers. A low priced photographer could mean that they have things like:

• Little experience
• Low quality gear
• A lack of artistic ability
• A lack of confidence in their ability to serve you well
• They are still learning how to produce a great client experience.

In the end it could leave you wishing you would have gone with the more expensive photographer + filmmaker who you clicked with, felt comfortable with and who were well prepared to tell your love story and first day as husband and wife.

How do I fit that more expensive photographer/filmmaker into the budget?

We have heard this questions several times over the past 9 years and we asked the same thing on our wedding day. So today we wanted to share some amazing wedding budget trimming tips ways we have seen couples work in their ideal photographers and filmmakers.

12 Wedding Budget Trimming tips

1. Make a priority list. If photography and film is top on your list that is where you will spend more of your budget. There are only a few takeaways from your wedding day: your commitment to each other, your photos/film, your memories, your rings and possibly your dress.    We say possibly because a lot of our brides use their dress for their children’s baptism or they donate it out of love for others so you may only have it for a few years at most).
2. Have an Intimate Wedding. This is by far the biggest way to save. Minimize the guest list, we are talking 50 – 60 guests or less. Refrain from inviting children, coworkers and casual acquaintances. Instead make it an intimate day you will remember forever with your close family and dear friends (side note: ask that your friends don’t bring a casual date). 
3. Consider a Wedding Brunch. Having your wedding earlier in the day is an old-world classic tradition that is totally making a come back. Brunches and afternoon teas are usually more affordable than evening receptions: They’re shorter, the fare is lighter, and guests tend to consume less liquor early in the day.
4. Florals – Go For In-Season Flowers/Wild Flora. Get with your florist and ask to see what flowers or “weeds” (wild flowers) will be in season during your wedding. We say weeds because technically, weeds are just flora that grow wild without being cultivated. Flora like thistle which is so popular right now. Or if you choose rhododendrons, pink evening primrose, alyssum, common centaury, lantana, and even some forms of geranium they are making beautiful undone wedding bouquets. These are making the covers of all the bridal + wedding magazines.
5. Cater Farm To Table. Not only is this so much healthier + flavorful and trendy, it costs less. Look for a caterer who uses local fruits and vegetables that are in season or even may have their own farm. Not only will these items be more economical, they’ll taste amazing.
6. Skip A Main Course. Rather than having an extravagant main course dinner go for heavy hors d’oeuvres.  Use expensive ingredients, such as lobster, in hors d’oeuvres rather than in a main course. Consider a raw bar for cocktail hour stocked with fresh clams, oysters on the half shell, and poached jumbo shrimp, lobster, smoked mussels, and crab cocktails.
7. Two Wedding Cakes Can Be Cheaper than One. Sounds crazy we know but here is the trick. Order a large sheet cake to keep in the back. Then select a small gorgeous cake to be displayed at your wedding and used for your cake cutting.  When cake is served the sheet cake (which is the same flavor as your wedding cake) is cut in the kitchen and served to your amazing guests.
   
8. Buy, Don’t Rent. Let’s say rented linens cost $500 however, you can buy the same amount of linens for $250 and then resell them after the honeymoon. We highly recommend that the groom buys his wedding suit.  Buying rather than renting a suit or tux means a better fit, he can wear it again to other events and it actually costs less + looks so much better.
9. Downsize Your Bridal Party. Keep your bridal party as small as possible – you can even go with just a maid of honor and best man: The smaller the bridal party, the less you’ll spend on gifts and flowers.
10. Serve a Signature Drink. Serving a custom-made cocktail, such as classic libation, instead of providing a full bar will save you a lot of moolah. Also going with a beautiful wine and a hand crafted draft beer tap rather then a full bar will save money too.
11. Dual Purpose Favor Place Cards. Use favors as seating or place cards to save a bit on stationery costs.
12. Skip the Limo. The limo is kinda old school and expensive. Instead use a personal car, see if anyone of your friends or family have a beautiful car you can use for your grand exit.

Thats it

We hope these little wedding budget trimming tips help make obtaining your ideal photography + film team a dream come true. This way you have a beautiful way to remember one of the the biggest and best days of your life.

 

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