You Can Cut Your Outdoor-Wedding Expenses – A LOT!
It is one of the most exhilarating times in one's life – getting married. It can feel like a princess and her prince-charming are becoming a royal couple, fit for a classic fairy-tale, story-book ending. The romance, beauty, and anticipation, however, can be overshadowed by the costs, involved, which can bring the magical high to a menacing low. The flowers, the dress, the food, the music, and other inclusions can, quickly, skyrocket into bloated credit cards and drained bank accounts.
There is good news, however! The cost of an outdoor wedding can be cut, tremendously, through the use of some very practical interventions and substitutions that wouldn't compromise the feelings of warmth and romance – who says you can't have your wedding cake and eat it, too?
Here is an interesting sidenote: the personal-finance news outlet, Kiplinger, states that the average American wedding in 2018 cost a whopping $33,931 – Ouch! Don't let that figure scare you since you are about to discover five ways you can save, big-time!
1. Tell the Wedding Planner, “Thanks, but no thanks!”
Wedding planners are wonderfully talented professionals who know the in's and out's of every detail that goes into planning a wedding. They are, also, very well paid! Wedding Planner Book tells us that, on average, skilled wedding planners make over $3,200 per wedding. That's a lot of money the bride and groom could use towards a fabulous, tropical honeymoon!
Practically speaking, wedding-planning websites, such as The Knot,WeddingWire, and others offer great advice on how to pull off a wedding without spending a fortune on a wedding planner doing it for you. You can uncover – free of charge – details that involve formulating a wedding budget to making unique seating cards to choosing the perfect outdoor venue, and everything in between. In the end, you can save thousands of dollars.
2. Substitute the Big Cake for Cupcakes!
Fancy wedding cakes are stunning and they come with a fancy price tag! According to WeddingWire, the average wedding cake costs a hefty $500 – Yikes! Creating and decorating an elaborate wedding cake is time-intensive, but why not opt for some yummy cupcakes, instead? Friends and relatives can take part in the fun of making them, and the frosting toppings can be added the night before, with the finished cupcakes remaininig refrigerated.
Frosting nozzles can make cupcake tops look stunning, and candy confetti can be added to give each sweet creation a finishing touch. In the end, you won't have to watch a half-grand wedding cake being consumed in a matter of minutes – your dazzling cupcakes will be enjoyed, just as much!
3. Regarding 'Catering' – Think Outside the Box!
One wedding resource, everafterguide, states that the average cost for a single, buffet-style wedding meal comes in at $30 per plate, and that is on the low end! All one has to do is some simple calculating – multiplying 200 guests by $30 comes to a grand total of $6,000 – just for the food!
Instead, slash the cash by renting a fun food truck that would cater to a certain theme. For example, you might choose:
*** tacos @ $10-$18/person
*** burgers @ $12-$20/person
*** pizza @ $12-$20/person
*** seafood @ $18-$25/person or
*** BBQ @ $10-$20/person
Roaming Hunger tells us that the average cost of catering food a wedding for 2019 comes in at $70/guest – much more than the conservative figure provided by everafterguide. Nonetheless, when you do the math regarding the cost of a food truck, the savings can, easily, be cut by 50% or more. That could mean even more $ for that dream honeymoon!
4. Faux Florals Can Save a Small Fortune!
If one utilizes real flowers from a florist for the bride's bouquet and the wedding party's flowers, one should expect to pay hundreds of dollars. According to BRIDES, abridal bouquet can be as much as $350; bridesmaid bouquets average $125; boutonnieres are about $45; and pin-on corsages can be as much as $48.
A beautiful way to save a bundle is choosing faux flowers instead of the real McCoy. Endless colors and styles of silk or soft-latex flowers are available at floral departments within major hobby-store outlets, everywhere. Do you have a creative friend or family member who would love to intertwine stunning flower selections to create eye-catching creations? Faux Peonies, Garden Roses, Snap-Dragons, and more are just waiting to be 'picked', and your bank account will feel the difference!
Bridesmaids can carry a single, long-stemmed flower such as a silk or latex Calla Lily or a single, over-sized Rose surrounded by silk greenery – the ideas are endless and your bouquet would last forever!
5. Dress Up More-Basic Portable Restrooms
Your outdoor wedding will, certainly, need portable bathrooms to accommodate your guests' needs. Luxury restroom trailers offer over-the-top sophistication when it comes to amenities: flushing toilets, vanities with large mirrors, sinks with running water, AC & heat, private stalls, and so much more.
But if treading gently with the cash-flow is a top priority, you can save on portable restrooms, too! Westway Site Services, formerly Moore Cans offers a variety of very affordable portable restroom options. Even some of our simpler designs include flushing commodes, but whichever model you might choose, your portable restroom will be delivered, spotlessly clean! Your outdoor wedding event will be that much more successful when discreet portable restrooms, from Westway Site Services, formerly Moore Cans, are available to offer the comfort, class, and convenience your wedding VIPs deserve!
Even the most modest porta-potties from Westway Site Services, formerly Moore Cans can be dressed up for your wedding day. For example, you can 1) add real potted flowers beside each porta-potty unit 2) embellish the units with white mini-lights 3) cover 2 adjacent porta-potties with white wedding tents 4) add large outdoor rugs at the units' entrances and 5) position brightly decorated tables in proximity – each with a camp lamp – to offer extra lighting at night. The ideas one can utilize to spruce up humble porta-potties are endless!
After it's all said and done, the money you can save by cutting a few corners would be nothing short of astounding.
Give Westway Site Services, formerlyMoore Cans a Call!
Contact Westway Site Services, formerly Moore Cans, today, and we will be happy to answer any questions about our portable restrooms that would blend in, beautifully, with your wedding setting!
You can reach our Dallas office at 214-351-0909
Helping outdoor weddings, seamlessly, unfold isn't just our business, it's our pleasure!