Although your wedding is you and your partner’s special day, there is a significant amount of planning that comes along with it. Additionally, with every nuptial, there always seem to be discussions regarding funding. In an effort to help you save money on your wedding, we’ve put together an article outlining the average wedding costs and helpful pointers to lower the bill. Continue reading to learn more.

How much does the average wedding cost?

According to a 2021 study done by The Knot, the average wedding costs were around $28,000. In a further breakdown, they also found that the wedding venues themselves were around $10,700, and catering costs came to roughly $75 per person.

It’s important to remember that the figure stems from a national average. The money spent on your own wedding can vary greatly depending on many variables. Two of the most crucial factors that go into the cost of your wedding are the location and the time of year the wedding takes place.  

How to save money on wedding expenses

There are plenty of ways to save money on your wedding. However, if you’re looking to maximize your savings while minimizing effort, you should focus on the big-ticket items. For example, most people will typically concentrate on the venue, catering, and the number of guests.

You can save money on your venue and catering by treating the shopping process as if you were looking for a contractor to work on your home. You should find a few options that you like and get pricing from them all. Once you have all the quotes, you can then go through them with your partner and select the ones that offer the most value.

When pricing venues, you may want to compare different days as well. Costs tend to be cheaper during the week and off-peak wedding season. It may sound crazy, but the simple switch of Friday to Thursday could save you a lot of money!

Lastly, another great way to save money on your wedding is by slimming down the guest list. With average wedding costs for catering landing at $75 per person, you and your partner can save some serious money, even if you cut down the guest list by 10-20 people.

Average wedding costs are on the rise

Although there’s temptation to cut costs as much as possible, remember that this is your special day. Don’t be afraid to splurge where it makes sense, especially on the photographer (so they can capture all of the happy moments.) Average wedding costs are on the rise. Take your time while planning using the suggestions above.