Wedding Expenses that are Totally, Definitely and Truly Unnecessary

You may have dreamt about your wedding day all your life. But when the day finally arrives, it could get out of hands quickly, especially when it comes to sticking to your  budget.

Couples save money for years, and even take out loans to have their dream wedding. Don’t let the multimillion dollar wedding industry fool you. Some of the expenses at weddings are completely unnecessary. You can certainly enjoy the perfect day without useless expenses that push you into debt. So, here is a list of ridiculous wedding expenses that you should definitely avoid at yours:

Designer Shoes

Remember those Manolo Blahniks from Carrie and Mr. Big’s Sex and the City wedding?

As gorgeous as they were, the shoes would have added close to a $1,000 in total wedding costs. This is, frankly, stupid. Yes, every bride wants to dress nice. But wedding shoes are not worth spending that much money on. Once the bride wears the dress, no one is going to see the shoes anyway. So, don’t waste your budget on things like designer shoes and jewelry. Instead, focus your attention on what’s truly important.

Paper Programs

It’s a time-honored wedding tradition to present guests with paper invitations, programs, and menus. Though you might want to continue this tradition, consider the costs. Wedding programs and cards have highly inflated prices. You will have to spend a fortune on these, especially with a big guest list. So, the smart thing to do is to make paper items digital, which is a lot cheaper. It’s convenient for both you and the guest. Everyone is dependent on their smartphone and computers nowadays. So your guests will appreciate getting an e-invitation.  You can print a limited number of paper items for elderly or Luddite guests if necessary.

Coverings for Chairs

Some couples insist on getting chair covers for their wedding. Unless you are renting very old chairs, there’s really no need for chair covers. If you are worried that the chair colors don’t match the overall color scheme for the event, don’t rent them. Rent good chairs in the color you want and save yourself the money wasted on chair covers.

Over-the-Top Favors

Favors are a staple at many a wedding. Some couples go out of their way to buy wedding favors for their guests. If you feed your guests well and receive them graciously, wedding favors really are not needed. Your budget can go out of control if the guest list is big. Therefore, instead of getting many wedding favors, install a photo booth for guests to take pictures. You can also pass around digital cameras so guests can snap what they want, which you can share with them later.

Also, don’t overindulge yourself on expensive hair and makeup techniques. You can look beautiful without sending $3,000 on nail polish alone.

When you plan your wedding, it’s crucial to recognize what’s important and what’s not. The reception, for example, is important. So, it’s not a waste of money to spend a bit on feeding the guests. Similarly, recognize the important expenses, and eliminate the insignificant ones.