As wedding season approaches, many couples are facing the age-old dilemma: how much money should you spend on your wedding? While you want to have the best day ever, blow all your guests away (not to mention your social media followers), but is it worth going into debt for? Absolutely not, according to your financial bestie, aka TikTok influencer Vivian Tu. We sat down with Vivian to get her expert tips on how to save so much money on your wedding without feeling like you sacrificed anything. (It’s shockingly easier than we thought.)
SheFinds: What are your top tips for planning a wedding on a budget? Where should couples start?
Vivian Tu: First and foremost, SET A BUDGET. I know this sounds obvious, but you’d be shocked by how many couples don’t do this! I personally recommend setting a “base case” budget, a lower end, and an absolute maximum budget. This helps you understand how much you’d LIKE to spend, how much you THINK you’ll spend, and how much you’re WILLING to spend.
Second, a lot of couples immediately start getting into the details and overwhelm themselves (*cough* me *cough*). In my opinion, the best thing to do here is to sit down with your partner and decide what three things matter A LOT to you, and what three things you are willing to either cut entirely or minimize your budget on. For example, my fiancé and I wanted to have a destination wedding in Italy, serve great food, and have fireworks at the end of the night. On the other hand, we didn’t think we needed to spend a fortune on invites, had no desire to spend more than necessary on flowers, and we leaned towards a DJ rather than a band for entertainment.
Third, assess whether or not you need help. Life gets very busy, and I think one thing we often forget to put a price tag on is our time and well-being. Getting a wedding planner who can help you start to finish, or even a partial planner who can help on the day of the big event, can help save you a ton of time when vetting vendors. They’ll also likely have connections in the wedding industry that will make your planning process go a lot smoother. If you’re worried about it – another couple has likely had the same concern.
And last but not least, I’d recommend using or applying for a credit card that will reward you for your wedding spending! When choosing a credit card to sign up for, I always start with research first. One thing I look for is a credit card that will benefit me most based on my spending habits as this can maximize the rewards I can earn. For example, I’m working with Citi and my Citi Double Cash Card is a perfect fit for my lifestyle because I don’t need to track categories or spending, all while earning cash back on everything that I buy. The Citi Double Cash Card frees my mental space to let me focus on the things that matter to me – especially as I plan my wedding.
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SF: What common wedding purchases have the most savings potential?
VT: The dress! Consider checking out sample sales, buying a non-conventional white dress off the rack that can be tailored, or even renting your wedding dress.
The venue! Everyone knows summer is a very popular wedding season because many people are afraid of rain on their wedding day. But if you’re more of an indoors-y couple, and don’t mind getting married in a shoulder season or even in the off-season, you’ll find venue pricing nearly HALF OFF peak-season prices in some instances.
The decor! People used to think fake flowers were ugly, but these days, everything from dried arrangements to silk flowers to wood carved florals can be rented. There’s no need to shell out for live flowers that will die the following day unless they’re really important to you.
SF: How should couples prioritize what they spend on and what they save on?
VT: Prioritizing what to spend on and what to save on is super personal! Every couple you ask will have a different answer. I like to do an exercise where I close my eyes and ask myself – what do I hope to remember about my wedding day. And that helps me visualize what will be most important to me!
