10 ways to save money while planning your wedding

Weddings in Singapore are no child’s matter.

Wedding florists, make-up artists… with the sky-high costs of the endless list of things to prepare, your pocket is bound to have a hole so big that you start pulling your purse strings a little tighter after the damage.

That is why, we have come up with 10 different ways for you to reduce the damage done to guide you on saving it so that you can use it for what matters instead! Below are the tips gathered from our experiences to inspire you to organize a pocket-friendly yet memorable wedding!

1. DIY/borrow your decorations

Photo credits to Ektory: https://www.aiido.com/ektory

Are you the budding artist ready to show off your nifty skills?

Instead of renting your props eg. dessert tables or decorations, how about a therapeutic DIY session before the big day to soothe yourself mentally, as well as shave off the unnecessary costs?

Not only will it be more satisfactory than bought ones, it will also be extra memorable and cheaper for you.

However, for the busy and overwhelmed, instead of spending time making your own props, borrowing it from friends or taking the basic things from home might be a better choice. You would be surprised at how many things that we use daily are perfect wedding props.

2. Rent gowns instead of buying

Photo credits to Kelly’s Bridals: https://www.aiido.com/kelly-s-bridals

Consider renting a gown instead of buying to cut the wedding costs. Since you only wear your wedding dress on the big day itself, it might be a tad too pricey to buy it for that one-time wear, isn’t it?

Yes, it may be a good to buy one and keep it for memory’s sake, but even storing and maintaining it may be a problem, so renting it may in fact bring about more benefits. Not only do you save on the dry cleaning and alteration that you have to do on your own, you save on a whole lot of time and effort on this nitty gritty matters as well :)

If you would really like to buy your own gown but would like to keep costs low, you can even shop online for it! Online shopping websites like Taobao now offers more low-budget dresses for brides-to-be!

3. Avoid having split-day weddings

Have you heard about split-day weddings? It refers to splitting up different wedding ceremonies on different days eg. solemnization on one day, and a banquet on another.Splitting up your wedding would be a costly affair. Just imagine the amount of additional costs on renting a car, photographer etc – but double.

Also, it would be difficult to collate the guests when you split up your wedding, since some people may not be able to attend one, but would like to come for the other. To make it easier on you and your bank account, you may want to avoid split-day weddings.

4. Go for weekday weddings

Did you know that having your weddings on weekends are more expensive?

Venues are pricier on weekends, and it can be an unnecessary cost for you. Arranging your wedding on a weekday will definitely be cheaper for you.

Besides, it helps to cut out the bustling weekend traffic when travelling between venues during non-peak hours, so you can relax in your stylish ride, knowing that you will get to the next place on schedule.

5. For fresh flowers: avoid premium/seasonal blooms

Photo credits to Terra the Florist: https://www.aiido.com/terra-the-florist

If you are a fan of fresh flowers, do avoid getting the premium or seasonal blooms for your wedding. While they are really beautiful, they can be more expensive, and may even be problematic if your florist cannot secure the stock due to seasonality!

Using flowers that are easily available may be cheaper, especially if you don’t need to source it from specific locations that racks up the shipping costs.

Also, you may feel safer knowing that you will always have a backup plan for your chosen florals in the case of any unprecedented accidents with your initially planned wedding bouquet.

6. Consider using synthetic flowers for decorations

Photo credits to Royal Blooms: https://www.aiido.com/royal-blooms

Why spend frivolously on the details that don’t matter much?

For the bouquet, use of fresh flowers are definitely better to exude an aura of purity and elegance as you carry it down the aisle. However, for decorations and table centerpieces at your banquet, going for synthetic flowers may be a more cost-efficient and smarter choice. After all, your guests are not there to admire the center-piece, they are there for you, and perhaps the food :)

If you afraid of any poor choices of synthetic flowers, you can simply ask our vendors if they provide any, and ask for some recommendations on some simple yet suitable florals for decoration.

7. Rent a cheaper car

Photo credits to MiniBug: https://www.aiido.com/surf-blue-mini-cooper

While renting a wedding car is optional, it is probably a dream to rent a cute and unique car for the day to travel in style. After all, the image of being in your cramped Toyota with a load of wedding essentials occupying the backseat isn’t very dreamy, is it?

That’s why, you may still want to rent a car—albeit a cheaper one. Work with your budget. If you think a Limo is too pricey, go for a cheaper one, say, a Beatle.

8. Go for a smaller, cheaper venue

Photo credits to Sprinkie Parties: https://www.aiido.com/sprinkie-parties

Do you intend to have a smaller wedding, whereby only your close friends and family are invited? Then maybe you can book a smaller, cozier venue instead.

This would shave off spending on large wedding halls that are not suitable for your needs. Instead, a smaller venue is not only cheaper, it is also cozier and makes logistics planning a lot easier. Decorations and food servings can be downsized such that you can finish preparing for the venue more quickly.

9. Entertain your friends… by making them the performers

Photo credits to Kelvin C Emcee: https://www.aiido.com/kelvin-c-emcee

The best way to engage your audience is to get them in on what you are doing. Instead of hiring professionals to be your wedding entertainers, why not as your friends/family to do it? Perhaps your sister is the next up and coming Beyonce or maybe your best friend can rock those dance moves like a star. Either way, having them perform at your wedding can save you on additional costs on hiring performers to make sure your guests don’t snooze and eat. Also, it would be a great bonus to get to see your friends and family taking the stage and dedicate a performance to you, won’t it?

10. Compare your options on Aiido

Lastly, don’t forget to check out all the different choices available and evaluating them thoroughly. Aiido has a comprehensive list of weddings vendors for all your wedding needs that was personally checked and verified by us to ensure their legitimacy. For all of you frustrated spouses-to-be, gathering information about different vendors and comparing prices is definitely burdensome, but it can be made easy on Aiido.

A quick scan of our webpage, and you can find the most suitable vendors for your wedding, and you can even get exclusive packages that are only offered to Aiido users! All the more, comparing on Aiido is a cost-efficient solution to saving up on your wedding!

We hope that these tips have helped you get a better idea on how to save up on your wedding. Remember—going for the cheaper option doesn’t mean that you are cheap. After all, as long as the wedding was enjoyable, shaving off unnecessary costs to allow you to spend more on your future life with your beloved is a more practical choice indeed.

If you have more interesting cost-saving tips to share, do email us at hello@aiido.sg. We hope to hear from you soon!

With love,

The Aiido Team