The average wedding venue costs couples $6,000, with most love birds spending between $3,000 and $11,000 to host their reception.
The venue, along with catering and rentals, makes up about half of most couples’ total wedding budgets.
If $6,000 is more than you want to spend or you’re looking to splurge on other areas of your wedding, you might be looking to save a few bucks on your venue.
Keep reading to learn a few tips for finding inexpensive wedding venues in your area
1. Rethink Your Date
If you have your heart set on a specific venue for your big day, but it’s out of budget, don’t lose hope just yet.
Sometimes, being able to afford your dream venue might be as easy as simply moving the date of your wedding day.
Saturdays are the most expensive day of the week to hold your wedding. Simply moving your big day up to Thursday could save you as much as 17 percent on the cost of your wedding venue rental.
Of course, Thursdays aren’t always an option for nuptials. With work, school, and other activities, some of your guests may struggle to attend if you hold your wedding through the week. If anyone needs to travel to attend, they’ll need to take at least a few days off of work to do so.
But if you’re planning an intimate simple wedding, moving it up to earlier in the week may work.
If not, ask your venue whether moving your wedding to Sunday or even Friday evening could lead to a discount.
2. Move Up Your Start Time
Just as changing the day of the week you’re getting married on can help you save, moving up your time might too.
Some popular wedding venues may allow you to book a morning wedding for less. This usually means you’ll need to be off the property before a certain time, because another ceremony may be planned for later in the day.
Even if your venue doesn’t offer a discount, getting married earlier in the day can help you save in other ways. For instance, paying for breakfast, lunch, or brunch is cheaper than catering a full dinner spread.
3. Change Your Season
If you’re willing to get really very flexible with your wedding planning, it might be time to rethink your season of choice.
Some months are more popular than others for weddings. For instance, in areas that experience vibrant Fall colors, September and October are popular, for obvious reasons.
Baring that, warm weather is a big draw for many couples. That makes May, June, and August popular choices.
For this reason, venues may increase their prices during popular months. To save on your top venue choice, ask about holding your wedding during a less-popular season. A white winter wedding or spring affair can be just as beautiful as a fall or summer event!
4. Don’t Be Afraid To Think Non-Traditional
When you have your heart set on a luxurious reception hall or stunning church venue, it can be difficult to think about anything else.
However, if you’re willing to go for something a bit non-traditional, you can save a ton of money.
A rustic barn venue, an oversized tent in a lush green field, or even a cabin beside a lake can all make for beautiful venues. Be willing to stretch your idea of what a wedding venue looks like and you might just be surprised at how many affordable options are out there.
5. Trim Your Guest List
The average number of wedding guests in the U.S. is 120. When you factor in that the average price to feed each wedding guest is $250, you can understand why wedding planning is so expensive.
Trimming your guest list can help you save in a number of ways. Besides saving on dinner, you can also opt for a small, more affordable venue.
This doesn’t mean that you should skip inviting family or close friends. But there’s no need to invite those casual acquaintances or coworkers that you rarely see outside of work.
6. Look Into Renting Facilities
This tip goes hand-in-hand with opting for a non-traditional wedding venue.
If you’re willing to rent facilities, like portable restrooms, large tents, and tables and chairs, your options for affordable wedding venues will open up significantly.
Before you start looking into these options, be sure to check for rental companies in your area.
Look for affordable options, as well as those that do the set-up and clean-up for you. The last thing you want to do is take down a hundred tables and twice as many chairs after a long night of celebrating your vows.
7. Offer To Pay In Full
In most cases, wedding venues and vendors set up payment plans with couples. This spreads out your payments over several months, or even a year or more.
If you are able to, paying for some of these services in full, upfront can lead to a discount.
In most cases, venues and vendors won’t mention this discount, so you will need to ask.
8. Stick To One Venue
Many couples choose to get married in a church and then head to a reception hall, hotel, or another venue for the reception. This means that they are paying for two venues.
Getting married and holding your reception in one place means paying half as much.
Check to see if your church has a reception area. Or, consider getting married outside of your reception venue, or even in it.
Some venues will help you turn your space from a ceremony setup to a reception set up while you and your guests head outside for photos or to a separate area for a cocktail hour.
9. Shop Inexpensive Wedding Venues In Neighboring Towns
Venues in popular parts of town or downtown areas will almost always be more expensive than those that are outside of the metropolis.
While you’re searching for a venue, expand your search radius to cover those that are outside of town.
Expanding your search is a great way to find wedding venues on a budget.
10. Find Other Areas To Save
If you’ve tried to find a more affordable venue or save on the venue itself and still can’t squeeze it into your budget, it may be time to look for other ways to save.
The average cost of the wedding is largely made up of the venue, food, vendors like photographers and DJs, and the clothing.
Perhaps you can save a few thousand dollars by buying a used dress from a consignment store. Or opt for a less expensive catering option to make up the difference.
Choosing The Perfect Venue
Whether you’re planning a small wedding or an elaborate affair, finding inexpensive wedding venues can feel impossible. But with these creative tips, it’s possible to get your perfect venue in your budget or find an affordable alternative that you’ll love.
For more tips and tricks on planning your perfect wedding, check out the rest of our blog!
