10 Tips on How to Have a Budget Wedding

Love can’t be stopped, even in a pandemic. That’s what I realized after attending more than 5 weddings during these hard times. The experience is quite different than what I have been used to during pre-pandemic, as guests are limited and weddings more intimate. If your plan to get married this time, here are some useful tips on how to have a budget wedding.

Photo by Olivia Baiso

Weddings, nowadays, are not pa-bonggahan; as times are a bit hard, it’s more on being practical and following protocols. I’ve never been a bride myself, but I have helped many of my friends and family with their planning. I’ve been a maid of honor (twice), bridesmaid, coordinator, emcee, photographer, and much more. So, I picked up a few things, and I will share them with you below.

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1. Have a Limit on your Budget

Photo by Fabian Blank

One of the first questions you need to talk about as a couple is “How much are you willing to spend?” 30K? 50K? 100K? Make sure it’s also attainable; keep it real. I mean, you can’t say I’ll only spend 10K for the wedding but you plan to invite 50 guests – 10K might not be enough for food, nowadays.

If you have decided about how much. Stick to it. Wag na yung adjust-adjust. You can cancel things that are not really essential or cut their costs. Think – “Would my wedding be ruined without this?” If yes, keep it, if not, cancel it.  

2. Track your Expenses

List all of the things you will probably pay for. You can refer to the list below, just cross out the things you won’t need, and star what you prioritize. On the first column, you can put your budget and in case you have another option or supplier, you can compare it on the next column. When you have paid for it, then place how much money you spent on the third column. Hopefully, you’ll keep track of how much you have spent and how much money is left.

3. Invite those who are Close to you

Photo by Duy Pham

Before, almost everyone who knows you or is related to you gets invited to weddings. But as the capacity of the venues are not up to 100%; limit your guests. How many you can invite may also depend on your budget for the food. After you take that into consideration, the bride and groom must have a rough list then eventually lower it to the final count. You will also need to remember the extra personnel there – coordinator, photographer, emcee – as they will also need a meal. 

Please note, Filipinos have the tendency to invite people even though they are not the guests, but try having RSVP or telling them how many can go. If some people get angry at you or don’t talk to you because you didn’t invite them to your wedding, it’s their loss and your gain (at least less toxicity and stress.) It’s your wedding, it’s your choice who to invite.

4. Civil or Church?

Photo by eightpression

Another important thing you need to consider is whether to have a Civil Wedding Ceremony or a Church Wedding Ceremony. As I have known, civil weddings are cheaper than church weddings as civil weddings are usually done in the mayor’s officer or the court in less than 30 minutes. There are also a few people allowed to witness Civil Weddings in court or at the mayor’s office as they are small compared to churches. In some cases, civil wedding ceremonies are being done in beaches, gardens, and resorts, and it’s also where the reception is, so you only rent one venue.

As for Church Weddings, they tend to be more expensive as you will have additional costs. Examples are church or priest fees, decorations, entourage, and transportation. However, you can still attain a budget wedding if you cut costs like having no entourage or recycling decorations—the advantage of having a Church Wedding, though, is that you’ll have a ceremony once. There are many people who I know that had Civil Weddings and had a Church Wedding after a few years. You might spend twice!

5. Think of the Reception

Photo by Thomas William

The reception is also one of the things you consider during your ceremony. In our place, good venues cost at least PHP 3,000, which’s good for 50 persons; however, in the cities, it may cost more. Because of the pandemic, capacity is also lowered, and guests need to have social distancing. Venues with roofs and air-conditioning are also recommended, though a bit expensive, we don’t know how the weather goes, so at least everybody will be healthy and safe.

The location is also important, especially when you want to consider your family or guests. Is the location accessible? Can they ride public transportation there? Or do they need their cars?  If your venue is far, it’ll be good if your guests (especially family) have cars, but if they don’t have one, you might need to rent a coaster or van.

If you also have a house with enough space for guests, that’s good as you can save money for the rental of the venue. But, the disadvantage though, neighbors and gatecrashers might come. Although you saved money for rent, it might also be used for extra food. Overall, you need to rent a place that does not hurt your budget, fits the number of people you invited, has a place for a mini-stage (for the program), accessible to gets, and a spot for the food.

6. Dress Wisely

Another thing that will be quite costly is the budget for the outfits. New wedding dresses can cost at least PHP 5,000, or the outfit can be rented for at least PHP 5,000, depending on the design or the usage. It’s quite a lot – considering PHP 5,000 can be used for the venue or food. A good tip is that you can invest in a dress or an outfit, something you can use again.

Like for example, you will be wed in a Civil Ceremony; you can actually buy nice dresses from Shopee or Lazada for PHP 450 – 1000, rather than renting one at the same price. Plus, you can use that for church. For men, you can invest in a good white polo, suit, or barong, which you can use on a future event or let a family member borrow it. As for the Church Wedding gown, don’t rent over your budget; maybe limit it to 5% max; if your budget is 50,000 – the gown should be a maximum of PHP 2,500. Shoes or sandals are also good to buy, as they can be used in the near future. You could also borrow one from your relatives – no harm done there.

Another suggestion is that you, you can skip the entourages – the bridesmaids, flower girls, groomsmen, or bearers. If you want to save money, it’s okay if you don’t have them. They aren’t actually are required by the church. I’ve attended a wedding last year and witnessed a wedding without them, primary and secondary sponsors (no maid of honor and best man, either.)

7. Do It Yourself

There are a lot of things that you do not need extra hands for and you could DIY, with the help of the internet. A few examples are your invitation and giveaways. Invitations could cost at least PHP 30 per piece, nowadays, but you could actually make one via Canva (an app). Then print it on photo paper and a buying a few envelopes. Instead of printing a lot for your guests, you can only make a few for your major sponsors and old guests, and send digital invitations to your millennial friends or family members. Instead of spending PHP 30 x 50 guests = 1,500 for the invitation, you can spend less than PHP 300!

As for the giveaways, you can also DIY. A lot of souvenirs made today are hand sanitizers and alcohol spray. You can buy empty bottles online, a gallon of alcohol, print a design, and place some ribbons – viola, your hand-made “Share Love, Not Germs” wedding souvenir! Ordered wedding favors, can cost PHP 25 – 50, empty bottles are about PHP 9/11 – it’s not only cheap but also functional.

8. Choose the Best Rings

Photo by Beatriz Perez Moya

Don’t be shy buying rings that do not cost a lot; it doesn’t mean if your wedding ring is cheap, then your married life will remain that way. If you can’t afford an expensive wedding ring, that’s okay. There are also no rules saying rings should be gold or platinum and should cost at least PHP 15,000. Silver is okay, rings that cost less than 3K are okay, ready-made rings are okay.

Many people investing in pawnable rings, in case of emergencies, you can pawn them for money to help you in your rings. However, if don’t have enough money, for pawnable rings, just buy one you can afford that fits you and your partner and you are willing to wear every day.

9. Are Photos Necessary?

Photo by Gift Habeshaw

We can’t deny that Pictures make us remember good memories, and as a wedding is one of the best events that happen in life, it’s nice if you have pictures. Wedding and Pre-Nup Photographers have been very popular in the Philippines. Depending on the level, the number of the crew, etc. it could cost more than your food or ring budget. However, there are also affordable ones about at least PHP 2K.

If you don’t have an extra budget for a photographer, then don’t worry. You can just ask a family member with a good camera phone or a DSLR Camera and use it for your wedding. Some guests won’t miss the chance to take pictures during the wedding, so you don’t have to worry about that.

10. Ask for Help

Photo by Timothee Pons

If you are in dire need of money for your wedding or if your budget is not enough, ask for help. It can be monetary assistance from your family or support from your relatives and friends. You don’t have to be shy about it, especially if you are close. When my cousin got married, my other cousin and the bride’s brother made the giveaways, invitations, and montage, while I was a bit of coordinator and emcee. I also had helped my workmates before with their invitations and pre-nup pictures. So, don’t be shy and ask for a hand!

About the Writer

Hey, I’m Lyza! I once was a person who just imagined going to places “one day” but decided to pursue my dreams. My first travel abroad was in Japan, solo, last 2018, and I fell in love with the experience. I aim to visit 10 countries before turning 30 and 2 new places in the Philippines every year. Besides traveling, I love organizing trips, taking pictures, reading, and making new friends. Follow my adventures through my Instagram.

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