How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget in New Zealand

Our 20+ tips reveal how to plan and hold the best, most memorable wedding (without the usual expense and stress worries)

Updated 5 December 2020

Congratulations! You’re engaged! It’s such an exciting time in your life until you start looking at the prices of all of the special touches that create the dream wedding you’ve envisioned. It's a fact however that the average wedding in New Zealand costs $30,000 (and that’s just the average).

Is it essential to spend that much? Fortunately, there are many ways to slash the costs, especially on the things your guests won’t notice (which is the most important). Wedding planning is best when you splurge on the things that mean the most to you, and cut costs in other areas. Negotiating the prices on every item and service will avoid the ‘buyer’s remorse’ you may otherwise feel after the wedding when the debts start rolling in.

Important - wedding debt can quickly get out of control. Why put stress on your relationship by over-spending on a wedding, when money and debt issues are major reasons for divorce filings. Instead, let’s start your marriage off on the right foot by showing you ways you can have the wedding of your dreams, entertain your guests, and still keep your bank account intact.

In this guide we cover:

• 20 Easy Ways to Save on Your Wedding
• Arranging the Best Deals for Your Wedding

Know this first: Create a Wedding Budget before You Start Planning

It can seem hard to put a limit on the money you spend on one of the most important days of your life, but it’s important. Planning a wedding can quickly get out of hand financially if you aren’t careful. So how do you create a budget without feeling like you have to sacrifice? Set up some ground rules, such as:

1. Pick the categories that are most important to you. Together, you and your fiancé decide what’s most important. Is it the venue, wedding attire, photographer, flowers or music? Of course, it could be anything else too. Just together choose the three most important categories. This is where you need to focus your budget and then be okay with cutting corners in most other areas.
2. Decide early on who will influence your decisions and stick to it. If it’s just you and your fiancé, then don’t stray from that. If you want your parents’ input or the help of a close friend, then decide that upfront. The fewer ideas and influences you have, the less likely you’ll be to overspend.
3. If your wedding album is important to you, book the photographer first. Remember, wedding photos are something you’ll look at and enjoy for the rest of your life. Many couples decide this is an area they don’t want to sacrifice.
4. Choose your essential vendors early. You’ll have the most relaxed time negotiating rates, and you’ll have a more extensive selection to choose from, giving you options rather than forcing you into a decision. 

 
Once you set your priorities and you have a budget in mind, it’s time to figure out where you can start saving. Our list of twenty tips below does just that.

Important - 'Wedding Accounting' Money-Saving Tip

• The words 'wedding' and 'accounting' won't get anyone excited. However, by opening up a dedicated wedding bank account you can keep everything in one place, earn an above-market interest rate and avoid any confusion. Our best bank accounts guide has the top bank accounts available right now, all of which a fee-free.

20 Easy Ways to Save on Your Wedding

​Play with the date and time of the wedding

​If you get married between April and September, you’ll have a better chance of saving money on a variety of vendors including:

• Photographers
• Wedding venues
• DJs or bands
• Limo services
• Florists

Each of these vendors is vying for business during these months as they are the slow months. This often means the vendors have lower rates to start with, plus you may be able to negotiate lower prices or get more for your money during these times (more services for the same cost).
 
Whether you choose to get married during April – September or you want that beautiful summer wedding during peak time, consider getting married at an ‘off time of the week or even of the day.’ While nighttime weddings are great, they are more expensive. 
 
What about having a ‘lunchtime’ wedding or a wedding on a Friday night rather than Saturday? Sunday afternoons are also a great time to save money. Most couples fight for that illustrious Saturday night wedding, which costs the most – if you can give the venue business on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon, you’ll likely see better rates as most venues don’t fill up on those days.

MoneyHub user Alice says:
"We saved around $4,000 by having our wedding on a Friday compared to the original plan of Saturday. We were then able to use that money and host a smaller party on the Sunday afternoon, which was an added bonus and money well spent". 

How much can you save? It's not unrealistic to be able to knock off 10% or even 20%, depending on the provider.

Cut the guest list down

This can be hard to do, but it’s essential if you’re on a budget. Remember, this is your wedding day, not anyone else’s. Even though you may hurt some feelings, it’s important to be honest with everyone that you’re trying to stick to a strict budget. A few ways to cut down on the guest list include:

• Only invite the people that you know will be a part of your future (it's harsh, but saves considerable amounts)
• Ask your parents to invite only a handful (or a designated number) of friends
• Limit the plus-ones where possible
• Limit (or don’t encourage any) children
• Ask your parents to pay for the headcount of the people they request that you invite

How much can you save? Around $200 per guest is realistic, but it can easily be more depending on your plans.

Save on the wedding dress

Many brides dream of walking down the aisle in a gorgeous white dress made just for them. But remember, you wear the dress one time and only for a few hours. Is it worth spending thousands of dollars on it or would you rather save money and yet still have the dreamy white dress you’ve always wanted? A few ways to save on the dress include:

• Hire a dress – It costs a mere fraction of what it costs to buy a dress, and you’ll look just as beautiful. Considering you only wear the dress once and never touch it again, it’s a significant area to save money. If it makes you feel better, hire it for a few days rather than just your wedding day and you’ll still walk out ahead.
• Shop off the rack – You can save as much as half of the price of a wedding dress when you buy off the rack. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn about the quality and beauty of the dresses offered. 

MoneyHub user Sasha writes:
"In the end, I decided to rent the dress and I saved a small fortune. Better than that, I didn't need to find somewhere to put it afterwards". 

How much can you save? The average wedding dress costs between $1,500 to $2,500, where as hire starts from around $200.

Skip the wedding venue

Wedding venues can take up a nice chunk of your wedding budget. If you have a suitable alternative, use it. There are so many great opportunities to host your wedding, but a few options include:

• A big backyard (yours or someone else’s)
• A local restaurant
• Outdoor venue 

As you price out your options, don’t forget about the cost of food, linens, tables and chairs that would normally be included with the cost of a standard venue. Typically, you’ll still come out ahead by choosing an alternative location, but make sure you look at the big picture and look closely at all costs to compare like with like.

Want to support the local community, save money and get a classic Kiwi venue that often permits BYO? Consider a community hall. This helpful guide walks you through what's involved (and how good it can turn out). 

How much can you save? Venues can hire for around $4,000 and up, so it's a considerable saving when you add on all the other costs that come with a venue (food and drink being the most significant). 

Cut down on the wedding party

Even if you have a large circle of family and friends, you don’t have to ask everyone to be in your wedding party. Just letting them be a part of your special day by being a guest is enough. It’s costly to ask people to be in your wedding as many of the expenses fall on you unless you expect your wedding party to foot the whole bill (which isn't common anywhere in New Zealand). While the decision is personal consider: 

• Asking only each person’s siblings to best best man or maid of honour
• Choosing only one or two friends to be in the bridal party​​

How much can you save? Suits and dresses can easily cost around $500 each, so trimming down the parties is cost-effective.

Limit the bar options

If you have your wedding at a venue or if you hire a bartender to serve at your event, you don’t have to offer a full-service bar. While you may want to offer some alcoholic options, you don’t have to serve all of the top-shelf liquors. Here are a few ideas to save money:

• Serve just beer, wine ans soft drinks - many people will be fine with that and don't expect mixers
• Serve just wine
• Have a complete cash bar
• Have wine at the table, but all other drinks are part of a cash bar
• Serve only a handful of spirits

Top tip: If you hire a venue with no licence, you can buy your own alcohol from a liquor shop. Many supply glasses and can arrange staff, and won't charge you for alcohol not consumed. This way you're only paying for what you use and getting it for half what a bar or venue would charge.

How much can you save? Around  $50 per guest if you cut beer, wine and spirits altogether and go for a cash bar.

Save on the food

The food is often the main event at the wedding, aside from the bride and groom of course. It’s often the main attraction, causing many couples to go overboard. While you want to make sure your guests are well taken care of, it’s not necessary to overspend. You can provide a beautiful meal while keeping your budget intact by:

• Consider serving a buffet-style meal rather than formal sit down
• Host a lunch rather than a dinner
• Bring in your own caterer (especially if you have a backyard wedding)
• Cater the reception yourself or hire a friend/family member to do it

MoneyHub user Kate writes:
"We decided to make it low-key and hired two food trucks for our party of 80. It was a hit; people loved the options and tried food they usually wouldn't. I strongly recommend doing it and it kept the afternoon social and less formal....and far less expensive than what we were first quoted for a sit down lunch".

How much can you save? At least $50 per guest (net) if you go buffet, $30 per guest if you go for a seated lunch, and a lot more if you cater externally or do it yourself.

Consider your photography options

Your wedding photos will provide you with a lifetime of memories, so don’t be too quick to make drastic changes here, but there are several ways you can save:

• Hire the photographer for a shorter amount of time rather than the entire wedding - i.e. take the photos right before the reception takes place to limit the cost
• Have a friend or family member with a passion for photography take pictures
• Have a friend or family member take videos
• Hire just one photographer rather than two
• Ask the photographer if you can order the pictures yourself from your own developer (few photographers will allow this, but it's worth asking if it's possible)
• Ask the photographer only for printed proofs, not actual photographs, to allow you to make duplicates
• Create the wedding photo album yourself rather than paying the photographer to do it​

How much can you save? Around $500 to $1,000 by limiting some options while retaining a professional, and more if you go for a DIY option (although it's a big responsibility and going professional is often preferred).

Re-consider the car

While it’s part of every girl’s fantasy to show up to her wedding in a classic car or horse and carriage, in reality, it’s a lot of money for a short ride. Even if it’s a longer ride, after the first few minutes, it feels like any other car ride. Rather than blowing your budget on transportation, consider: 

• Asking a friend or family member with a nice car to drive you
• Let your dad drive you in his old fashioned (and prized possession antique car)
• Take public transportation
• Have your ceremony and reception at the same venue so there’s no need for transportation
• Rent something ‘fun’ like a golf cart if you have your ceremony and reception at the same venue​

How much can you save? Around $500 to as much as $1,500, depending on the number of cars and time you need them for.

Share decorations

Wedding decorations can eat up a nice portion of your budget if you aren’t careful. The flowers, linens, and centrepieces, while pretty, are expensive. If you have to decorate a church and a reception venue, you’re looking at double the cost for decorations you’ll use only for a few hours. Instead, consider these options:

• Transport the decorations from the church to the reception to use them again
• Skip ornate church decorations and focus on the reception decorations only
• Create your own centrepieces for the reception
• Skip the fancy linens at the reception

How much can you save? It depends on a few things, but decorations costs add up. For this reason we can't give an estimate.

Take advantage of any DIY options

If you know someone with a specific talent, use them. You aren’t obligated to pay professionals for every aspect of your wedding. Consider any of the following:

• Let someone with experience arranging flowers create your centrepieces and floral arrangements.
• Make your own invites. 
• Make your own favours.
• Let someone make the wedding cake.

How much can you save? Around $30 to $60 per guest for DIY crafts and flowers, and about $500 for a cake (although a professional cake is an investment and something your guests appreciate). 

Skip the favours

It’s tradition to give favours at a wedding, but honestly, how many favours have you kept in your life? Chances are that the favours get tossed or put in a corner to collect dust. Why spend the money when you could use it for other aspects of your wedding? If you insist on having favours, try saving by:

• Having a friend or family member make them rather than buying them
• Make the favour per couple rather than per person
• Repurpose your wedding decorations and/or centrepieces as favours ​
• Use Etsy and browse by price and style.

How much can you save? Around $10+ per guest, if not more.

Save on the jewellery

Even though you’ve already proposed, there’s still the matter of the wedding rings. The real ‘dazzler’ is the engagement ring, which you’ve done. Try to spare some money on the wedding rings without taking the meaning out of it.

• Repurpose ‘old jewellery’ such as rings from a grandmother or other close relative
• Consider second-hand jewellery options
• Save the sparkle for the engagement ring and stick to matching and aesthetically pleasing bands for the wedding.

How much can you save? This will depend on many factors, so we can't give an estimate.

Watch out for extra fees

If you get married at a venue or even have a backyard wedding but you cater the food and drinks in, watch out for ‘extra fees’ in the contract. Negotiate to lower them or eliminate them if they are services you don’t need including:

• If you can handle cutting the cake yourself, you can skip the cake cutting services (and fees)
• Negotiate corkage fees if you have a BYO wedding
• Watch the server fees if you hire serving staff and/or bartenders for a backyard wedding
• Ask about extra guest fees
• Watch overtime fees

Save on invitations

Invitations are beautiful, but they can get pricey. If you’re on a budget, consider ways you can trim the costs, such as:

• Use an online service for save the dates and the invitations themselves. It may even be easier to keep track of RSVPs this way
• Only send out paper wedding invitations, but digital Save the Date cards
• Make your own invitations or have a friend or family member that does calligraphy do them for you
• Ask for email RSVPs or set up a webpage for RSVPs rather than paying for postage to send the RSVP card back to you

Save on hair and makeup

The bride and her bridal party want to look and feel their very best, but at what cost? Hair salons can cost an arm and a leg, especially if you’re footing the bill for the entire bridal party. Instead, try saving money by:

• Asking a talented friend or family member to help with your hair and makeup
• Do your own makeup and/or nails
• Ask the bridesmaids to get their nails done before the wedding day (on their own)
• Negotiate a group rate if your entire bridal party is having their hair or makeup done

Save money on the music

You’ll pay a pretty penny for the music at your wedding, especially if you want music at the ceremony and reception. Before you sign on with your favourite band, though, consider the following options:

• Ask a talented friend or family member to sing and/or play the piano at your ceremony
  
• Hire a soloist to sing at your ceremony rather than an entire ensemble
  
• Hire a DJ rather than a live band for the reception
  
• Hire a DJ for only the latter part of the reception after dinner when everyone is ready to dance 
  
• Use Bluetooth and the venue’s speaker system to play soft music before and during dinner

Borrow as much as you can

Your wedding day is the most special day of your life, but it’s also the fastest. Even the things you think you ‘have to have’ only get used for a few short hours and then you never use them again. Get creative and see what items you can borrow to keep your wedding expenses down, such as:

• Wedding veil
• Jewellery
• Shoes
• Decorations

Avoid risking your gifts by choosing one retailer

Be cautious of putting all your wedding gifts registry or vouchers with one retailer. Retailers can go bust at any moment, and if that happens in between your wedding and redemption, you'll become an unsecured creditor. Worse of all, you won't own any of the items - secured creditors are looked after first, and very often there's nothing left after that.

Sell what you don't need to cash up before your wedding

It's not uncommon for a wedding budget to be stretched even if you have the best intentions. A great way to put cash in your wedding account is to have a sell-down of things around the home. You'll likely be receiving new items after your wedding, so it's a good idea to have a clean out anyway. Our Trade Me selling tips guide has everything you need to know to maximise dollars and minimise wasting time.

Arranging the Best Deals for Your Wedding

Once you’ve narrowed down your categories, it’s time to get the best deals. You know where you’re willing to spend money and where you want to eliminate costs or reduce what you need spend. Now it’s time to get out there and find who will give you the best bang for your buck.

Most importantly - start early. If you want vendors to negotiate with you, don’t wait until the last minute when you’re stuck with whatever vendors are left. Instead, shop around with as many vendors as possible and ask the right questions. Get quotes, compare your options, and don’t be afraid to negotiate. The earlier you shop, the more choices the vendors know that you have, which makes them more likely to negotiate with you. It's in their interest to take bookings month in advance as they secure their work for the months ahead.

As you shop around, don’t be afraid to:

1. Let vendors know your budget. You will be surprised to learn how many vendors will willingly work within your budget. They may cut some of their services or tailor their package, but they would rather get some business than no business at all.
2. Ask vendors for what you need. What’s the worst a vendor can say to you? The worst answer is 'no', and if that's the case you can just move onto another vendor. Arranging a wedding must be done with confidence - if there’s something you want and at a specific price – ask for it.
3. Don’t just ask for a discount when you can negotiate to include other services. Don’t forget the vendors have to make money too, and weddings offer very seasonal income. Even though asking for a discount is helpful, you can also ask for more services to be added into your package. Vendors are often willing to offer more services rather than cutting down their own profits.
4. Read the contracts you sign. You are going to have more contracts than you know what to do with when planning a wedding, but read every one of them. You need to know the nuances of the contract. What costs extra or what fees are you paying that you don’t realize? If there’s something you don’t agree with or understand, make sure to ask. If you have any concern at all, ask questions before you sign the contract.

Most importantly, wedding planning on a budget is enjoyable and rewarding
Having a wedding on a budget isn’t as hard as it seems; it’s the smartest way to start your life as a newly married couple. Once you’re married, chances are you’ll want to buy a house, save to have kids, and save for your future. Why start your life off in debt when you can find simple ways to save on your wedding yet still have the day of your dreams? 

Best wishes for your big day, from the team at MoneyHub. 

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