9 Newlywed Couples Reveal What They Wish They'd Saved and Splurged on for Their Wedding
When planning a wedding, most couples want the cake, the music, the place settings, and pretty much everything to be perfect. But are all those huge expenses really worth it? These nine couples share what they think in retrospect were valuable splurges and where they wish they might've cut down instead.
1. Emma & Frank
Married in Brooklyn, New York
Glad they saved on: DJ, invitations
"We hired a friend who deejays weddings as a hobby," Emma says. "He was fantastic and cost, like, a third what other professional DJs would've cost. I'm also glad we did our invitations super cheap. Paperless Post does paper invitations now that you can custom-design. Everyone complimented us on our pretty invites, and they were so much cheaper than getting custom wedding invites from elsewhere."
Glad they splurged on: photographer
"Other than the venue, we definitely spent the most on the photographer. Obviously, any photos of your wedding are going to look good because everyone looks their best and it's in a pretty place. We wanted beautiful, artistic photos that we would be excited to put in our apartment like art. It was worth it."
2. Holly & Dave
Married in Santa Cruz, California
Wish they'd saved on: the dress
"I don't know if my husband would agree, but I splurged on my dress and I regret it," Holly says. "It was the first thing I bought and I only paid half up front, so it didn't seem like a lot at the time. But in actuality, with alterations, it was about 10 percent of what I spent on the entire wedding, which is kind of a lot. I loved my dress, but I think I could have looked harder and found something I loved just as much."
Glad they splurged on: venue, activities
"I guess the real worth-it splurge was the breathtaking location in the redwoods near Santa Cruz, California. The venue was a relatively good deal because it included (surprisingly good) food but definitely was the thing that cost the most. People still talk about it though!
"What I was most glad I bought were the little things, actually. The custom props for the photo booth (which was very worth it!), string lights in mason jars, and heart-shaped lollipops. All those things were my idea and not my planner's, so it was a good amount of effort. Another thing we did was rent lawn games from a local person, so we had corn hole and a giant Jenga. Seemed frivolous but people loved them."
3. Danielle & Bryan
Married in Jamaica
Wish they'd saved on: decorations
"Shopping at different stores and websites for table pieces, tablecloths, and chair covers would have saved us more money than relying on the resort."
Glad they splurged on: their outfits
"I'm glad we splurged on our attire," Bryan says. "Danielle ended up buying two dresses, one for the ceremony and one for the reception, and I ended up splurging on my tuxedo jacket, shoes, and accessories. It was our day and we wanted to look good for each other and ourselves. We knew we'd take pictures and they'd last a lifetime, so looking and feeling good about what will only happen once was nice."
4. Katherine & Dylan
Married in Dallas, Texas
Wish they'd saved on: venue
"I wish I had decided to do a smaller, more intimate wedding in general, which would have saved a lot of money," Katherine says. "I was fine with having a wedding on a Friday, which cut down costs significantly, but then they add things like lights, etc. So I think I would have stuck it to the man on that one and tried to find a unique wedding venue that is reasonably priced."
Glad they splurged on: flowers
"I am really thankful we splurged on my bouquet for myself and my bridesmaids. The bouquets were my favorite detail of the day, and though it seems silly to spend so much money on flowers that will die, the bouquets stand out in all of my photos and are something I am thankful we decided to do. I wouldn't let myself do floral centerpieces because they die so quickly, so we chose to do succulents on the tables instead. I am also glad we did this; several of our guests took the succulents home at the end of the night, and I know a few people who have kept theirs alive for almost a year now!"
5. Caroline & Ben
Married in Athens, Georgia
Wish they'd saved on: wedding cakes
"In retrospect, I wish I had only gotten one cake," Caroline says. "Mine didn't even show up, so we just had Ben's with my cupcakes, but I was told only, like, 10 cupcakes were eaten and barely any cake."
Glad they splurged on: photographer
"I'm really glad I splurged on our photography! I'm in love with my pictures."
6. Alex & Andre
Married in Portugal
Wish they'd saved on: DJ, designer shoes
"In theory, I should not have paid for a DJ because I made the entire reception playlist myself," Alex says, "and then the DJ refused to play it for the first hour. The thing I regret buying is a pair of chunky designer suede brogues, which I wore on the day of and they got mud-stained and I will never wear them again."
Glad they splurged on: wedding cake
"Our cake was very expensive for a cake and, because it was seven tiers, most of it was fake. So that seems silly in retrospect especially because I didn't even get to eat the fondant off the fake tiers afterward (I did ask). But it was also beautiful and, to be honest, the one thing I cared about most of all."
7. Lauren & Adrian
Married in Dallas, Texas
Wish they'd saved on: videographer
"I probably would've spent less money, time, and thought on the videographer. You watch it for one week and then never again."
Glad they splurged on: band, photographer
"We're happy we splurged on a band because it's a party-maker or party-breaker," say Lauren and Adrian. "I'm also glad we somewhat splurged on the photographer because the photographer ended up being the one who made our day. You always think a picture is a picture, but if the photographer doesn't know what they're doing or doesn't know how to work with lighting, they take hideous pictures."
8. Arthi & Karan
Married in Orange County, California
Wish they'd saved on: wedding size
"Indian weddings are generally a five- to seven-day affair," says Arthi. "For Indian-American couples, this a perfect opportunity to honor their heritage and participate in long-standing traditions. However, the stress of planning several events can take away from the joy and force couples to make too many sacrifices. If we could go back, we would have opted to do some of the pre-wedding ceremonies at home, or limited the guest list to family and close friends, which would have allowed us to focus on the details that meant the most to us."
Glad they splurged on: decorations
"When it comes to splurging, aside from the obvious choice of looking your best, we would say decorations. We have zero regrets about splurging on our mandup (alter) and flowers. We look at our wedding picture everyday, as they hang in our home, and thanks to a beautiful backdrop, the memories of our wedding are even better than the actual day."
9. Christina & Michael
Married in Ecuador
Wish they'd saved on: wedding cake
"I would have probably spent a little less money on the cake and dessert table," Christina says. "We had a lot of sweets and the cake was pretty pricey."
Glad they splurged on: decorator
"I'm glad we splurged on the decorator because he gave an amazing environment to the wedding. He did just an amazing job, and our wedding was like living a dream."
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