A Wedding Planner’s Advice On Where To Splurge + Save

Save the Dates. Thanks to websites like Minted and Shutterfly, the options for your save the dates are endless! Add gold foil or choose a heavier paperweight to make it feel more custom. Add a picture from your engagement session to make it personal. Many of these retailers offer promotions like free recipient addressing or free shipping if you sign up for their emails.

Engagement Photographer. Since you’ll be investing in your wedding day photographer, there are other ways to save on your overall photography budget. If you live in a different state than where you’re getting married, hire a local photographer to do your engagement pictures instead of paying your wedding day photographer’s travel costs for this session. Engagement pictures are also a great time to call on a friend or family member who loves photography as a hobby but doesn’t do it full time. They’ll probably charge you less, if at all, and it will be a fun afternoon for everyone.

Unique Desserts. I am getting more and more requests for non-traditional wedding cakes. From donut bars from your local donut shop to a collection of smaller cakes or even cupcakes, this is a great place to save without sacrificing quality.