What day is the cheapest for a wedding?
If you’re getting married and looking to have a top-tier wedding without having to overspend, you’ve come to the right place.
With a multitude of wedding businesses across the Commonwealth, you can find a huge range of pricing, from newbies to those with decades under their belts.
But what if I told you there was a way to have those top-tiered wedding vendors at a lower cost point, would that be worth something to you?
Well, today, I’m going to bust that bubble and tell you one ultimate way to save money at your wedding!
Have Your Wedding on a Wednesday
If it’s one thing I’ve learned as a former wedding vendor myself, we need to pay the bills all throughout the year and that’s hard sometimes, especially during the winter months.
Just because we stop working doesn’t mean the bills stop either.
So where am I going with this?
Well, I would highly suggest that you plan your wedding for the middle of the week, on a Wednesday.
See, vendors and venues alike still have to keep the lights on during the off-season which is usually from late October to Mid-March or thereabout. The majority of wedding vendors in our area don’t see a lot of work during these times because of the cold weather.
However, using this to your advantage, you can ask for your wedding during the middle of the week.
Lots of vendors and venues will happily take on additional work, especially if it’s during the week and doesn’t interfere with any weekend weddings, where they mainly happen.
The trade-off is that you can typically get big discounts on the vendors if you ask.
It’s an Off-Peak Day, Ask for a Discount
Wedding pros will usually be happy to have the added work, even at a discount.
I’ve seen couples save anywhere between 20-45% on their entire wedding by choosing a middle-of-the-weekday instead of a Friday-Sunday wedding.
Silver Hearth Lodge - Bent Mountain
Now, there are a few downfalls, like scheduling for the day off with guests and people working and the like, but I would highly encourage you to seek out places (like Silver Hearth) that provide discounts for those non-peak days.
Not everyone will provide you these discounts, but you can’t get what you don’t ask for, so ask away.
Number of wedding vendors offering discounts
In my research over the years, I’ve found that roughly 44% of vendors will entertain a lower cost in exchange for a non-traditional wedding day.
How to Best Ask Wedding Vendors for Discounts
While costs have risen a lot in 2023 due to inflation, you can still get some discounts depending on who the vendor is and how you go about asking without insulting the vendor.
Take bridal shops around the region.
If you step into any bridal shop and simply buy the wedding dress alone, you may not get any discount.
However, if you bundle the headpiece, shoes, alterations, and accessories, you may be able to wiggle them down to a 5-15% discount.
Studio I Do - Roanoke
All you need to do is ask.
I will tell you that by far one of the BEST things you can do is ask your wedding venue who they like working at the facility. When they provide you with a list, ask them about any special rates, packages, or deals they have with these vendors.
If they don’t have any exclusive deals, ask the venue why not and why they should use the vendors on their list if they don’t have any special rates.
Not all venues will have a list, but if they have a great relationship, they will often times have a discount.
Years ago, when I was still doing wedding videos, I had a great deal just for Silver Hearth Lodge, providing couples with a discount just for booking at the venue.
Sure, I wouldn’t make as much money, but I often got more work up here at SHL than any other location, not to mention it’s close to home, so I get to sleep in my own bed at night!
How Much Can Couples REALLY Save?
Truthfully, this will all depend on a couple of factors:
The vendors and their willingness or ability to provide a discount or money-saving option
Your openness to being flexible
Flexibility is the key word here and it’s something that you need to embrace if you want a stellar wedding on a discounted budget.
If you’re not willing to make comprises, you will not be able to save money.
However, if you are, you can literally save thousands of dollars.
Since the average wedding cost in 2022 was $27,000, saving 20% would mean you’d save $5,400. Or if you could save 40%, that would translate to $10,800 in savings!
Alternatives to Saving Money on Your Wedding Day
There are several alternatives to saving money on your wedding day, including:
Having a smaller wedding: Having a smaller wedding can significantly reduce costs, as you will not need to pay for as many guests or as much food and decorations.
Renting instead of buying: Renting decorations, tableware, and other items instead of buying them can save money.
Using DIY decor: Creating your own decor can be a cost-effective alternative to buying expensive decorations.
Making your own invitations: Making your own invitations can be a fun and cost-effective alternative to buying expensive invitations.
Setting a budget: Setting a budget for your wedding and sticking to it can help you save money by ensuring that you only spend money on the things that are most important to you.
Using credit card rewards: Using credit card rewards to pay for wedding expenses can help you save money.
Asking for help: Asking for help from friends and family can help you save money by sharing the cost of the wedding.
Saving ahead of time: Setting aside money each month to save for your wedding can help you save money.
Consider Saving with Silver Hearth Lodge - Roanoke Wedding Venue
I would encourage you to reach out to Bob and Ashley about having your wedding top Bent Mountain, overlooking the Roanoke Valley. They offer some wonderful rates as well as some discounted ones too for having a non-traditional wedding day, with some discounts upwards of 40%!
Watch this online tour video of the property, then reach out to them about your wedding day!
