Are you planning a wedding? If so, there was probably a point where you thought to yourself, “which things should I splurge on for my wedding?”. After all, throwing (and I say throwing because you’re essentially planning the biggest party of our life) a wedding does not come cheap! In this article, I’ll walk you through my biggest wedding splurges plus which ones I’d say “yes” to and which ones I’d say “eh, no thanks” if I were to do it over again.
My 10 Wedding Splurges
Here were my 10 biggest wedding splurges:
Wedding Splurge #1: Top-Tier Photography Package
10 Hours Coverage with 2 Photographers
Like most brides, I knew I wanted INCREDIBLE wedding photos that would last a lifetime. Suffice to say I wasn’t taking any risks. My husband and I threw down some serious cash to have not only one, but two photographers. And the package we purchased meant that we would have both of them for a full 10 hours, which essentially included the entire duration of the wedding from start to finish.
Of course, I realize we probably didn’t need both photographers for the entire 10 hours, so this definitely was a splurge.
Wedding Splurge #2: Using a Professionally-Trained Florist
Centerpieces, Large Arrangements, Bouquets, Boutonnieres, etc.
The florist we hired trained at prestigious Winston Flowers. The photos of her work we saw online were beautiful. If you’ve read my other article, How Much do Wedding Flowers Cost?, you’ll know the costs to hire a florist are not cheap. So yes, hiring a professionally-trained wedding florist was another wedding-related splurge we made.
Wedding Splurge #3: Having a Wedding Cake
4 Tiers of Buttercream Frosting - yum!
This one may be a little bit controversial. I’ve read a lot of articles online saying wedding cake is one of the easiest things to skip over to save money for a wedding. And you know me… I’m all about saving money! But I also have a wicked sweet tooth! So, to no one’s surprise, my now-husband and I decided to purchase a decadent 4-tier wedding cake.
Wedding Splurge #4: Paying for an Open Bar for the ENTIRE Reception
Drinks on the House!
The open bar was something that was very important to my husband. Not so much to me. For starters, having an open bar is wildly expensive, especially when you have a wedding as big as ours (approximately 200 guests) in a high cost of living area. Having an open bar for the entire reception was definitely a wedding-related splurge.
Wedding Splurge #5: Having a Photo Booth Station
5 Hours of Photo Ops During the Reception
The photo booth station was something we originally were not planning on. In fact, it was the last vendor we added in. The reason we decided to do it was because my mom attended another wedding, which had a photo booth and she had so much fun she insisted that we get a photo booth for our wedding. Since the photo booth is something that wasn’t totally essential to our wedding day, I consider it another wedding splurge.
Wedding Splurge #6: Providing Guest Transportation
3 Buses to Shuttle Guests Back and Forth from their Hotels to the Reception Space
Guest transportation was another thing that was very important to my husband. Although I never attended another wedding where transportation was provided, guest transportation is a more common practice for weddings in the Midwest, where he grew up and he thought it was absolutely necessary. In my opinion, it was an optional benefit we provided for our guests, so I would consider it a wedding splurge.
Wedding Splurge #7: Custom Neon Sign
That's Amore!
When we discovered that our venue came with a green leaf wall background, we couldn’t pass up the chance for a custom neon sign! And to pay tribute to my Italian heritage, while also keeping in mind we wanted a sign that wasn’t so personalized to us that people wouldn’t care to take photos with it, we came up with this “That’s Amore”.
The sign was definitely not a necessity and ended up costing a few hundred bucks…so not a cheap decoration! Hence, this was a definite wedding splurge.
Wedding Splurge #8: Late Night Food
Cheeseburger and Fries, Anyone? We have cookies too!
Late night food was another thing we almost skipped, but decided to splurge on last minute. Between doing a pasta course, the main meal, the open bar plus wedding cake and other desserts, we felt like we already had too much food.
The reason we decided to do a late night food option was because we attended my cousin’s wedding in Rosemary Beach Florida, which had a late night food option. Attending as guests, we really enjoyed the late night food. That being said, we decided we wanted late night food at our own wedding to enhance the guest experience.
Wedding Splurge #9: Matching Honeymoon Outfits
A lemon dress and a lemon shirt - yes, we're together!
If you’re shopping online for wedding-related items (I’m talking Pinterest and Etsy, specifically), it’s impossible not to notice all the cute matching outfits for newlyweds. None of it is cheap! Especially when you already have outfits of your own, that would fit the bill. However, matching honeymoon outfits seemed like a lot of fun, so I eagerly purchased a few sets for my husband and I. Matching outfits is not completely necessary and did not come cheap, so I’d consider this another wedding splurge.
Wedding Splurge #10: A Two Week European Honeymoon
With Stops in Venice, Siena, Naples, Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens
Lastly, my husband and I decided to take a two week long trip to Europe for our honeymoon. Want to hear about our honeymoon travels and get ideas for your own trip to Europe? Check out the series of articles: “My Ultimate Honeymoon Adventure“!
As I’m sure many of you are well aware, European honeymoons do not come cheap! So a two week honeymoon in Europe is definitely a wedding splurge.
Which Wedding Splurges Would I Do Again?
So which splurges were worth it?
Wedding Splurges I'd Say "Yes!" to Again...
- Wedding Splurge #1: Top-tier Photography Package
- Wedding Splurge #3: Wedding Cake
- Wedding Splurge #4: Having an Open Bar for the ENTIRE Reception
- Wedding Splurge #6: Guest Transportation
- Wedding Splurge #8: Late Night Food
Why Splurge on Wedding Photography:
Although, we’ve only started getting previews of our wedding photo backs, I would not have opted for a cheaper package after seeing the results. The photos speak for themselves. Absolutely beautiful! Here’s a sneak peek at some of our photos:
Why Splurge on a Wedding Cake:
There’s a reason a wedding cake it’s incorporated in a traditional wedding reception.
In my opinion, you need a wedding cake. The cake cutting ceremony was one of my favorite parts of the whole day. It was fun and totally focused on the two of us. Plus, we got some AMAZING photos. In my opinion, the photos alone make the decision to purchase a wedding cake worth it. Moreover, the cost of a wedding cake was minuscule in comparison to everything else.
Saving Money Tip: Choose a smaller tiered cake and a have a sheet cake prepared in the back to serve guests!
Why Splurge on an Open Bar:
Having an open bar for the entire reception definitely enhances the guest experience. However, as I mentioned above, the open bar was expensive!
Depending on your budget, you may decide to skip the open bar for the ENTIRE duration of the reception and instead may chose to do an open bar for 1 hour during the cocktail hour. Or, depending on your venue, you may be able to supply your own alcohol, which may be cheaper than purchasing it through your venue.
In either case, I think having an open bar for at least a portion of the festivities really elevates your wedding in the eyes of your guests. Accordingly, in my opinion, having an open bar is a must-have splurge.
Why Splurge on Guest Transportation:
I’d say guest transportation was definitely worth it. Like the cake, I was surprised at how cheap the transportation was in comparison to some of our other vendors. Plus, it helped ensure our guests get back to their hotels safely versus being out on the road after a few drinks. Easily a value add for guests!
Also, keep in mind if you have lots of guests traveling to attend your wedding or a change in venue between the ceremony and reception space, providing transportation can go a long way in helping ensure your guests have a positive experience.
Why Splurge on Late Night Food:
Late night food is a must! No matter how much food you have and how full you expect people to be, people can and will eat whatever you put out. Plus, with so many people (hopefully!) active on the dance floor and drinking alcohol, a ‘lil something to snack on is often necessary.
Personally, when we were planning our wedding, my husband and I weren’t sure how many people would still be hungry enough for the late night food. We were comfortable with the idea that adding it could be a complete waste of money. Imagine our surprise when we discovered the cheeseburger and french fry station completely picked over by the end of the night!
Given how popular the late night food was among the guests, I would hands-down say this was a worthwhile splurge.
Wedding Splurges I'd Say "Eh, No Thanks!" to...
- Wedding Splurge #2: Professionally-Trained Florist
- Wedding Splurge #5: Photo Booth Station
- Wedding Splurge #7: Custom Neon Sign
- Wedding Splurge #9: Matching Honeymoon Outfits
- Wedding Splurge #10: Two Week European Honeymoon
Why Skip Using a Professionally-Trained Florist:
Looking back at our wedding, I would skip the florist in a heartbeat! Half of the flowers were dead by the time we received them and they were not at all what we had communicated we wanted in terms of colors and variety. Because of this, I was left feeling like we could’ve created better arrangements ourselves without paying the hefty price tag.
I do however recommend using a professional florist for the bouquets and boutonnieres because these will be difficult to create. Everything else, do yourself. You can purchase beautiful (but affordable!) flowers from Costco or Trader Joe’s and this will save you a tremendous amount of money over using a professionally-trained florist!
Why Skip the Photo Booth:
Although the photo booth enhanced the guest experience, I don’t think it provided nearly as much value as the open bar, the shuttle busses or the late night food. So, if you’re looking to save money while maximizing guest value, a photo booth is an easy item to cut out.
Why Skip the Custom Neon Sign:
I admit the custom neon sign was a fun touch! But it was also the most expensive decoration we purchased, costing a few hundred dollars. And although my husband and I have plans to hang it in our home so that we can continue to use it now that the wedding is over, we have yet to do so…and I have my doubts as to whether we’ll ever use it again.
Seeing that it’ll most likely be a 1-time use item and that it’s fairly expensive, I recommend skipping the custom neon sign and splurging elsewhere.
Why Skip the Matching Honeymoon Outfits:
I would also skip the matching couples outfits, in hindsight. I purchased three matching outfits in total: Mr. and Mrs. shirts with our wedding date, matching lemon patterned outfits, and matching swimsuits. All were decently costly, truth be told. And although we did get several compliments and congratulatory exclaims, we don’t have any real intention of wearing the outfits again anytime soon now that the wedding is behind us.
Plus, if I’m being 100% honest, I preferred wearing slightly dressier (and cuter!) outfits for photos. Check out all the trendy outfits I packed and how I fit them all in 1 suitcase in my recent post, European Honeymoon Outfits that will Actually Fit in a Suitcase!
All in all, I don’t think splurging on matching honeymoon outfits was worth it, and it’s definitely not a necessity. My recommendation: save yourself some money and skip this splurge.
Why Skip the Two Week European Honeymoon:
Our honeymoon trip involved exploring Italy, Greece, and Turkey. These are some of the most magical and romantic countries in the world! But visiting does not cheap (assuming you live elsewhere, like me)!
Although my husband and I had an amazing honeymoon, if I were to do it over again I would do a few things differently and I’d likely nix the two week European Honeymoon. Curious to know what exactly I’d do differently? Check out my article, 3 Things I Would Change about My European Honeymoon!
Other Wedding Splurges We Skipped
If you’re planning a wedding on a tight budget and you’re looking for ways to cut costs, check out these other popular wedding splurges we did without:
The After Party
A common wedding splurge we skipped was an after party. And boy am I glad we did! For one, it’s another thing to coordinate and communicate to your guests. For another, it involves additional cost!
Instead we had an “informal after party” where people staying at our hotel gathered around the bar and on the back patio area. It was a fun and casual way to spend more time with our closest friends and family in a smaller setting.
Live Band vs. DJ
Another common wedding-related splurge we decided to do without was a live band for the reception. Instead, we chose to hire a DJ because it was cheaper. I don’t regret hiring a DJ as opposed to a live band, but I think this is really a preference thing. We’ve been to other weddings that have had live bands and they bring very different energy to the crowd, assuming they’re good.
How Can I Afford These Wedding Splurges?
It goes without saying that these wedding splurges were NOT cheap!
And if you don’t want to go without (I don’t blame you!) check out my other posts that are focused on saving money and earning more money: How to Save For a Wedding in A Year and Why Job Hopping Works: Confessions of a Serial Job Hopper.
Also, don’t forget to check out my other wedding-related content! After going through the wedding planning process myself and seeing firsthand how overwhelming and daunting it can be, I’m passionate for helping others plan for their dream weddings in a stress-free, cost-effective way.
What are you Splurging on For Your Wedding?
Hopefully this article gave you some insight into our wedding experience and gave you some helpful pointers as you choose which items to splurge on for your wedding and which to skip over.
Curious to know how much I spent on all these splurges? Stay tuned for my next post, which will detail just how much my husband and I spent on our dream wedding. And if you don’t want to miss a beat, subscribe to my newsletter to get notified about new posts and gain access to exclusive content.
Thanks for reading and until next time, friends!