Putting Together a Wedding Season Budget

Looking at your bank account you can easily tell wedding season is in full force. Between bridal shower gifts, bachelorette party expenses, wedding attire and wedding gift splurges, this is one expensive time of year. When enough of your friends get married around the same time, it can make you long for the Christmas holidays, because you spent less for Christmas gifts than you are on wedding gifts. For those who want to attend all the wedding season gatherings, there are ways you can cut back on the expenses of wedding season.  Here are some wedding season budget ideas:

Gifts

The difficult part of wedding season is being invited to multiple parties that require a gift, especially if you are particularly close to the bride and don’t want to seem cheap. If your budget isn’t big, but you still want to give a nice gift, get creative. Take a look at the gift registry and pick up a few of the inexpensive bath towels or hand towels the couple register for and make them extra special by having the couples monogram embroidered onto the towels. An inexpensive gift won’t look inexpensive when it is personalized; additionally, it will make the couple feel that you spent a little extra time and effort into making their gift that much more special.

Attire

Unless you are a part of the bridal party and required to purchase a specific dress, buy something that you can wear to a number of weddings this season. By spending a little more buying one great dress, you can save money by not having to buy several different dresses. The key to doing this is to buy something that can be worn with different accessories to look like a different dress if you are going to numerous weddings that will have a lot of the same guests. A basic black dress that isn’t too trendy can be worn one day with pearls and classic heels and another with bright red shoes and funky jewelry; whatever goes with the formality of the wedding you are attending. Switch it up for each event with different shoes, a different handbag and jewelry and by adding or removing a belt.

Bachelorette Parties

It is not uncommon for bachelorette parties to cost a pretty penny. The bridal party often asks that anyone attending the party pay for a portion of the bride’s evening, from the limo or party bus to the hotel room, and her food and beverages as well. To save a little money on this party of the wedding celebration, wear something you already own or borrow something from a friend and ask to share a hotel room with a friend who is also going. As far as splitting the cost of the bride’s hotel room, transportation and entertainment, there is little you can do to make that less expensive. The only option you have here is not attending if the price is really too far out of your budget.

Wedding season is expensive, but it doesn’t have to ruin your summer budget. If you are not particularly close to the couple getting married, you shouldn’t feel guilty not splurging on an expensive gift for the shower and/or the reception. If you are close to the couple, you can use your creativity to stretch your budget and make your gifts special.