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Any wedding planner worth her or his salt will tell you that, with some smart moves and ground-laying decisions, it’s still possible to throw an amazing wedding your guests will rave about while sticking with an affordable budget. As a Pittsburgh wedding photography business, we’ve compiled a list of 5 ways to reduce wedding expenses without skimping on style:

Shrink the Guest List

The higher the guest count you have to seat, invite, serve drinks, feed, transport, or offer little extras such as welcome bags or favors, the higher your wedding expenses will soar. If you need to include all those amenities we just mentioned on your wedding day, try to keep the guest list as streamlined as you can.

Book Full-Service Venue

The average price of renting a venue for your reception and/or ceremony is more than $3,000—and that is just the rental fee. That is why a full-service venue that offers a package deal for all the above services actually can be cost-saving at the end.

Select a Less Popular Date

Throughout most of the country, peak wedding season goes from April to October, with October, September, and June being the most popular times to get hitched. To save some big bucks, arrange a date which falls within a non-peak season for a discounted rate at a venue.

Rethink Plated Entrée

There are additional ways to approach the meal at your wedding beyond plated dinner entrées that usually are the most expensive catering route. Sit with the caterer and go over a few alternative methods of feeding guests which may cut down the catering bill: choose a cocktail-style reception that has an abundance of heavy hors d’oeuvres or try DIY and/or interactive food stations which keep guests both well-fed and entertained.

Purchase In-Season, Local Flowers

As a Pittsburgh wedding photography business, we have one more final tip: go local. Armfuls of peonies and mountains of roses are very romantic; however, there are many other, more affordable stems which will make just as gorgeous a statement. If you like the appearance of petal-rich blooms, give consideration to peony-lookalike ranunculus or garden-grown dahlias. More importantly, stick with flowers which are in season where and when you are getting married—you will pay a lot more for flowers which must be flown in from other countries or regions.

For more information on Pittsburgh wedding photographers contact Amber Marie Photography today at (412) 657-3968.