There are literally hundreds of articles out there on cutting wedding costs or getting the perfect wedding day look on a budget, but not a lot that focus on the costs after “I do.” It goes without saying that starting a life together comes with its own expenses. Not to mention that when you add in the costs of the wedding and the honeymoon, and for some those looming student loans that still aren’t out of the picture, that first year can feel pretty strapped and like all of your money is going out of the window to pay for the past instead of your future. That’s not to say that you should regret the money you invested in your wedding; absolutely not, it is a memory to last a lifetime! However, there are a few ways to cut the costs and reduce the constraints after the big day has come and gone, and they involve thinking practically about your wedding registry.
Going for Practical Over Pretty
I know the word ‘practical’ may sound like a threat to burst the beautiful bubble around your dream wedding plans, but I promise you it doesn’t have to be. Being a little practical can go a long way to making your first year of marriage a dream as well. Maybe you think that a the fancy gifts and jewelry are the most relevant things on your wedding registry, but swapping luxury items that you can survive without for something that meets your needs as newlyweds, can help with the costs in the aftermath. For example, adding practical “big ticket” items that you need to check off, like a good mattress, dining room set or cooking equipment. These options certainly don’t have to be mundane though – a beautiful matching set of cutlery or a plush new memory foam mattress, like one from Eve, are both practical and exciting additions to your wedding registry. These items that guests can pitch in to buy can go a long way to help you save the money you would have to invest in it yourself, especially for when you are just starting out.
Think Ahead and Think Outside of the Gift Box
Once the honeymoon is over, though, you still have to come home and settle back into reality. This can be a really exciting time, but as you settle back into life in your rented apartment and the day to day grind, that dreamy novelty of all of that can wear off a little. One of the most intelligent wedding registry options we’ve seen, which is starting to appear more and more, is asking guests to put money into an investment account to go towards a down payment for a house. To most this type of registry probably sounds pretty unromantic at first, but keep in mind that getting you one step closer to crossing the threshold of your own home is getting you one step closer to ‘happily ever after’. Buying a house is probably one of the biggest investments that most newlyweds will make, so adding this to the registry not only helps you achieve this goal faster, but it keeps you looking forward to and excited about the future, giving you something to strive after and a new focus of anticipation.