It’s no secret that weddings can be pretty expensive events, but when you’re in love and ready to tie the knot, all you can think of is having your dream wedding. We get it! We spend most of our days looking at wedding stuff, and we’re not even planning a wedding—so we totally understand that it can consume you.
But whether your dream wedding is a grand and luxurious affair or a small and intimate elopement, finding the funds to pay for it all can be challenging. Unless you won the lottery, have been saving for this day since you began working, are independently wealthy, or have a money tree in your backyard, you’ll need a plan, a budget, and some discipline.
Luckily, we’ve decided to make it a little easier for you by giving you some essential and creative ideas on how to raise funds for your dream wedding—so you don’t have to dip into your monthly income to do it.
Creative Ways to Raise Funds for Your Wedding
Planning a wedding is a huge task. It requires many to-do lists, decisions, and details—and it also requires money. But a wedding is a celebration of love and shouldn’t be an event that puts you into debt or gets you falling behind on your bills. So here are some brilliant ways to raise money for your wedding.
Try a “Give It Up” Fundraiser
This is a pretty awesome idea! A “Give it Up” fundraiser is when you give up an indulgence for a set time, and the money that otherwise would have been spent is given to the wedding fund. This fundraising can be done privately between just you and your fiance, or it can be expanded to include some close family members and friends.
The indulgence you give up could be as easy as a daily cappuccino, a weekly trip to the movies, cigarettes (or other vices), weekly happy hour, or a visit to a fast-food restaurant. Instead of spending the money on these things, you simply put the money in a jar or a savings account.
You may save a lot of money for your wedding or honeymoon over several months or a year! Before long, you’ll see the cha-ching starting to build up.
Thread-Up
Another great idea is to get into that closet and clean it out! You know there are tons of things in your wardrobes that you never wear or that don’t fit, so rather than see them taking up space in your closet, sell them! It’s a great way to make extra cash; just make sure the funds that you raise selling your used items go towards the wedding fund (not more clothes). And don’t forget, you can also sell your shoes, purses and bags, and watches.
Heck, you can take this a little further by selling old comforters that you don’t use or want anymore, kitchen appliances that you don’t use, exercise equipment that is collecting dust, etc. There is a market out there on the world wide web that will buy pretty much anything—time to cash in.
Create a Cookbook
This fundraising idea is perfect for couples who enjoy spending time in the kitchen together.
Classic recipes from both sides of the family tree, along with a few new favorites you’ve discovered together, should be included. You can also include personal notes, images, or tales to personalize your cookbook.
These booklets can be gifts to individuals who donate a certain amount to your crowdfunding campaign or sold at your shower or reception. In any case, everyone will enjoy testing out your dishes and helping you plan your big day. It might be such a big hit that you can even sell it online as an e-book.
Host a Wine Pull
Why not try a wine pull at your wedding, rehearsal dinner, or shower? Wine pulls are a great way to raise money at auctions, galas, and other charity fundraising events.
Ask your guests to bring their favorite or most unique bottle of wine, and provide a couple of high-quality bottles yourself. After that, wrap each bottle in gift wrap and charge customers to choose a bottle from your display.
Guests won’t know if they’ve gotten a valuable bottle until they unwrap it, so everyone is in for a pleasant surprise. Every single one of your guests will receive a bottle, and they’ll feel good about helping support your honeymoon or wedding day!
Silent Auction
Silent auctions are an excellent way to enjoy a little more face time with your supporters as they bid on unique and tempting products up for grabs. And, if you find the correct auction products, you can raise a lot of money!
Ask local companies and individuals about donating things to your silent auction. Gift certificates to restaurants, signed memorabilia, gift baskets, lessons from a professional, and more are all popular donation ideas.
Ideas for Raising Money to Pay for Your Wedding
Some other ideas for raising money to pay for your wedding are more traditional but shouldn’t be overlooked. So here are some ways to drum up some extra dough for the wedding budget.
Open a Savings Account
Open a separate savings account specifically for the “wedding” and commit to adding a specific percentage of your weekly earnings to it. This is a great way to save extra money to help pay for your dream wedding. But make sure that both of you commit to doing this and stick to it!
Create a Cash Registry
Accepting cash instead of presents isn’t a new concept. Wishing wells have been a wedding tradition for decades.
Couples are now building cash registries on sites like Zola and Honeyfund to make giving a cash present a quick and thoughtful way to help them celebrate. So anything from airfare to a couples massage to a two-person getaway might be sponsored by your guests. This is a fantastic approach to include your family and friends in a meaningful way that benefits your business.
Start a Side Hustle
There’s nothing like an extra revenue stream to pay for your wedding. Use a side hustle to help cover the expenditures of your wedding so you don’t end up in debt after the event. Every little bit contributes.
On weekends, you could drive for Lyft or Uber, utilize your social media skills to help a brand acquire a following, babysit, sell crafts on Etsy, work as an online tutor, or do something completely different! The possibilities are nearly limitless. Be inventive and put your skills and abilities to good use.
Take Out a Loan
Of course, there is always an option of taking out a loan to pay for your wedding. But we think this should be your last resort, because the worst thing you can do is to start married life in more debt than you were in before your “I Dos.”
Cut Back On Expenses
Another way you can raise money to pay for your wedding is to simply cut back on expenses. Think of all the things you pay for, and decide which ones could be cut out temporarily. Then, the money that you save should be placed into your wedding savings account.
There are probably paid subscriptions you rarely use, so evaluate your monthly bank statements to see where your money is going and then eliminate some bills. For example, if you pay for a Netflix or Hulu subscription but rarely watch them, cancel them. Paying for Spotify or Pandora? Cancel them, and listen to music on YouTube instead. Or revert to a free version.
Gym membership? Cancel it, and go to the park to run instead. Get rid of your cable bill, and speak to your cell phone provider to see if there is a more cost-effective plan that can save some dough. You might even be paying for data on laptops that you don’t even use anymore. Amazon Prime, Birchbox, and similar subscriptions can be sacrificed for the perfect dream wedding, right?
The key to raising funds for your dream wedding is to do it together. And there are many ways that you can make it happen. Of course, it all starts with saving, being disciplined, and looking for opportunities to cut back. But there are also some pretty ingenious and creative ways to raise even more by including your family, friends, and the local community.
Hopefully, you and your beau will be able to get the whole shebang paid for. How cool would that be?
Want even more tips on saving money for your wedding? Check out this guide.