 TITLE: How Much Does the Average Wedding Cost? CONTENT: How to Save Money on Your Wedding\n---------------------------------\nFor some couples, using a dedicated credit card may be a great way to not only manage expenses but also earn bonuses such as mileage points toward your honeymoon travel. However, you should keep in mind that interest charges can easily add to your total debt balance if you don't pay off your purchases quickly. A credit card with a 0% introductory interest rate can give you some time to pay off these purchases without paying interest. Alternatively, a personal loan could help you cover your wedding costs—just make sure that you'll be able to afford the required monthly payments.\nThe best way to pay for a wedding, however, is with cash. Paying in cash will mean you can enter your marriage without wedding-related debt, and might even mean some leftover funds for other life goals such as buying a house. It can be difficult to part with a lot of money at one time, so consider setting up automatic withdrawals from your checking accounts as early as possible in the planning process to save a predetermined amount for your wedding fund.\nIf you're not able to cover the full cost of your wedding, you might downsize the event, cut some expenses or make other changes to your plans. There are many ways to do so:\n*   **Plan an off-season event.** Timing is one of the biggest determining factors of a wedding's cost, and even the day of the week the ceremony is held can make a big difference. Weekends are the prime days to get married and as a result it's more expensive to host your wedding on those days. Couples may also decide to change the time of year for their wedding. According to The Knot, January through March are the least in-demand months to host a wedding, and may result in lower costs from venues and vendors.\n*   **Skip the expensive dinner.** Instead of serving a full meal, it may be more affordable to offer guests hors d'oeuvres. Simple changes to the type of protein you offer in a wedding meal could significantly impact the cost of your event. Chicken is common to serve at many weddings because it's much more affordable than seafood or steak.\n*   **Have a dry wedding.** While it's common to serve alcohol at weddings, a couple may decide to forgo serving it. The average amount spent on alcohol at weddings is $2,300, according to The Knot, which means big potential savings if you don't include it. As an alternative, you could provide a no-host bar where guests pay for their own drinks, which is a more budget-friendly option than having an open bar.\n*   **Pare down the guest list.** While it might sting to uninvite or exclude friends or distant family members from the ceremony, the number of guests who attend your wedding has a big effect on its cost. Don't send save-the-dates or wedding invitations until you're confident you can afford to accommodate all your guests.\n*   **Consider a DIY wedding.** The most challenging savings option is to \"do it yourself.\" DIY weddings allow couples to economize by taking over tasks that are typically handled by professionals. Instead of paying someone else to make your table centerpieces, welcome signage and other accoutrements, you could handle these tasks yourself for a fraction of the cost. You'll also have total control over things like color, style and materials that way. END