The fact that the average cost of a wedding is now large enough to put towards a deposit on a house, it can be hard to justify taking the plunge. But as we typically plan weddings over the course of a year or more, we can pace ourselves and make cost-effective choices as we go.
At Markovina, we know how important it is to have the wedding you want at the price you can afford and we have a range of options available to suit your budget.
Having hosted hundreds of weddings at our Estate, we have vast experience and knowledge of what makes a wedding ‘one to remember’. Whatever your budget, we are all about assisting you in making your wedding dreams come true.
We know how difficult it can be to stick to a budget so we have put together a few ideas on how to keep those costs down while still achieving the wow factor you deserve.
Prioritise and plan
From the moment you start to plan your wedding, decide what areas are the most important to you. This makes it much easier to find areas to cut costs along the way.
It’s easy to get too excited at the beginning and spend a little more than you had budgeted but it’s important to remember not to go overboard early on in the planning. Pace yourself and ensure you have budgeted amount for each aspect of your wedding day. If you want to channel your inner geek, use a wedding cost tracker, or create a spreadsheet where you can tally up your costs as you go.
You don’t need to overspend on food
It’s widely known that most of the wedding budget goes into the food. But cutting the cost back doesn’t have to mean cutting quality or quantity. There are two things to remember when designing your wedding menu: keep it simple, keep it stylish. There is no need to go over-the-top with choices; as long as there are a few satisfying meat and vegetarian options, your guests will carry on through the evening with happy tummies.
Broaden your ideas of how and what you would like to serve on the day. Typically, a buffet menu is more cost-effective as you don’t have to pay for wait staff.
Appetetisers are necessary, yet expensive. Instead of hiring caterers, delegate a team of family and friends to create tasty hors d’oeuves that will tide everyone over until dinner is served.
Take advantage of your talented friends
The benefits of having friends with skills is that they may be willing to offer their talents at your wedding at mate’s rate or, if they’re feeling generous, as a gift.
You might know a photographer, a musician, a graphic designer, or someone with an eye for flower arrangements and décor. Each of these areas are necessary for a successful wedding yet can prove to be costly. So don’t be afraid to ask. Chances are that if they’re good at it, they’re also passionate about it and won’t mind offering their skills at your wedding.
Choose a budget-friendly wedding date
We are slowly doing away with the conventional wedding ideas that limit us in our choices.
As Saturday is the most popular day for weddings, it is also the most expensive, so it pays to think about saving money by having your wedding on a week day. At Markovina, weddings held on Thursdays or in the first two weeks of January can save up to $40 per person.
Week day and off-peak weddings can potentially save money on many aspects of your wedding day as most services are likely to offer a cheaper rate on these days.
Having your wedding on a less popular day doesn’t mean you need to compromise on quality and you can rest assured that when you book with Markovina, your package cost is confirmed at the time of booking and will not increase.
Choose simple and edible wedding favours
After all the effort that can go into creating wedding favours, nothing is more annoying than finding your guests decided they weren’t worth taking home.
Choosing an edible wedding favour is a cost-effective way of saying thank you to your guests and ensuring they will not go to waste.
Handmade chocolates, lolly mixtures, cookies and cake pops are just some of the delicious wedding favours that will be devoured then and there. Edible favours are fun, nostalgic and won’t have time to sit around gathering dust.
Opt for a package deal
Not only will this eliminate a lot of time and stress spent of organising every last detail, it is often a very cost-effective option when planning a wedding.
At Markovina, our wedding packages can be tailored to suit you and your budget. A typical wedding package includes:
- Venue hire and staff costs
- Use of the beautiful gardens and chairs for your ceremony
- Our wedding buffet or platters menue
- A beverage package
- Table linen, glassware and crockery
- Use of our quality in-house music system, DJ lighting and fairy light curtain
- Your choice of start time
As we only operate one wedding per day, we can guarantee that we will give you our undivided attention and service.
A little goes a long way
There is a lot to be said about keeping it simple. As one the more expensive life events, we need to remember what is truly important on our wedding day. Is it sharing the day with your nearest and dearest? Or is it that expensive collection of napkin holders?
Our friendly team at Markovina are passionate about seeing people enjoy every minute of their wedding day. We will guide you through the planning process and take all you budgeting wishes into account.
Give us a call today and let us know how we can help you. Your wedding should be a unique and special occasion and we are always on hand to ensure it is everything you hoped for.
