The average cost of weddings keeps increasing year over year with most couples spending tens of thousands of dollars. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have the wedding of your dreams at an affordable price. A fantastic wedding on a budget makes cuts where they have the most financial impact but the smallest amount of experiential impact. Here are three tips to save while keeping the fun factor.

Rethink Your Flowers

Most brides-to-be immediately head to the florist for wedding flowers. However, there are more budget-friendly options. Consider your local grocery store’s floral department or local farmers market. See if you can buy flowers in bulk and arrange them yourself. Putting in a little more legwork to find discount centerpieces will help stretch your budget further.

Stock Your Bar

Open bars are often the biggest ticket item at a wedding. You can potentially reduce the cost by purchasing the liquor yourself. However, make sure to look into local liquor laws as well as policies at the venue beforehand. Then use a helpful drink calculator to get an estimate on how much you need to buy for the number of guests.

Craft Your Invitations

You don’t have to spend a ton of time and art supplies to make your own invitations. A home printer and some free graphic downloads can yield professional-looking invitations with very little effort. Alternatively, consider online printing sites that don’t specialize in weddings to save on the price tag of made-for-you invitations.

Planning a wedding on a budget doesn’t have to be painful. When considering your options, always frame the decisions in how it will impact the overall guest experience. If going with a cheaper alternative would be noticeable to you and your guests then it may be worth paying full price. Be confident in your decisions and your wedding day will turn out even better than you dreamed.