You probably think I’m crazy to suggest it’s possible to have a nice wedding…for under $500.
But, if you’re considering that figure for your wedding budget—people are going to think you’re crazy, too. So you’re in good company.
Real talk: you can have a nice wedding, on any amount of money.
You probably can’t have your dream wedding, though.
And you’re going to have to give up a lot of stuff.
It probably won’t be terribly traditional, either – but for many brides, that’s the appeal!
Others might not have any other option. The budget is set, and there’s no way it will get any higher. That’s okay.
Whether you’re choosing a low budget or life has simply thrust one upon you doesn’t matter. The important part is that you’ll be married to the one you love. And you’ll have absolutely no wedding-related debt, when all is said and done.
So: what are your wedding options, with a $500 budget?
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Frugal Wedding #1: Elope
What—elope? On a teeny, tiny budget like $500?
Hear me out: I promise, this suggestion is a good one.
Remember the trend of “stay-cations,” vacations taken close to home, for shorter periods of time? They’ve always been a thing, but got their name somewhere during the recession a few years back, I think.
Fewer families could afford long, faraway vacations in other states (or countries), so they opted for locales that were more…well, local.
No matter where you live, chances are there’s something cool within driving distance. A quaint bed-and-breakfast in the mountains, a tiny beach town, an amusement park, the world’s largest ball of yarn—everywhere has a Somewhere.
Depending on how far you feel like driving, you and your fiancé can pull off a local elopement for $500 or less.
Fuel, food, your hotel, an officiant, and formal clothing (if you even feel like dressing up) are really all you need to have a wedding. The rest is just icing on the $2,000 wedding cake you won’t even miss.
Speaking of traditions, don’t let tight funds and FOMO stop you. If you want to do a cake smash on your hotel balcony, who says a cute little bakery cake won’t be just as good?
If you want adorable posed portraits in the Appalachian foothills before retiring to your tent for the evening—why not hire a local photography student to take a few shots?
It doesn’t matter if your first dance is on a rented wooden dance floor or the white sands of a beach. You’ll still remember and cherish every second of it.
What’s more, if you want friends and family there with you, you can always turn it into a local destination wedding.
Just make it clear what the ceremony will entail, and what – if any – reception plans you have afterwards. Everyone should know they’re responsible for their own travel and lodging, long before the trip begins.
Frugal Wedding #2: National or State Park
Did you know it’s free to get married in many public parks?
Note: this doesn’t apply to renting specific sites or structures like pavilions or gazebos, or event spaces: renting these will definitely cost money, although many are cheaper than typical wedding venues – somewhere around $200, depending on the structure.
But if your budget says no to a rented space, look no further than Mother Nature. Parks provide a visually stunning backdrop to your big day.
And it won’t cost you a dime, as long as you’re okay not reserving a specific spot.
If you want to dress things up a little, email your local park about what’s permitted during events. Some let you set up chairs or blankets; a few might let you put up string lights. You can even serve food and sometimes alcohol (with the right permit), as long as everything is disposed of properly.
Similarly, campgrounds are a great frugal option that connects you to nature. For a small fee, you can rent a tiny piece of land to call your own for the night. Dancing around a bonfire with family and friends, with a reception of roasted hot dogs and s’mores, sounds like an incredible – yet inexpensive – wedding.
Frugal Wedding #3: Someone’s Backyard
This is actually one option I’d advise against, with a few exceptions.
It’s something almost every bride considers, when researching venues quickly slaps us with a dose of What Weddings Actually Cost. The first time I saw a rental fee over two grand—for some dinky little rec center’s backroom, of all things!—I think I had an out-of-body experience. It was rough.
So of course, we all start thinking outside the box. And this a good thing to do, don’t get me wrong – but our minds seem to go right to our parents, uncles, best friends…anyone we know with a large, beautiful yard.
Well, we think, why not make use of a free space? Most venues have outdoor options nowadays – so how is Grandma’s backyard any different?
1) It’s residential property—not commercial.
It’s unlikely your grandmother (or whoever’s yard you’re considering) hires landscapers to come in and tend to the yard on a regular basis.
But wedding venues? That’s all standard operating costs to them. There’s a reason you don’t see post holes and marred grass at these places: they pay good money to keep things pristine. A residential yard is going to need a lot of maintenance before and after a wedding, of virtually any size.
2) It’s stressful.
You have to figure out chairs, tables, linens, lights, etc., all on your own. Rented venues usually handle these things for you, or tell the vendors where to put stuff the day of…but in a backyard, that’s all on you to arrange and direct.
(And please, unless your wedding is super tiny, don’t ask guests to set up tables or chairs. You want them to feel like guests – not staff.)
3) It can cost you more than a venue would have, anyway.
Between landscaping fees (even just post-wedding ones) and equipment rentals, are you going to come out ahead?
For small weddings, the answer might be yes. In that case, I’d seriously consider a backyard venue. But anything over 30 guests, and you’re looking at some hefty expenditures, before the I Do’s are said and done.
4) It puts stress on your host – even if you do most or all of the work.
This is the biggest reason I would never do a backyard wedding, personally.
I hate putting people out, even if they volunteer – and using someone’s backyard will probably be more stressful than either of you realize.
The house has to be clean for guests to use the bathroom, if nothing else (unless you’re using portable bathrooms). The yard has to look pretty. Strangers will be traipsing across their property, from the minute the first vendor delivery arrives, to the moment the last one leaves.
It’s a bigger emotional burden (and, sometimes, financially) than most people predict. So I wouldn’t want to put anyone through that, if I didn’t have to.
All that said, backyard weddings can work.
Again, if your guest list is thirty people or less, it’s doable. Fewer chairs and tables to mess up the lawn, lower setup and breakdown costs, less mouths to feed and bladders to accommodate: small guest lists are a godsend for so many reasons.
But once you get to about 40 guests or more, trouble is just waiting to join the party.
If the backyard you’re considering is large enough, landscaped properly (or if you have funds to get it repaired after the wedding), and you’re positive the host won’t feel overwhelmed – then go for it.
Just don’t forget to give your host one very generous present following the wedding, as a thank-you.
Frugal Wedding #4: Your House
This is a bit of a catch-22, unfortunately.
Holding your wedding at your own residence poses many of the same problems as hosting it in someone else’s backyard.
You’ll need time to clean, money to fix up the lawn, funds and time to hire vendors…it’s not easy turning a house into a venue.
On the other hand, you can also get very creative, and do a lot of work ahead of time.
String lights and decorations can be set up days before the event, weather permitting.
It forces you to maintain a reasonable guest list size (keeping costs way down), because you know how many people can comfortably fit in your yard or home.
And, lastly, it can even serve double-duty: if you just moved in, why not make it a house-warming party and wedding?
Receptions: Should You Have One? Can You?
Short answer: absolutely.
Long answer: it’s going to take some creativity, and a few (or many) helpful family members and friends.
But all of the above options for inexpensive wedding ceremonies take this into consideration. You might decide to only have a few witnesses—even strangers, if you elope.
You might realize you just can’t get married without all your friends and family present.
Either option is fine! Just know that, the more people you have, the more creative you’ll have to get.
Some brides choose to cater their own weddings. Appetizers and some hors d’oeuvres can be prepared and frozen weeks before the wedding, then popped in the oven throughout the reception.
One major caveat for this, though: the last thing you’ll probably want to be doing on your wedding day is slaving over a hot stove. And, even if they volunteer, you probably don’t want your mom and aunts slaving away, either.
Another popular option is a potluck reception. Ignore the haters who say this is “tacky.” First of all: all weddings are a little tacky, when you get right down to it. It’s unavoidable. Second of all: tacky means different things to different people.
And third: you’re on an impossibly small budget, so you gotta do what you gotta do.
Personally, I only think potlucks are in bad taste if the couple can easily afford to cater the wedding, and/or have a bunch of ridiculously priced items on their registry. Then a potluck goes from “Help us out, please!” to “We’re just too cheap to feed you. Give us this ionic air purifier, though.”
If I were to do a potluck reception, then I’d put something like this on the invitations:
“In lieu of a gift, please bring your favorite dish, enough to feed (x) amount of people. Thank you for helping us throw an amazing—and delicious—reception!”
I also would limit how many guests I invite overall. Asking guests to cook a dish for up to thirty people, instead of getting a gift or cutting a check? Totally fine.
Asking each guest to cook something for 100 people? Not so fine.
If potlucks and self-catering aren’t your thing, you can also do something simple and much cheaper, like a barbecue. Desserts-only receptions and brunches are also popular, and come with much less expensive grocery lists.
You Can Always Have a Reception Later
There’s no law that says your reception has to immediately follow your wedding.
If your ceremony is private or small, a larger, delayed reception can be perfect.
Many elopements have this kind of timeline: couple gets married, sends out announcements, then saves up for a few months to host a big reception or backyard party. This is, of course, for all the friends and family they would have invited to a big wedding, had they chosen (or been able to afford) one.
Still others decide to combine their reception with their one-year anniversary party. Trust me: a lot happens in a year. Not only can you save things like tax returns in that time—you’ll also receive some congratulatory checks from friends and family, during the year.
You can also take on side jobs after you’re married, setting a little (or a lot) aside each payday.
If the idea just doesn’t appeal to you at all, that’s okay. It is fun to have a reception right after the wedding.
Part of why I loved my reception, in fact, was the adrenaline and excitement of having just gotten married, mere moments earlier.
On the other hand, the reception was over before I knew it.
A delayed reception solves this issue: your happiness feels grounded, instead of surreal.
You’ll be able to mingle and greet your guests with a much clearer head. You’ll feel less overwhelmed, and time won’t seem to pass quite so quickly.
If All Else Fails…Save a Little More
We all have our reasons for picking our wedding date.
Anniversaries, venue availability, favorite seasons: we choose dates for a reason, and maybe you don’t want to move yours.
Some of us have babies on the way (though I waited until after I had mine; too much to plan for both at the same time!). Others want to get married before they or their fiancé get deployed.
One couple I knew in college picked their date solely to apply as married people for the FAFSA before the new school year started.
Point is, whatever your reason…only you know if waiting is possible.
If it isn’t, feel free to ignore this part.
But, if it is—read on.
Even a few months’ delay can make all the difference, budget-wise. If none of the options listed above appeal to you, and you know, deep down, you’ll regret not having a certain venue, caterers, or more guests—delaying the wedding might be worth it.
You can save a lot of money in a few months, especially if you have a specific goal in mind. Just like the delayed reception, there’s no telling what windfalls will come your way: gifted money, pay raises, and side hustles could take your meager budget of five-hundred dollars and blow it up to thousands.
The $500 Wedding Plan
Once you’ve chosen your frugal wedding—elopement, courthouse, or anything your creativity can conjure—don’t forget to budget other items.
There’s no need to panic, during this part. You can have cupcakes, instead of a tiered cake. Your spouse can wear formal clothes he already owns, or borrow some.
As for your dress, why not try something unexpected? A white summer dress on a local beach will leave you looking as breathtaking as any other bride.
It doesn’t even have to be white, or a dress at all, if your heart and creative mind come up with something else.
In many ways, having such a low budget limits your options.
But in other ways, it opens up your wedding possibilities beyond imagination. When you’re forced to think outside the typical (and expensive) box, you can dream up ideas brides with $20k budgets would never think of.
Your frugal wedding can still be gorgeous, with the right touches and some clever thinking.
No matter what you decide to do, there’s really only one thing that matters: at the end of the day, you’ll have married the person you love.
And nobody can put a price on that.
