Top 25 Budget Saving Tips for your Bali Wedding With Tash from Plan A Bali

Planning a wedding can be a thrilling yet daunting task, especially when you have grand dreams but a limited budget. But, if you’ve always dreamed of saying “I do” amidst the enchanting beauty of Bali, there is good news for you.

We had the privilege of speaking with Tash from Plan A, who graciously shared some invaluable insights on how to bring your dream Bali wedding to life without jeopardizing your budget. Tash provided us with 25 Budget-Friendly Tips for planning your wedding that will help you have the perfect Bali wedding while still being mindful of your expenses.

To provide you with assistance, we would like to offer advice on various aspects of wedding planning. This includes determining the ideal time to select a wedding date, selecting the most suitable flowers, emphasizing the significance of furniture choices, and outlining the flow of events during your special day.

Social media is great at making you feel like you need all the things, and that everything has to be big and excessive, and that without it, it wouldn’t be a wedding.

Let’s face it, weddings anywhere you have them won’t be cheap, not if you want them exactly the way you envision in your head. Prices for all things have gone up globally, and the wedding industry is no different.

💰 Pick a wedding date off-peak season.

While the vendors may not have different prices, your venue will and is often cheaper with less minimum nights required in the down seasons.

 

💰 Check what furniture your venue already comes with and what you are allowed to use on the day of your wedding.

It can save the costs of hiring extra furniture when it’s not needed.

 

💰 Many planners will have two-tier systems of charging.

You can have it planned by the principal planner/owner, or by the team. Choose the team. They’ve been trained by the owner/principal planner but come in at a more affordable cost.

 

💰 Stick to local flowers.

Imported florals can quickly double or triple your budget.

 

💰 Supplement your fresh florals with artificial.

Your fresh flowers can still be the hero flowers but use artificial to create the bulk and fullness.

 

💰 Bridesmaid bouquets – these don’t have to be massive!

More and more brides are seeing the beauty of small bouquets and even single-stem florals for their bridal party. It still looks wonderful and you don’t need to pay excess amounts for things that get left behind.

 

💰 Choose the spirit/cocktail package with your bar that allows you to BYO.

Good wines and champagne are expensive in Bali. Get loved ones to bring a bottle of each of your favourite grape juices and save that cost on your bar.

 

💰 Repurpose your ceremony chairs.

There’s literally no need to have two sets of chairs for the ceremony and dinner. Once the ceremony is finished, get your planner to move the chairs to the dinner area.

💰 Don’t bother with wedding favours.

They’re an extra cost that people don’t really need or keep.

 

💰 Late night snacks.

While there will definitely be some with the munchies, chances are a quarter of your guests will have left by the time they come out, and from the ones left, only half will eat. So order less than your total numbers.

 

💰 Don’t feel the need to pay for your entire bridal party’s hair and makeup.

Those costs very quickly add up. Pay for yourself and your mothers (if they want it), then offer the services to your bridal party so they can choose whether they want it enough to pay themselves or forgo.

 

💰 Choose a 70-30 ratio for florals, with greenery being the hero of the day.

Being in Bali means your venue is likely to be stunning without anything added at all! While flowers are beautiful, greenery is just as gorgeous with it ranging in shape, size, and tone. Lean more on this and have flowers to accent instead.

 

💰 Cut down on the number of canapés during cocktail hour.

You really don’t need more than 3 options to choose from.

 

💰 Have your ceremony and reception at the same venue.

This saves you paying two venue costs plus all the associated transport costs. These quickly add up and with traffic, can impact your timing meaning some vendors will need to be paid extra to stay over their original allocated time frame.

 

💰 Keep the cake small.

Most catering menus include dessert. If you don’t forgo the cake altogether, make it a small one for cutting purposes only. I think people don’t realise how pricy cakes can be!

 

💰 Starting off with a tough one, but be strict with your invitations and say no to plus ones.

If you don’t know them well, do you even want them in your wedding photos? It may seem harsh but that’s extra $$$ for food, drinks, and seating for every person you don’t know well.

💰 If you have lots of kids coming, forgo the kids’ meals and order in pizzas instead.

They work out cheaper per slice and let’s face it, trying to get kids to sit for dinner when so much FUN is going on is hard.

 

💰 Cut out the bridal party.

You can still have your closest with you to get ready and hype you up, but this will essentially save of makeup costs, hair costs, extra bouquets, dresses, and more.

 

💰 Save on printing costs.

Your guests don’t each need a printed copy of the order of the day. Make one big sign for this, one big sign for the seating chart, and have one menu per table rather than every guest getting their own.

 

💰 You may know by now that table settings are a passion of mine so while I won’t tell you to forgo the customised flatware, see what’s included with your catering package.

Upgrade one or two elements such as cutlery or napkins. You don’t have to customise EVERYTHING, but the small touches will personalise it without having to spend hundreds on a completely customised table setting for each guest. You don’t need every item to make it special.

 

💰 Throwing petals. Not everyone needs them.

Place them on the seats next to the aisle only, as they will seat the people who will have the best proximity to you. The rest generally gets lost halfway.

 

💰 If you have budget restraints don’t bother with live music for your ceremony. Use Spotify instead.

It’s free and by playing the original versions of the songs you’ll be able to better time your walk out.

 

💰 Choose a venue that has an in-built space you can use for the dance floor so you don’t have to hire one.

But if you do need to hire one, go with the natural wood option. It’ll end up saving you up to hundreds of dollars.

 

💰 Want some wow factor? Opt for Pyro instead of fireworks.

This will literally save you around $1500 and still give you incredible visuals and impress your guests.

 

💰 Avoid hiring too many vendors that offer the same services and products.

By keeping it all with one vendor you will eliminate all the extra delivery and set-up costs that each vendor adds to their invoices.

So there you go. As I said sometimes it is not so much about cutting things out altogether but reducing or finding different ways to bring what you want to the table. Small savings all over will make a big impact in the end!

To see what the amazing Tash can do or to connect with  Plan A, click below!