Wedding Budget Tips for Couples and Guests
Weddings ask a lot of everyone involved, from the couple setting the budget to the guests booking flights, hotels and childcare. Bobbi Rebell, chief financial education advisor at Accredited Debt Relief, joined hosts Susan Campbell and Christine Stanwood on Arizona’s Family On Your Side podcast to talk through both sides of the bill.
Rebell drew on her family’s experience planning her stepdaughter’s New York City wedding. She covered how couples can rank what matters before they book vendors, how guests can cut travel and attire costs, how to decline an invitation gracefully and what to do if wedding spending turns into debt.
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For Couples: Rank Priorities Before Booking Vendors
Rebell said couples should decide early which parts of the wedding matter most, because each priority forces tradeoffs elsewhere. A specific date may mean compromising on other details. A long guest list may mean a different venue, a simpler bar or a DJ instead of a band.
“I think it’s really important to gain clarity very early in the process and really talk through with the bride and groom what matters most to them and make sure you’re making choices ahead of time so you don’t face disappointment,” Rebell said.
For her stepdaughter’s wedding, the family set the date deliberately, chose a DJ over a band and kept a firm guest count. Rebell added that more is negotiable than many couples expect, including venue minimums.
“Remember, so much of a wedding is price per head. Maybe a venue has a minimum of a certain number of people, but that might be negotiable if the price per person is not negotiable,” she said.
She cautioned against choosing a vendor on price alone, since the lowest bid may come from a business without the staff to deliver. Instead, she suggested sharing the budget and asking what the vendor can do within it, such as understated flowers or less lighting.
“You want them to have a positive experience as well and be respectful of their business,” Rebell said.
For Guests: Cut Travel and Attire Costs
The hosts noted that a guest’s costs can include flights, a hotel, hair and makeup, a new outfit, transportation and childcare. Rebell shared ways to bring each one down.
Flights. “I say as soon as you get that save the date, you book that flight,” Rebell said. She suggested fares that can be refunded as airline credit, which keeps plans flexible without paying for a fully refundable ticket.
Hotels. The couple’s room block isn’t always the lowest rate. Rebell suggested comparing it with discounts available through an employer, a warehouse club or a membership organization.
Childcare. When Rebell attended weddings with an infant, she and other parents asked the couple’s permission in advance and shared a hotel room with a local babysitter. The children could attend the ceremony, then go to sleep while their parents stayed for the reception.
Attire. Rebell recommended rewearing, swapping outfits with friends or renting. “Don’t feel you have to buy something new, especially if you’re a guest for every wedding,” she said. Guests who do buy something new can keep the tags on and watch the price, since many department stores will adjust for a later sale.
Declining an Invitation and Giving on a Budget
Sometimes attending isn’t affordable, and Rebell said declining is a responsible choice when it isn’t.
“The etiquette is to decline early, kindly, and you don’t have to say everything,” she said. Rebell advised against explaining the reasons in detail, because the couple may try to solve the problem and the conversation can become awkward.
For guests stretching to attend a destination wedding, Rebell said a gift can take other forms. Guests can plan a dinner or a day together after the honeymoon, which gives the couple “your presence instead of a physical present.” They can also organize a group gift with other guests to cover a larger item on the registry.
Rebell also noted that cash gifts directed toward a specific need, such as a down payment, a renovation or a honeymoon, are increasingly popular with couples marrying now.
When Wedding Spending Turns Into Debt
Rebell said she doesn’t encourage guests or couples to cover wedding costs with debt they can’t repay. “I don’t encourage people to throw it on credit card bills that you can’t pay off or to do a lot of buy now pay later,” she said.
For anyone who has already fallen behind, she advised acting early. That can mean calling a credit card company to ask for a lower rate, working with a financial advisor who is a fiduciary or making a long-term plan that includes a debt relief company. Rebell told listeners to look for a company that doesn’t charge fees before it delivers results.
Accredited Debt Relief’s fees are success-based. Fees are only earned after the client approves an offer and makes at least one payment under the new terms.
Rebell’s closing advice for couples and guests alike was to “focus on the joy of the moment most of all.”
About Bobbi Rebell
Bobbi Rebell, CFP®, CFT™, is chief financial education advisor at Accredited Debt Relief. She is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and a Certified Financial Therapist™.
About Accredited Debt Relief
Accredited Debt Relief is a leading debt consolidation company that has helped more than 1.3 million clients take meaningful steps toward getting out of debt. Over the course of its work, the company has supported clients in resolving more than $15 billion in debt.
Accredited Debt Relief is recognized for its client-first approach, earning multiple ConsumerAffairs Buyer’s Choice Awards for Customer Service, Overall Process and Best Value. The company also maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, accreditation from the Association for Consumer Debt Relief (ACDR) and an Excellent Trustpilot rating supported by thousands of five-star reviews.