14 Wedding Details Couples Should Stop Spending Money On

While the list of ways to spend your wedding budget seems infinite, not all expenditures are created equal. Some make your wedding more memorable, practical, or personal; others make the experience more streamlined and less stressful for your guests; and others go unnoticed, wasting your money and negating your careful spending decisions. But how do you know which expenses are worthwhile and which ones should be skipped?

To get the best bang for your buck when organizing your big day, we tapped four wedding planners for their expert advice on the top wedding details couples should stop spending money on—including tips on how to invest your hard-earned cash in more meaningful ways. Here's everything you need to know.

Printed Save-the-Date Cards

Mailed save-the-dates may feel like the most exciting way to preview your event for your friends and family, but a digital version—which includes a link to your wedding website—is a less expensive and more practical alternative. “You’ll save on printing and postage costs, and your potential guests can receive more information earlier about your plans,” says Florida wedding planner Kelly McWilliams. “Once you have your guests warmed up with the save-the-date, you can further use the online space to collect information from your guests that will save you time, money, and maybe, more importantly, stress!"

McWilliams also notes that couples should consider ditching printed RSVP cards to save money, "and instead collect accepts and regrets, entrée choices, dietary restrictions, and hotel accommodations" through their website. This allows you to use the money you saved on printed save-the-dates and RSVP cards to upgrade the rest of your invitation suite with thicker paper, higher-quality ink, a custom illustration, or other thoughtful add-ons. 

Welcome Boxes

Packages of pretzels, drinks, personalized tissues, and custom lip balm are rarely worth the time and money you’ll spend creating them. “I promise you that nobody misses welcome bags,” says McWilliams. “Yes, they can be super cute, but they can be costly—not just the items, but the hotel delivery fees can add up quickly—they can take an absurd amount of time to assemble, and unless you’re making a wowza of a bag, they don’t tend to be appreciated.”

If you feel strongly about greeting your guests with a gift, says Laura Ritchie of Grit and Grace, “Go for a single, impactful, personal memento with a tag tied to it with the timeline.” For one of her clients, a jeweler, Ritchie and her team wrapped painted ring dishes in paper that matched the invitations. “Everyone loved them and they cost a fraction of a box filled with Costco snacks, splits of champagne, stuffing, and more,” she shares. If you’re willing to forego a material item, spend your money instead on transportation that makes it easier for your guests to get from the hotel to your event. “Pre-planned shuttles or Uber vouchers are the way to go these days,” explains McWilliams.

Extra Signage

A welcome sign at the entrance to your ceremony space, a custom menu sign in place of individual cards, or a single display of drink options at your bar can all add an inviting sense of charm to your event—but don’t spend your budget filling your space with placards and banners in every corner. “Tons of signage is a waste,” says Ritchie. “Unless you are at a property with multiple weddings happening at the same time, skip the announcement posters and directional signage pointing every which way.” McWilliams agrees: “Only do signs that you need to offer necessary information. Ask yourself, ‘Will anyone be lost without this information?’ If the answer is no, say no. Instead, use these dollars to upgrade your guest guide, or even better, have a digital guest guide made.”

Ceremony Programs

Most of your guests have likely attended at least one wedding before taking their seats for your ceremony, so you don’t need to invest in elaborate, detailed ceremony programs to explain the order of events. “Unless you are a stationery lover, skip the program,” says event planner Jason Mitchell Kahn. “The majority of your guests do not save these and they are thrown away. Instead, have one nice ceremony sign on display when people arrive, or make sure your officiant covers what would have been printed in an engaging way.”

The exception: If your ceremony combines traditions from multiple cultures or religions that are unfamiliar to many of your guests—or if you plan to use a dual-language script that some of your guests won’t understand—then create a program that helps your friends and family follow along. Otherwise, says Heather Balliet of Amorology, “In the case that you don't have a ceremony that culturally may require a great deal of explanation for your guests, we would opt to save the trees here. There are so many ways to honor your bridal party without writing them in your program, so get creative (and avoid giving your guests the temptation to turn the programs into paper planes!).”  

Bar Upgrades

Top-shelf liquor, thoughtfully garnished signature drinks in specialty glassware, and fresh-muddled mint drinks in copper mugs are an easy skip. “Do not upgrade your bar—nobody ever notices,” says McWilliams. “Guests arrive at the bar and say, ‘Vodka soda, please.’” Instead, stock your bar with the must-haves to serve a menu of the classics, and reserve the rest of your budget for upgrades elsewhere. “The additional cost, time, and bartender's effort to make your favorite mojitos isn't going to have the same return on investment to the larger crowd, who just want to sip on their go-to cocktail instead,” says Ritchie.

Enhanced Cocktail Hours

The time between your ceremony and reception doesn’t need to last longer than an hour, and it doesn’t need a showstopping appetizer menu. “It’s called cocktail hour for a reason: It’s one hour,” says McWilliams. “Extending it to 90 minutes rarely pays off.” Work with your photographer and planner to set aside time for group and family photos without adding to your food and beverage costs, she adds.

While you’re at it, streamline your cocktail hour menu with just three or four food choices, says Balliet. “Guests don't notice that there are eight different options, and most of the time so many go to waste as guests are talking and visiting with one another,” she says. “Keep things simple here and just pick a few items for the catering team to do really well!”

Champagne Towers and Toasts

Champagne towers make a striking statement in your photos, but they’re an impractical way to serve your favorite bubbly. “While these can be such a statement piece, they tend to go unused,” says Balliet. “Most guests will view these as a décor piece rather than something to grab and sip on. Not to mention, they can often come tumbling down when placed somewhere that guests can easily bump into them!” However, if you do decide to serve Champagne at the tables or from a serve-yourself display wall, keep in mind that you don’t need a glass for every guest. “Several guests don’t even enjoy drinking bubbly,” says Kahn. “Just let guests toast with whatever drink is already in their hand.”

Separate Escort Cards, Menus, and Place Cards

Trim your paper suite by combining your place cards and menus into a single, personalized menu card—and pare back your costs even more by trading escort cards for a single seating assignment chart. “Not only is it fewer items to print, but it’s potentially less of a footprint at an entrance or cocktail hour and on your dinner tables,” says McWilliams. 

An Abundance of Cake

Every wedding planner, banquet server, and busser can confirm: Most sliced wedding cake ends up uneaten and thrown away. “Unless you are having your wedding cake served as its own course while guests are still seated, a vast majority of the time it goes to waste once guests get out on the dance floor,” says Balliet. Cut a pint-sized confection instead, and serve it as part of a varied sweet selection. “Opt for a smaller cake and have it tray passed or set out on a dessert table with a selection of mini desserts for guests to grab in between dancing,” she says.

Endless Food Service

If you plan to upgrade your multi-course meal with additional courses or late-night snacks, consider the timing of your event before investing in food service that goes all evening. Kahn recommends skipping an extra dinner course, like pasta or sorbet, and ordering late-night snacks instead: “Guests don’t want a longer amount of time they’ll be required to sit,” he says.

But if you do choose to serve a post-dessert snack, make sure your guests have time to build up an appetite before setting out a buffet of bar food. “Unless you are having an event that goes three hours past when dinner concluded, this could be a great place to save!” says Balliet. “While these snacks can be extra tasty after getting down on the dance floor, we often see these overlooked and uneaten if they come out too close to when the dinner service has been.”

Party Favors

Much like welcome bags, favors are one of the simplest elements you can cut to rearrange your budget. “Favors are a waste,” says Ritchie. “No one misses a tin of gold-wrapped chocolates! Go for guest experience instead, and lean into amping up something at cocktail hour or adding an extra bartender to avoid lines.” Kahn tells his couples the same: “Unless it’s something that guests can pop in their mouth at the end of the wedding or the next day, guests will not miss being sent home with a trinket,” he says.

Photo-Booth Prints

While the nostalgia of photo-booth prints might be a sweet surprise for guests of a certain generation, most couples can skip on-site printing, says Kahn. “Don’t bother with the added expense. Many people do not even know where they would display this after the wedding,” he says. “If you are having a photo booth, the images should just be sent to people’s phones directly. Not only can they share on social media right away, but if a guest absolutely loves the photo they can still arrange to print it themselves.”

Sparkler Send-Offs

Sparkler send-offs have been decreasing in popularity for a while, and your team will welcome the opportunity to replace yours with a more creative and memorable experience. “Sparklers have had their day!” says Ritchie. “The send-off is super annoying as a guest, and, as a planner, the thought of corralling drunk guests for you to get your one picture kissing with sparklers isn't the way to go. Do one last song and then Pied-Piper your guests out with the band, second-line style.” 

A Next-Day Brunch

At a destination wedding, a morning-after brunch can give your guests the chance to recover from and recap the night before—but if most of your party is flying out early or lives locally, this event isn’t always necessary. “Careful with a big brunch the next day! Read the room and check what actually makes the most sense,” says Ritchie. “Ask for RSVPs because flights may dictate if guests can attend or not. Our solution is easier and always appreciated: Have a send-off grab-and-go in the lobby of the hotel for guests headed to the airport with to-go coffees, waters, and wrapped-up egg sandwiches, and then do a luncheon with your immediate family or bridal party instead.”