It is no secret that planning a wedding can cost a lot of money. In the search for the ideal wedding ceremony, some brides and grooms spend tens of thousands of dollars on their weddings. However, other couples manage to do it for much less.

If you want to start your marriage off on sound financial footing, budgeting carefully for your wedding is the obvious place to start. You do not have to spend a ton of cash to say “I Do” and your loved ones would rather see you spend the money on more important things, like the down payment for a home or a college savings fund for their future grandchildren. With that in mind, here are three things you can completely cut out of your wedding planning budget.

The thousand dollar wedding cake – Wedding cakes are designed to look spectacular, but they do not need to be made of icing to be impressive. A partially fake wedding cake paired with a few high quality sheet cakes can be just as good, and far less expensive.
Party favors for the reception – The party favor is a staple of many a wedding, but it is time to put this tired tradition to rest. Nine times out of ten those party favors will end up in the trash, and that is bad for your finances and the environment. You are doing plenty for your guests already – feeding them, serving them free drinks and providing lots of entertainment – they do not need to go home with a parting gift.
The wedding day photo booth – It may be a cute gimmick, but the wedding reception photo book is an unnecessary extravagance, one you can easily cut out of your planning. No one will care that they did not have a fancy artificial background for their wedding day photos and selfies – what they will care about is that you are entering your new marriage in a financially stable (and sustainable) position.

If you are trying to save money on your wedding, you do not have to skimp on the important items. You do not have to walk down the aisles in your old prom dress or make your bridesmaids dress in hideous outfits. All you have to do is spend your limited funds wisely, and that starts with cutting out the unnecessary expenses.

Trust me – no one at your wedding will miss the three unnecessary frills listed above. The wedding cake will taste just as delicious when served from a sheet cake in the back, and no one will regret the lack of take-home party favors. Your wedding guests will remember the heartfelt wedding vows shared between the newlyweds and the speeches given way into the night. And believe me on this one – the last thing your wedding guests want to do is take cheesy shots of their drunk selves in a cheap (but costly) photo booth.