I’ll be honest…I’m not in a season of weddings. At the moment, most of my friends are married (with the exception of one couple whose wedding we will attend in the fall), and baby showers are a bit more prominent. And yet, we’ve been there…when every trip to the mailbox for a good month included at least one invitation or save-the-date for an upcoming ceremony.

Of course, you want nothing more than to be excited for the bride and groom, but that nagging feeling of trying to stick to your budget (or simply not overdraft the account) might create a bit of frustration.

Three Simple Ways to Keep Those Summer Weddings from Destroying Your Finances

Not to worry…I have a couple tactics that just might help.

Tactic #1: Create a Budget Ahead of Time

Hopefully, you have a budget put together for all of your monthly expenses by now. If not, you can find the step-by-step process I recommend HERE. If you do, then your “wedding guest” budget can simply be incorporated as a savings fund within the larger budget.

If you don’t have a budget in place, don’t despair. There’s absolutley no harm in putting together a smaller budget just for your upcoming “wedding guest” expenses. The key: knowing exactly how much money you have to use for those wedding-specific expenses.

Then, make a plan as to how that money will be spent.

Will you use it for…

• …Travel?
• …Wedding gifts?
• …Shower gifts?
• …Bachelorette parties?
• …Clothing?

For example, if I know that this summer I’ll be able to put $500 total toward “wedding guest” expenses, then I might choose to purchase a new dress, send gifts to the weddings that aren’t happening in my own town, and use the remaining money (split evenly) to purchase wedding and shower gifts. (Plus, my man might need new shoes if we are going to attend a formal wedding…).

Whatever you decide, by making a plan ahead of time you’ll be able to stick to your “budget” and refrain from destroying the rest of your financial situation, because…while the wedding might be a fun event…having enough money to pay your mortgage payment at the end of the summer is important as well!

Tip: Grab my Family Budget Worksheet to help you plan ahead financially for big events (including weddings). Find it HERE. 

Tactic #2: Send a Gift Instead of Traveling

This is a tactic that I fear might get me into a bit of trouble but take a moment to hear me out. Weddings that happen in other cities or, require overnight travel, come with many expenses that wedding guests don’t always consider ahead of time.

For example, that Saturday wedding might accrue some or all of the following expenses:

• Plane tickets
• Gas for the trip
• Rental Car
• Hotel Stay
• Food
• Beverage
• Clothing

…not to mention the wedding and shower gifts.

If you are finding yourself in a financial situation that makes any or all of those travel expenses a burden on your budget, then it might just be time to consider checking the “No” box on the RSVP postcard and sending a more expensive gift off of the couple’s registry.

Disclaimer: If you are related to the bride or groom OR categorize yourself in the “best friend” group, then you might not have the option of bailing out. In that case, I highly recommend going back to Tactic #1 and considering how you might prepare your budget ahead of time to accommodate the upcoming “wedding guest” expenses.

Tactic #3: Consider Different Outfit Options

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing like having a wedding to attend that makes me want to haul that credit card out of the safe and use it to purchase an entirely new wardrobe. The summer that Justin and I were married was the summer of weddings for many of our friends. In fact, I think we attended four or five weddings that weren’t our own and many of them included the same guests.

What’s a girl to do when she only really has one wedding-appropriate outfit?

Differing Accessories

I love sweaters, cardigans, and scarves. Trust me when I say that you can make any dress you own look new by digging through your closet in search of new accessories. If you have a neutral dress, play it up with a patterned scarf or striped cardigan. Flowery dress? Add stripes or neutrals as your accessories.

Often, it’s a lot cheaper to purchase (or borrow) accessories, than it is to obtain an entirely new dress.

Borrow from a Friend

Know a friend that shares your taste and similar size? This might be the right time to ask if they have an option you can use for the day. Pick the friend that always has a new dress or enjoys a classier work outfit. That person will likely have exactly what you need to look fantastic (and save your budget) during wedding season.

Piece It Together

When in doubt, and especially if you know that you have multiple events that you’ll need to attend within a short period of time, add a skirt to your wardrobe. Of course, it’s best if that skirt is something neutral, but even a flowery skirt can be pieced together with different styles and colors of shirts you might already have in your closet.

If you are struggling to piece those items together, invite a friend over, open a bottle of wine, and put on a fashion show. You never know what you might find!

It’s About Celebrating

Once you have your plan in place to keep wedding season from destroying your budget, it’s all about doing what you can to make the happy couple’s day special. Have fun, smile a lot, take pictures and, overall, enjoy yourself!