The average wedding in Nashville costs about $30,000. While some families might be able to afford this, most cannot. 56% of newlyweds go into debt to cover the cost of their wedding. Accruing debt for a single day can be an expensive long-term choice, and there are ways to save, whatever your budget. Here are some tips for a cost-effective wedding in Nashville, from affordable venues to student musicians.
👭 Your Friends Want To Help
Do you have musician friends or family members? Seamstresses? Makeup artists? Bakers? Someone with mean flower-arranging skills? Or with a giant backyard? Let them know you’re trying to save money on your wedding, and see if they can help! At my wedding I had friends provide the music, alter my dress, do my makeup, and my uncle even volunteered his Neely’s Bend farm for the reception.
🏫 Ask Students
Nashville is home to numerous colleges and universities, with students eager to gain experience and build portfolios at discounted rates. Contact music departments to see if any students would like to play at your wedding. Hit up the photography department, or even cosmetology schools for hair and makeup.
💒 Inexpensive Wedding Venues
- Have a courthouse wedding for free.
- Many churches will host weddings at no or very low cost. Some even have reception rooms.
- Reserve a Metro Park area, or if you’re having a small wedding, you can get away with reserving a picnic shelter.
- Have your wedding at a Tennessee State Park. Several have indoor and outdoor options, if you’re worried about weather. Many have reception options and on-site lodging, too.
👰 Wedding Dresses & Tuxes
- Buy an off-the-rack or sample wedding dress at Luxe Redux Nashville or Adorn Bridal.
- Buy used at LVD Bridal, or check out the Goodwill in Rivergate!
- Buy used online at Stillwhite.
- David’s Bridal has always been one of the least expensive places for wedding dresses.
- Vow’d also has some reasonably priced dresses.
- Rent a gown at The Showroom Nashville, particularly if you’re not wedded to wearing white.
- Shop prom dresses and gowns at department stores. They’re typically less expensive than wedding dresses!
- Rent a suit or tuxedo at Men’s Warehouse.
🍽️ Food
- Have a potluck reception. That’s what I did!
- Everyone loves pizza! Pizza Perfect and Five Points Pizza have catering options.
- BBQ is another inexpensive option. Our favorites include Shotgun Willie’s BBQ, Edley’s, and The Ridge.
- Order cupcakes instead of a cake, or go with buttercream frosting and vanilla for your cake flavors, which tend to be cheaper.
💐 Other Tips
- Pick your bouquet at S. E. Daugherty & Sons Farm, or use less expensive artificial flowers and arrange them yourself (or with those handy friends mentioned earlier).
- Send online invitations.
- Pick what’s important to you. Maybe you want to spend more on a stellar photographer, which means less on a dress or flowers. Everything is a balance!
