The average wedding in the U.S. now costs over $35,000 according to the bridal site Zola.com.
As a result, many brides and grooms are doing everything they can to keep those costs down, with what are now called "micro weddings" becoming an increasingly popular option.
These small weddings typically include a guest list of between 25 and 50 people, a far cry from the common 150 person weddings of 20 years ago, when dad would typically invite co-workers the bride and groom had never met before.
Jetta McCart is looking to keep her wedding costs in check by designing her own invitations and planning a backyard ceremony.
But the biggest savings, she says, was deciding on a micro wedding with a significantly smaller guest list.
"I think we invited around 25 people," McCart said. "It's pretty much immediate family and our bridal party."
That decision slashed her original $18,000 estimate considerably.
"We're doing everything for around $10,000 to $12,000" McCart said.
Watch a bride talk about why they slashed their guest list to micro wedding size:
Many younger couples are thinking small
At the bridal shop Bridal and Formal, manager Tina Minshall says many couples are going smaller.
"When you cut down your guest list you can make a huge savings, because the cost of food, the alcohol, those are the big ones," Minshall said.
Shane McMurray with The Wedding Report says that these days, couples have different priorities.
"Couples, especially younger millennials, Gen Z, really like a tighter knit group of people when they're thinking about getting married," McMurray said.
Research by The Wedding Report found that micro weddings grew from 10% in 2013 to 20% during the pandemic. They now account for 18% of weddings.
In addition to cutting the guest list, McMurray also says couples are reevaluating where they're spending their wedding dollars.
"Three things are the venue, the food, the photography and then the attire, and those are probably the core things that they all that they're buying and really that trend's been since COVID," McMurray said.
McCart says with the money her micro wedding is saving, she has other priorities.
"I'd rather spend it on a house, or the honeymoon, which is what we did," McCart said.
Plus, she kept a few extra dollars for her dress and veil, noting, "It's all coming together now."
So consider a smaller invitation list, so you don't waste your money.
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