Wedding planning doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. In fact, the average U.S. wedding now costs well into the five figures, which surprises many couples.
Luckily, one of the simplest budget-savvy strategies has nothing to do with cutting guest lists or scrimping on cake – it’s all about timing and location. By choosing a weekday wedding and a non-traditional venue, modern couples are trimming costs by the thousands.
This approach taps into 2024 trends toward smaller, more personal ceremonies. As The Guardian notes, younger couples are “holding smaller events, choosing alternative venues” or even eloping instead of throwing huge receptions.
Shifting your big day to a Tuesday or swapping a ballroom for a backyard can make that kind of dream wedding much more affordable.
Why Weekday Weddings Are Incredibly Cost-Effective
Venues and vendors know that Saturday nights in peak season are their most lucrative days. By contrast, booking a weekday – say Wednesday or Thursday – can unlock significant discounts.
For example, a wedding vendor once explained that “Saturday night weddings during peak season…will cost more than a weekday wedding during the off-peak season”, and many venues “offer discounts for weddings…on a weekday” or in a slower season.
In practice, this means you could pay 10–20% (or more) less on venue fees by swapping a Friday or Saturday for a Monday–Thursday date. Even basic items like catering and rentals often cost less midweek, since vendors may offer special rates when they’re less booked.
Couples are catching onto this. Data from industry surveys (The Knot’s 2024 study) show that Thursday and Wednesday weddings come in well below the national average – one estimate put a Thursday wedding at about $31,100, roughly 6% below average.
And because many guests today have flexible schedules or work remotely, weekday ceremonies have become more doable than ever.
Beyond the pricing, a weekday wedding can also allow you more choice in dates (so you don’t have to compromise on a date you love) and sometimes even discounts on hotels or rentals tied to off-peak scheduling.
In short, simply moving the celebration to a Monday–Thursday can save you thousands, with almost no downside other than asking guests to take a bit of time off.
Choosing Non-Traditional Venues to Slash Your Budget
Along with timing, where you marry can have a huge impact on cost. Non-traditional venues – think family yards, parks, restaurants or community spaces – often charge far less than banquet halls or hotels.
For example, a backyard wedding at a friend’s home (or a rented house via Airbnb) can be virtually free of site fees. A wedding planning site points out that an intimate family property can “create immediate intimacy…in addition to it being very low cost”.
Even renting an Airbnb for the weekend to host 50 guests can cost a tiny fraction of a ballroom rental. (You’ll still need chairs or a tent, but many vendors will rent those at reasonable rates when they know it’s a DIY event.)
Nature and public spaces are another great example. National parks or city parks often offer wedding permits for only a few dozen dollars. The blogsite notes that parks and wilderness sites are “breathtaking” backdrops that save big on decor, with ceremony fees typically only $60–$250.
In other words, you pay a small permit fee and get free stunning scenery. Likewise, some couples opt for community halls, art galleries, or libraries – venues that charge modest flat fees.
In fact, a wedding vendor highlights that venues affiliated with nonprofits (think museums, historic homes, parks and so on) may even have tax-deductible site fees.
All these alternatives cost far less than a conventional ballroom and often feel more unique—as explored in Non-Traditional Wedding Venues That Will Wow Your Guests, the payoff is not just a lower bill but a more personal celebration.
Crunching the Numbers: What You Can Save
To appreciate the impact, consider this: on average U.S. couples spend about $36,000 on their wedding (Zola’s latest report). About half of that typically goes to venue, food, and rentals.
It is confirmed the average ceremony/reception venue alone is roughly $6,000 (with most couples paying $3,000–$11,000).
A midweek date or unusual venue can slice a big chunk off that amount. For example, if you saved just 15% on a $6,000 venue fee by going midweek or choosing a simple setting, that’s $900 back in your pocket – enough to cover your DJ or a dozen extra cocktails.
Multiply that by discounts on catering or photography, and the savings easily run into the thousands.
It’s not pie-in-the-sky – many real couples report these savings. The wedding vendor explicitly advises couples to “be smart about setting a date” because weekday weddings cost less.
In today’s market, even large vendors like photographers or florists may offer lower rates for midweek bookings. As detailed in Wedding Budget Breakdown: How Much You Should Really Spend on Each Part, every off-peak deal compounds, making the total budget far more manageable.
Real Trends: Small Weddings, Big Savings
These cost-saving moves dovetail with 2024 wedding trends. Couples are increasingly prioritizing experience over extravagance, opting for smaller “microweddings” and unique settings.
In fact, a recent Guardian report notes that many Gen Z couples are intentionally scaling down – they’re “holding smaller events, choosing alternative venues, or just running away together” (i.e. eloping) – as a direct response to high prices.
We got married in our backyard. We didn’t have a cake, centerpieces, or bouquets. I wore a dress that was under $100, and I made all the food myself for everyone there. But it was the happiest day of our lives, and the day went exactly how we wanted pic.twitter.com/K9P9CAUTA8
— Kenisa (@starterandsalt) April 23, 2024
Cutting the guest list even a little bit multiplies your savings when it comes to per-head catering and rentals, so pairing a midweek date with a cozier guest list is doubly effective.
And because guests today are used to streaming ceremonies or taking extra flight to an intimate setting, popular objections to weekday dates or weird locations are fading. In short, society’s view of weddings is shifting to accept these simple ways to save.
Planning Tools and Resources for Budget-Savvy Couples
Being budget-conscious doesn’t mean planning needs to be stressful. Plenty of free tools help you run the numbers and find deals.
For example, platforms like Zola lets you browse thousands of vendor listings – including venues with calendar filters – so you can easily compare prices for off-peak dates.
The site even offer cost guides and calculators. (Zola’s expert advice notes a wedding venue can range from $6,500–$12,000 on average, so using their budget tools can keep you on track.) For hands-on budgeting, couples often turn to free finance apps.
On the day-of planning side, digital save-the-dates and RSVPs (via email or a wedding website) further cut costs on stationery. Clever couples also time celebrations in lower-cost seasons (late fall or winter) in addition to weekdays.
But even without changing seasons, simply choosing an unusual venue or a Monday–Thursday date adds up to remarkable savings. And best of all, these changes don’t diminish the joy of the day – they often make the event feel more personal and stress-free.
Bottom line
If you’re looking to stretch your wedding dollars, one of the easiest, most effective moves is setting your ceremony on a weekday at an offbeat location. In the current wedding economy, that strategy can save you thousands.
With the help of modern budgeting apps and wedding sites (like Zola) to compare prices and vendors, couples have every tool they need to plan a beautiful wedding without breaking the bank.