Unique Ways Couples are Saving on Jersey Wedding Costs

I love weddings. I have either attended, been a part of, or provided entertainment for hundreds of weddings in my life, and most of them have been in New Jersey.

Of course, I remember the wedding that was the most fun to attend. Everything was perfect. From the picturesque setting to the beautiful flowers, to the great entertainment, to the delicious food, to the amazing after party, and on and on.

While there may have been many great weddings to be a part of, this one stood out mostly due to the entertainment. Wilted flowers won’t ruin a wedding, but an awful DJ or band certainly will. 

So, what makes a New Jersey wedding awesome? Whatever it is, more awesome usually means more costly.

For New Jersey residents, saying “I do” is expensive. Just a couple of years ago, the average wedding in the Garden State was about twenty grand.

Today, the total expense to celebrate a new marriage in Jersey is closer to thirty-five thousand dollars. That’s one of the highest in the country for total wedding cost.

Wedding plans for a band or DJ, buffet or sit-down, open-bar or cash bar can affect the cost significantly. Then there’s the number of guests to invite, which can make a huge difference.

The average size of the wedding party in New Jersey is 7, with a guest list of 89 people.

No one would argue that weddings are expensive, and some people will sell out to help with the expense. Literally, sell out.

A new survey by Talker Research says that six out of ten would choose to have a brand sponsor their wedding if they could, to save money. The sponsor would have to cover about two-thirds of the cost for them to agree.

The branding could include sponsoring a cocktail, an ad, or a logo on the wedding invitations. I feel like I would be ok with that. Other ideas include a company logo on the wedding cake or brand-sponsored merchandise as wedding favors.

Here’s an interesting idea. About a third of those polled would be willing to have a company mascot do their thing at the wedding. Some said they’d allow the mascot to officiate at the wedding as long as the company covered the entire cost of the day.

Wait, there’s more. Some people would agree to put a company logo on their wedding dress or mention the brand in their vows. It’s hard to decide how far I would go.

Another way New Jersey wedding couples are saving money is by asking for money in addition to the wedding gift. Some brides and grooms are using credit card machines or QR codes to ask for more cash. They’re displaying signs that say things like “Help us pay for our day.”

This is a hard line “No” for me. My other non-negotiable wedding saver idea is a cash bar. Everything else would be up for grabs.