Editor’s note: This article also appears in our print Berkshires Calendar Magazine, which every November includes a special wedding section. You can find a hard copy of this magazine at about 140 locations in Berkshire County, Litchfield County, Columbia county and the Shires of Vermont. Please see also our online wedding directory of some 300 vendors and venues available to help you plan your “perfect Berkshire wedding.”
The average wedding cost nationwide is around $27,000, excluding the costs of rehearsal dinner, lodging, transportation, and other extras, which can quickly add up. In Massachusetts, the number is closer to $45,000.
“Even couples who have a healthy budget appreciate hearing creative ways to repurpose and reuse certain elements, so everything looks more lush,” Danielle Pellerin, founder of 5 Senses Events & Design says. (Her clients tend to spend over $100,000 and sometimes over $200,000, with a few in the $75,000 range—“that amount can go quickly.”)
For one summer wedding, Perellin worked with the florist to create two striking floral arrangements in lieu of an arbor or arch. Post-ceremony, they cut those into smaller pieces and put them behind the sweetheart table at the reception. “We couldn’t bear the thought of leaving all those florals to wilt when their beauty can be enjoyed elsewhere.”
Turner tends to work with clients with lesser budgets. “We keep our prices reasonable because we think it’s a service everyone should have.” Here she offers a few of her tried-and-true cost-saving tips.
- Keep your guest list between 15 and 100. “That speaks to weeding out those you may not have been keen on inviting anyway.”
- Reconsider having your event at an inn—most will require a two-night buyout. Instead, look to all the other beautiful places in the Berkshires. Consider weekdays or off-peak months when lodging is traditionally lower priced.
- Save on the cost of paying for a wait staff by having a buffet versus a plated meal.
- Opt for a full open bar just for the cocktail hour, then pare back to wine and beer for dinner, or just have beer and wine and maybe a signature drink for the entire reception. A consumption model, whereby you pay for whatever is consumed above a minimum fee, is yet another option.
- For outdoor receptions, find a venue that either includes a tent (and maybe some furniture) or doesn’t have a huge fee to begin with. For example, Arrowhead just started renting the entire property for $2,500, including the barn ($500 on its own); at that price, you can bring in a reasonable-sized tent, fancier tables, and special lighting.
- An affordable wedding planner can save you money in the long run by prioritizing the budget on what matters the most. “It’s also about knowing the right vendors who can do something fabulous, which isn’t going to be over-the-top expensive,” Jessy Turner, who runs Berkshire Elopements says. “My husband and I did our own wedding on a shoestring budget, and everyone said it was the best wedding they’d ever attended.”
