Appointments  |  Rates  |  Locations  |  Chat  |  JOIN NOW

It’s the season of gauzy canopies, lacy gowns and stiff penguin suits. That being the case, and with wedding invitations flooding your mailbox, you might already be booking your weekends with weddings through the end of August.

Celebrating a new marriage together with your friends is great fun, but all those wedding invites can put a real strain on your budget. Between wedding attire, travel costs and gifts, each wedding can add up to a pretty penny. In fact, according to the most recent research by Express Spending & Saving Tracker, the average wedding guest is out $673 for each wedding they attend. That’s enough to make you go broke by the time wedding season is through!

If these numbers are scaring you, take a deep breath and relax. You don’t need to go into debt just to attend your friends’ weddings. Just follow these hacks for simple ways to celebrate in style—and within budget.

Save on Airfare

Get the best deal on your flight with these hacks:

  • Clear your browser cache before searching for a flight so airlines don’t target you with high-priced flights.
  • Get the lowest prices by booking your ticket for mid-week and/or taking a red-eye flight.
  • Shop on a Tuesday about six weeks before you’re needing to fly out to score the best deals.
  • Use apps like Kayak, Hipmunk and Hopper to help you find the best-priced tickets. Some apps will even send you alerts when tickets on a flight you’ve looked at go down in price.

If your destination is within driving distance, you can also choose to hop on a train, board a bus or rent a car with some friends and turn the drive into a fun road trip.

Think Outside the Registry

Jump off the registry bandwagon and get creative instead! You can gift the couple with a more personalized gift, like a themed breakfast basket for the morning after, tickets and reservations for a dream date night or a customized kitchen package complete with quirky mugs and whimsical gadgets. No one has to know how much (or how little) you spent. But, your gift is sure to be memorable and treasured by the couple.

If you’re part of a bunch of friends who are attending the wedding together, you can also choose to purchase a group gift. Do some detective work to find out the couple’s secret luxury gift wish, like a top-of-the-line grill or a leather sectional sofa, and then let each friend contribute to a pot until you have the full amount. You’ll save on your gift costs and you’ll know you’ve given your friends a wedding present they’ll be thrilled to receive.

Don’t Buy a Gown

Don’t feel pressured to spend hundreds of dollars on the dress you’ll wear to your friends’ weddings. Chances are, you won’t want to wear the same gown twice in a season. Also, the dress that perfectly matches one wedding color can horribly clash with the décor at next weekend’s wedding. Instead of dropping a ton of money on a dress you might wear once, rent a gown for a fraction of the price from rental services like Rent the Runway. You can also borrow from a friend or purchase a gently used gown on sites like OnceWed.com or PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com.

Invest in a Good Suit

Tux rentals can run you up to $150, so if you’re looking at several weekends of weddings over the next few months, it might be worthwhile to invest in a staple suit or tux you can wear again and again. Make sure the suit is of decent quality and will make it through hours on the dance floor with its seams and buttons intact. Once you’ve got your suit in the closet, you can change up the outfit to match different wedding colors and themes by swapping the shirt and tie or the cummerbund and bowtie.

Use AirBNB Instead of Booking a Hotel

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a hotel stay for every destination wedding you attend. Instead, check out AirBNB for affordable lodgings in the area. You can save even more by booking a full apartment or an entire house with a couple of friends and splitting the cost.

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No

Members of the wedding party inevitably end up outspending everyone else thanks to the wedding attire, shoes and the pre-wedding parties they’re required to attend. Most of these costs are dictated by the bride and groom. If you’re asked to be a bridesmaid or an usher and you know you can’t afford the associated costs, don’t be afraid to explain your position to your soon-to-be-married friends. They’ll likely understand, and either accept your declination or make some adjustment to their plans so you can be part of the wedding party.

Here’s to a season of affordable and joyous wedding celebrations from all of us here at Day Air Credit Union.

Checking Accounts

Premium Perks

Freedom Checking

CashBack Checking

Direct Deposit

More

Savings Accounts

Savings Accounts

Super Saver

Money Market

h

Certificates

HSA

Cards

Debit Card

Low Rate Credit Card

Rewards Credit Card

CU Rewards

Card Controls

Tools

Mobile Deposit

Online Banking

Pay Someone

eAlerts

Compare Rates

Vehicle Loans

Auto Loans

Refinance Your Car

Motorcycle & Jet Ski Loans

Boat & RV Loans

Mortgage & Home Loans

Mortgages

Refinance Your House

Home Equity Loans

Construction Loans

Personal

Personal Loans

,

StretchPay Loans

Student Loans

Credit Cards

Tools

Apply for a Loan

Pay a Loan

Online Bill Pay

Chat With Us

Financial Planning

Investments

i

Estate Planning

401(k) Rollover

Retirement Planning

Day Air Insurance

Auto Insurance

Home Insurance

Identity Theft Protection

Life Insurance

More Products & Services

RetireMed

Financial Counseling

Credit Reports

Reorder Checks

More

Online Banking

Online Banking

Online Bill Pay

Login to Online Banking

Mobile Banking

Mobile Banking

Mobile Deposit

Pay Someone

Text Banking

Tools

Apply for a Loan

Pay a Loan

eAlerts

Mobile Pay

Chat With Us

Accounts

Business Checking

Business Savings

Business Certificates

Cards

Business Debit Card

Business Credit Card

Loans

Commercial Loans

Term Loans

PPP Loans

Line of Credit

Services

Business Bill Pay

Tools

Online Business Banking

Login to Business Banking

Login to PIB MLO

Business Banking App

Join Day Air

Why Choose Day Air

Membership Eligibility

Annual Member Savings

Compare Rates

Join Day Air

Community

Community Involvement

Financial Education

Dayton VA Medical Center

Dayton Dragons

Contests & Sweepstakes

About

Press & News

Newsletters & Reports

Videos

Careers

Helpful Resources