❤️ We Do! Love Stories Part 3: Savannah & Jim, How Their Long Engagement Saved Them Thousands
- We Do!
- Sep 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 26
Wedding Budget Tips: How to Save Money During a Long Engagement
In Part 1 of Jim & Savannah’s love story, we shared how their paths crossed, how they fell in love, which led to a heartfelt engagement.
In Part 2 of Jim & Savannah’s journey, we explored the highs and lows of a 2.5-year engagement — from celebrating milestones to navigating the waiting game.
Now, in Part 3, the couple shares how that extra time turned into one of their biggest advantages: saving money while still planning the wedding of their dreams. From locking in vendors early to scoring big on travel perks, Jim & Savannah reveal the budget-friendly wins that made their long engagement truly worth it.
Do your own in-depth research. Don’t be afraid to mix and match vendors—as long as contracts allow. For example, we ended up with two florists. When we priced out our favorites, we realized the less expensive halves of their proposals actually complemented one another beautifully. Both florists agreed to split the wedding! By doing this, we stayed within budget and got the vision we wanted for our flowers.
DIY when it makes sense. With extra time, you don’t have to pay vendors for every detail. Invitations, signage, and small touches are doable if you want to save. Weigh the cost vs. stress. You don’t want to spend five hours wedding eve arranging flowers you could’ve had a vendor handle.
Lock in vendors early. This is one of the biggest money-savers. By contracting in 2023, we avoided two years of inflation and rising demand—saving us thousands. On top of that, we had our pick of dates and vendors before their schedules filled up.
Choose your venue wisely. Make the most of your biggest ticket item—your venue. An all-inclusive spot (food, drinks, linens, chairs, coordination) saves time and stress, but watch out for hidden upcharges. Some venues tack on extra costs for premium choices like filet mignon, while others (like ours) let you serve anything on the menu without raising your bill. Ask detailed questions so you know exactly what’s included and can get the best value for your vision and budget.
Save. A longer engagement lets you spread out deposits and payments, while high-interest savings accounts help your wedding fund grow. In “girl math” terms, it almost feels free—kidding! But seriously, it makes the spending way more manageable.
Extra Tips & Tricks From Our Journey
Celebrate milestones. A long engagement can feel abstract, so we created little moments to mark the journey—like celebrating our “one year engaged” and “one year until I Do.” These kept us excited and helped us focus on each other, not just the details.
Send Save the Dates early. Most guides say 6–8 months out, but why wait? Once we booked our venue, we made a Canva video and sent it virtually to our guest list nearly two years in advance. It saved money, prevented lost mail, and let us use paper/postage costs on our formal invitations later.
Take advantage of credit card perks. With more time, you can strategically sign up for travel or hotel cards when promotions are best. We each got matching cards and have since earned enough miles to cover our honeymoon flights. Bonus: we scored guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout at our hotel on the wedding day.
Use your network. Have a coworker who hired a great musician? Know a college friend who’s now a professional photographer? Ask around. We booked our photographer, florist, live musician, DJ, rehearsal entertainment, and even a tailor for alterations through personal connections. Not only was it more cost-effective, it gave us confidence in who we were hiring.
Enter raffles and giveaways. Many vendors run promotions online or at wedding expos. Savannah entered one and actually won a package that included a full day of wedding photography and videography hours—completely free! Expos often include prizes, discounts, and big giveaways (we once received a free hotel night + dinner at an event), which more than covers the admission price.
Look for sales. Wedding dresses, tuxes, and accessories often go on sale—yes, even in bridal boutiques. With time to wait, you can score major savings. Savannah purchased her dress and accessories at over 50% off during a store’s seasonal sale.
Align on your vision early. With a clear picture of your style, you can shop places like Facebook Marketplace or local resale groups for deals. We’ve picked up discounted décor this way and had the storage space to hold onto it until the big day.
Ask every question. Venues and vendors can have surprisingly complex pricing. Jim had no idea linens could cost extra depending on the color! Don’t be afraid to dig into the details—it’s your money and your wedding.
The Reality Check
Of course, having more time isn’t always perfect:
Overshopping can add up. More time = more temptation to snag deals that don’t fit your vision.
Other people’s opinions sneak in. The longer the process, the more unsolicited advice you’ll hear.
Things change. Vendors, trends, and even relationships evolve. We lost the linens we originally picked when our venue updated its inventory.
The key is staying flexible while holding onto your overall vision and priorities.
Our Vendor Team
One of the best parts of our longer timeline has been assembling an all-star vendor team. With time to research and connect, we feel confident in everyone who will be part of our day:
Venue: Grand View – Mendon, MA
DJ: Matthew Perez, Main Event Entertainment
Photographers: Louvenir Photography (engagement) + J. Sierra Photography (wedding)
Rehearsal Lunch Reception: The Coachmen's Lodge – Bellingham, MA
Florists: Jeff French Floral (centerpieces) + Moon Rabbit Flowers (personals)
Harpist: Shelley Otis
Tux Rental: The Black Tux – Framingham, MA
Final Thoughts
These are the biggest lessons we’ve learned while planning over our 2.5-year engagement. A longer timeline may not be for everyone, but it gave us the space to save money, lock in our dream team of vendors, and enjoy the process along the way.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is creating a celebration that feels true to you as a couple. Whether your engagement is six months or two years, don’t forget to enjoy the ride. Wedding planning is supposed to be fun—so embrace the journey and enjoy building this wonderfully special day with the people you love.
While we wait for our Big Day to finally arrive, we can’t wait to share more of our journey with all of you in one final, pre-wedding installment.
Cheers,
Savannah & Jim
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