We all know that weddings are not cheap, and everything adds up so quickly! The average cost of a wedding in 2025 is somewhere around $33,000 according to The Knot. With a number that high, it’s a good idea to focus on affordable ways to decorate. 15 Ideas for Cheap Wedding Decorations Just because something is budget-friendly doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. We’ve got plenty of ideas for cheap wedding decorations that still look classy. Take advantage of thrifted decorations and simple DIY projects to complete the look of your dream wedding without breaking the bank. Buy Cheesecloth Table Runners or Create-Your-Own Cheesecloth Table Runners Cheesecloth table runners are affordable yet trendy. Try them out on your table cloth or directly on your tables. Table runners are also easy to DIY. You can get fabric by the yard for a good price at any local fabric store or online sellers! Find something that fits your wedding aesthetic, then simply cut the swathes of fabric down to size to use as table runners. Use Bud Vases for Mini Bouquets & Wild Flowers Mini Bud Vase Wedding Centerpieces Bud vases are an easy way to dress up any smaller space. These vases are tiny, cute, and fit anywhere. Bud vases are also inexpensive and can help you reduce your floral budget since you barely need any flowers to fill them. Go Thrifting and Embrace Vintage Decor Basically Emily Photography The thrift store is a great place to start looking for wedding decor. Thrifted wedding decor can be more affordable than brand new items, will make your wedding more unique, and adds a vintage vibe to the venue. Look for mismatched glass vases, candle holders, cute signs, and antiques to use as centerpieces. Add Paper Lanterns to Add Depth to High Spaces Striped Paper Lantern Set Paper lanterns are a staple of affordable wedding decorations. Save big when you buy them in bulk, then hang them around your ceremony and reception space. Paper lanterns are so cheap you can really let loose when you decorate, hanging dozens all over. Vary the size and height to create ambiance throughout your venue. Create Your Own Floral Arrangements With Bulk Flowers Exposures By Rah If you really want to be hands on with your decor you can create your own floral arrangements and bouquets. You can buy flowers in bulk or from a place like Costco or Trader Joe’s. This works especially well if you’re going for a minimal look with small bud vases and mostly greenery that’s easy to assemble. Mix and Match Candles and Glassware Brett Brooner Photography The candles and glassware on your tables doesn’t have to be expensive to look cute. Stores like Dollar Tree and Ikea always have basic glass candle holders, vases, and glasses for cheap. You can mix and match different size candle holders and stands for a really easy to put together but eclectic look. Print Couple Photos & Display Them With Thrifted Frames Basically Emily Photography Print your favorite photos together to use as sentimental decor around your wedding. Cute baby photos, engagement photos, snapshots from vacations, and more—hang these framed photos or set them on the gift or guestbook table. Vintage family photos—especially wedding portraits—are another great example of cheap wedding decorations, because your parents or grandparents likely already have nice framed photos you can borrow. Use thrifted or borrowed frames to keep the cost down. Hang a Fabric Backdrop Instead of a Pricey One Personalized Fabric Backdrop A fabric backdrop is super easy and cheap instead of buying an expensive one that you might not ever use again. Your local thrift store has plenty of fabric scraps, vintage table cloths, and secondhand curtains that you can convert into a fun backdrop. Add Christmas Lights or Fairy Lights for Ambiance Rachael Watson Photography We’re all about ambient lighting, and string lights are a great way to create this for your wedding. Use these great cheap wedding decorations up and down the aisle, on the altar, at the head table, and anywhere else you want a little extra twinkle. If you plan far enough ahead, you can buy them at a discount after Christmas sales. Borrow Details From Your Friends and Family Exposures By Rah Don’t buy things you can borrow. Plenty of your friends and family have vases, candelabras, vintage books, fairy lights, and more sitting around their home that they would be willing to let you borrow. This is a great way to save money and reduce waste. Pro tip: your wedding venue may have details you can borrow or rent instead of buying. Re-use The Bouquets Around the Reception Area Basically Emily Photography Reusing your bouquets is a common trick of the trade to save money. After the ceremony, use the wedding party’s bouquets as centerpieces on the head table. Lay them flat so they look like a table runner or place them in a vase after the wedding party’s entrance into the reception hall. Your signs, flower arrangements, candles, and more can also be moved from the ceremony space to other parts of your venue throughout the night. Buy Decorations You Want to Use in Your Home Mike Zawadzki Photography If you need to buy decorations, buy them with reuse in mind. Not only is this more sustainable, it’s also an affordable way to redecorate. Buy details you can use as centerpieces and then keep them to use in your home. Don’t forget, you can also use decor you already have in your home as part of your wedding decor. Check Facebook Marketplace For Wedding Decor Mike Zawadzki Photography Every year couples spend thousands of dollars on their wedding decor just to not know what to do with it afterward. Check Facebook Marketplace to snag someone’s recently used decor. Couples may be selling whole sets of chargers, vases, tablecloths, and more. You can also ask around to newlyweds you know if they have any decor from their recent wedding. Personalize Cocktail Napkins for a Custom Detail Personalized Wedding Cocktail Napkins Personalized touches really add luxury to your wedding. Ordering cocktail napkins is super affordable and they can be customized with your name, wedding date, and more. Check Etsy for options that match your wedding theme! Use Ribbon and Bows To Recreate a Simple Wedding Trend Pastel Bow Garland Wedding Decor Bows are trending and they’re so easy to add to your wedding decor. Buy ribbon and watch a Youtube video to learn how to tie a perfect bow. You can add ribbon bows to your ceremony seats, glassware, flower arrangements, and anywhere you see fit. Save Money With Thrifted and Handmade Wedding Decorations When budgeting for a wedding, buying affordable wedding decorations means you can use those savings elsewhere. You’ll be glad to have a little extra to spend on the things that are most important to you, whether that’s your future home, your dream honeymoon, or a down payment on a car! Use these ideas for cheap wedding decorations as inspiration as you curate the perfect aesthetic for your ceremony and reception.
We all know that weddings are not cheap, and everything adds up so quickly! The average cost of a wedding in 2025 is somewhere around $33,000 according to The Knot. With a number that high, it’s a good idea to focus on affordable ways to decorate. 15 Ideas for Cheap Wedding Decorations Just because something is budget-friendly doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. We’ve got plenty of ideas for cheap wedding decorations that still look classy. Take advantage of thrifted decorations and simple DIY projects to complete the look of your dream wedding without breaking the bank. Buy Cheesecloth Table Runners or Create-Your-Own Cheesecloth Table Runners Cheesecloth table runners are affordable yet trendy. Try them out on your table cloth or directly on your tables. Table runners are also easy to DIY. You can get fabric by the yard for a good price at any local fabric store or online sellers! Find something that fits your wedding aesthetic, then simply cut the swathes of fabric down to size to use as table runners. Use Bud Vases for Mini Bouquets & Wild Flowers Mini Bud Vase Wedding Centerpieces Bud vases are an easy way to dress up any smaller space. These vases are tiny, cute, and fit anywhere. Bud vases are also inexpensive and can help you reduce your floral budget since you barely need any flowers to fill them. Go Thrifting and Embrace Vintage Decor Basically Emily Photography The thrift store is a great place to start looking for wedding decor. Thrifted wedding decor can be more affordable than brand new items, will make your wedding more unique, and adds a vintage vibe to the venue. Look for mismatched glass vases, candle holders, cute signs, and antiques to use as centerpieces. Add Paper Lanterns to Add Depth to High Spaces Striped Paper Lantern Set Paper lanterns are a staple of affordable wedding decorations. Save big when you buy them in bulk, then hang them around your ceremony and reception space. Paper lanterns are so cheap you can really let loose when you decorate, hanging dozens all over. Vary the size and height to create ambiance throughout your venue. Create Your Own Floral Arrangements With Bulk Flowers Exposures By Rah If you really want to be hands on with your decor you can create your own floral arrangements and bouquets. You can buy flowers in bulk or from a place like Costco or Trader Joe’s. This works especially well if you’re going for a minimal look with small bud vases and mostly greenery that’s easy to assemble. Mix and Match Candles and Glassware Brett Brooner Photography The candles and glassware on your tables doesn’t have to be expensive to look cute. Stores like Dollar Tree and Ikea always have basic glass candle holders, vases, and glasses for cheap. You can mix and match different size candle holders and stands for a really easy to put together but eclectic look. Print Couple Photos & Display Them With Thrifted Frames Basically Emily Photography Print your favorite photos together to use as sentimental decor around your wedding. Cute baby photos, engagement photos, snapshots from vacations, and more—hang these framed photos or set them on the gift or guestbook table. Vintage family photos—especially wedding portraits—are another great example of cheap wedding decorations, because your parents or grandparents likely already have nice framed photos you can borrow. Use thrifted or borrowed frames to keep the cost down. Hang a Fabric Backdrop Instead of a Pricey One Personalized Fabric Backdrop A fabric backdrop is super easy and cheap instead of buying an expensive one that you might not ever use again. Your local thrift store has plenty of fabric scraps, vintage table cloths, and secondhand curtains that you can convert into a fun backdrop. Add Christmas Lights or Fairy Lights for Ambiance Rachael Watson Photography We’re all about ambient lighting, and string lights are a great way to create this for your wedding. Use these great cheap wedding decorations up and down the aisle, on the altar, at the head table, and anywhere else you want a little extra twinkle. If you plan far enough ahead, you can buy them at a discount after Christmas sales. Borrow Details From Your Friends and Family Exposures By Rah Don’t buy things you can borrow. Plenty of your friends and family have vases, candelabras, vintage books, fairy lights, and more sitting around their home that they would be willing to let you borrow. This is a great way to save money and reduce waste. Pro tip: your wedding venue may have details you can borrow or rent instead of buying. Re-use The Bouquets Around the Reception Area Basically Emily Photography Reusing your bouquets is a common trick of the trade to save money. After the ceremony, use the wedding party’s bouquets as centerpieces on the head table. Lay them flat so they look like a table runner or place them in a vase after the wedding party’s entrance into the reception hall. Your signs, flower arrangements, candles, and more can also be moved from the ceremony space to other parts of your venue throughout the night. Buy Decorations You Want to Use in Your Home Mike Zawadzki Photography If you need to buy decorations, buy them with reuse in mind. Not only is this more sustainable, it’s also an affordable way to redecorate. Buy details you can use as centerpieces and then keep them to use in your home. Don’t forget, you can also use decor you already have in your home as part of your wedding decor. Check Facebook Marketplace For Wedding Decor Mike Zawadzki Photography Every year couples spend thousands of dollars on their wedding decor just to not know what to do with it afterward. Check Facebook Marketplace to snag someone’s recently used decor. Couples may be selling whole sets of chargers, vases, tablecloths, and more. You can also ask around to newlyweds you know if they have any decor from their recent wedding. Personalize Cocktail Napkins for a Custom Detail Personalized Wedding Cocktail Napkins Personalized touches really add luxury to your wedding. Ordering cocktail napkins is super affordable and they can be customized with your name, wedding date, and more. Check Etsy for options that match your wedding theme! Use Ribbon and Bows To Recreate a Simple Wedding Trend Pastel Bow Garland Wedding Decor Bows are trending and they’re so easy to add to your wedding decor. Buy ribbon and watch a Youtube video to learn how to tie a perfect bow. You can add ribbon bows to your ceremony seats, glassware, flower arrangements, and anywhere you see fit. Save Money With Thrifted and Handmade Wedding Decorations When budgeting for a wedding, buying affordable wedding decorations means you can use those savings elsewhere. You’ll be glad to have a little extra to spend on the things that are most important to you, whether that’s your future home, your dream honeymoon, or a down payment on a car! Use these ideas for cheap wedding decorations as inspiration as you curate the perfect aesthetic for your ceremony and reception.
