According to Bridebook, the average wedding in the UK costs around £24,000, so it’s no surprise that many couples are looking for ways to save money on their big day. It’s easy for wedding costs to spiral out of control, from your wedding gown to the venue and decorations, but there are several tips on how to plan a wedding on a budget so you can have your dream day without incurring debt.
If you’ve never planned a large event before, determining your wedding budget can be difficult. It’s difficult to put a figure on it. When a couple’s desire for a wedding does not match their financial capacity, trouble ensues. You can also save money by hiring a wedding planner, but this article will show you how to do it yourself and still have a blast.
1. Create your wedding budget
Everyone who will be paying for the event (bride, groom, and parents) should meet and discuss the total wedding budget. This may be your first time budgeting as a couple with your future spouse.
When I say budget, I don’t just mean how much money you have in total—I mean how much you should spend in each specific area. I recommend categorizing the total wedding budget and determining what percentage to devote to each. As an example, 55% acceptance, 12% for the ceremony, 10% for photography, 8% for gowns and tuxedos, 5% Miscellaneous/Cushion and so on.
2. Choose the type of wedding you want
What comes to mind when you think of your wedding? A chic reception in a downtown loft? A backyard barbecue with your entire family and friends? A traditional hotel ballroom reception?
If you’re stuck for ideas, consider all of the weddings you’ve attended, seen on TV, or browsed through on Pinterest. What did you like and dislike about them?
Don’t get too caught up in the minor details just yet. Instead, consider the overall atmosphere you want your wedding to have. Knowing your priorities is important when it comes to planning a wedding on a budget.
3. If possible, marry outside of the season or on a weekday
Consider getting married outside of season, or even on a weekday, to save money on your wedding. Couples can save nearly £5k by having their wedding in January or February instead of the peak months of June to August. You could save up to £6,000 by getting married on a Tuesday or Wednesday rather than a Saturday.
Also, If you are planning a honeymoon, especially to a foreign destination, booking your flight and hotel accommodations in advance will save you a lot of money. As a result, book your honeymoon vacation flight and accommodations months in advance is another point on how to plan a wedding on a budget.
4. Keep the number of guests to a minimum
The reduction of invitees can drastically reduce your budget. Keep your guest list as short as possible. Only close friends and family if you want to go very minimal. A small wedding can save you money on every aspect of your event. Furthermore, you can fully enjoy the moments with your loved ones that you may be unable to do during a major event.
5. When possible, do it yourself
You can save money and impress your guests by designing and printing your invitation cards from websites like Vistaprint and Minted, purchasing your own wedding cake, or making your own décor.
Consider your time when doing it yourself. The time it takes to things together as well as the time it takes to set up at your venue. If you ask your friends to assist you in setting up, make sure your projects simple to execute and troubleshoot.
6. Make use of your friends’ skills
As mentioned earlier, your friends can be very instrumental in easing doing things yourself.
Is one of your closest friends an incredible singer, photographer, or DJ? Make use of their talents by having them assist you on your wedding day, whether it’s performing during your drinks reception or doing a DJ set in the evening. They are most likely to appreciate the opportunity to play an important role in your wedding, and it could save you a lot over booking the services elsewhere.
7. Understand your priorities
Even if you’re on a tight budget, you don’t have to cut corners everywhere. Consider what is most important to you and prioritize those items, then aim to cut costs on the less important elements. Perhaps you’ve always wanted that designer wedding gown but aren’t as concerned about the cake, or you want to spend more on that one-of-a-kind wedding venue that doesn’t require any extra decorations. You can still have your dream day on a budget if you plan ahead of time.
8. Print a low-cost wedding invite, or use an e-invite
Another great tip for how to plan a wedding on a tight budget is to minimalize wedding invite and table menu.
Alternatively, you could take the modern route by sending e-vites to your guests. Not only will this save cash on your stationery, but websites like Paperless Post will allow guests to RSVP online, helping you to keep track of attendees too.
9. Make use of low-cost or free venues
The venue accounts for nearly half of the total wedding cost. Why not use a public park, your home, or the home of a relative.
Instead of spending a fortune on a reception hall, hold your ceremony and reception outside at a special location. If you must hold your event outside, prepare for the worst. You should be prepared to change your plans if the weather forecast calls for rain or even just high temperatures.
Renting a building or a function hall for a wedding and reception can be expensive.
10. Consider renting wedding attire
Many brides say yes to buying their wedding gowns, but you can avoid the lifetime commitment to a gown you’ll only wear once by renting your wedding gown. After all, wedding dresses can be costly, and that money could be better spent on other aspects of your dream wedding.
You’ll pay a fraction of the purchase price and keep the wedding gown for a set period of time before returning it to the bridal store. This option can significantly reduce the total amount you pay. In fact, you may be able to select from designer gowns that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive to purchase.
11. Purchase a simple wedding cake
The average wedding cake now costs £300, but you could spend as little as a quarter of that on supermarket cakes or even making it yourself.
There have also been several instances of prop cakes being used. These prop wedding cakes are ideal for use at a wedding or bridal show.
12. Bypass all wedding extras
Wedding extras are one-of-a-kind ideas or entertainment such as fireworks, sparklers, s’mores, whisky bar, cigar bar, photo booth, and so on that are intended to impress your guests. Getting rid of these extras is a great way to save a lot of money on your wedding.
According to Ocean Finance, cutting out wedding favors alone can save you up to £156. Although they can help you incorporate more of your personality into your wedding day, the costs quickly add up when you’re spending £1-2 per guest. Furthermore, many favors, such as macarons and shot glasses, are forgotten or discarded soon after the wedding.
Your wedding is about the two of you and your marriage. And that will last much longer than a single day of celebration. This article on how to plan your wedding on a budget is sufficient to help you get achieve your dream wedding even if your pocket is not so deep.
If you want us to help plan or decorate any of your upcoming event, contact us to get started
