Wedding and money experts estimate that your big day will cost around £21,000 to £24,000. Most of us won’t be lucky enough to have that sort of money tucked away. So here are some ideas on how you can be saving-savvy, make the most of your budget, and have your perfect wedding.
Talk about how much you have
Establishing how much you both have – and want – to spend will help manage your expectations, and from here you can put a plan together. Some couples don’t have any savings so you might need to consider taking out a loan or working out how long you will need to save up for.
Talking over these details early on is good practice for married life – and quite romantic! Having hard data behind you will also make it easier for both sets of parents to decide how much they are able to help you out financially.
Some of the things you need to consider are, registrar’s fees, venue or church fees, entertainment, dress, suit hire, decorations, flowers, hen party, cake, photographer, gifts, catering, invitations, cars, rings and if you want to go on honeymoon, you’ll need to factor in the expenses for this too.
Shop around and learn to negotiate
If you have the luxury of time on your side then you should absolutely compare prices for everything, from the buffet to the dress. Shopping around gives you the chance to haggle. Wedding suppliers tend to expect customers to negotiate and if you can pay a deposit or the whole amount months in advance you might get a discount. Make sure if you hand over any money that you get a receipt, and that you’re confident your supplier is well established.
You can also pick up some bargains at wedding fairs, bridal shows and exhibitions. There are also many online outlets, where you can snap up clearance bargains.
Choose an unusual day
If you are able to choose a day well in advance, think about having the wedding on a day that isn’t in high demand: often you will find that venue prices are higher on a bank holiday weekend or a Saturday than they are mid-week. Or consider getting married in November, which tends to be a quieter period for wedding suppliers. If you can plan months or even years in advance, you can give out ‘save the date’ cards or notices early enough so your guests can book time off work.
DIY Shortcuts
If you’d rather spend your budget on food, drink and entertainment than postage stamps and hired cars, here are some ways you can get your priorities right!
- Invitations – send out email invites and create a website where people can RSVP.
- Photographs – hire a student photographer who charges a lot less. Also a cute idea is to have disposable cameras on each dinner table and ask guests to help you create memories.
- Venue – dress it yourself; buy rolls of organza fabric, confetti, candles, and centrepieces to glam up the place. Then get all your friends to help you to decorate it.
- Wedding dress – talented members of your family can make you a bridal dress for less money than the designers. Or you can look at the many online suppliers who make high quality wedding dresses. Plenty of research into the website’s reviews is recommended, and note that there will be a customs charge for delivery from overseas.
- Car – if you know someone with a posh car, ask if they’d be willing to lend it to you. Don’t forget to get your driver insured for the day, or even better ask your friend to be your chauffer.
Keep It Intimate
Downsizing the guest list is budget-friendly, if you have the option to do so. Look at your venue and work out the maximum guest capacity for the ceremony, and how many can be accommodated during the day and the evening. From here, work out your guest list. Your wedding bill is dependant on the size of your party, many venues will charge anything between £15-£70 per person.
Hopefully most people will understand if you let it be known that you’re on a budget, but just in case here’s how to soothe any out-of-joint noses.
- Be honest – tell them how you feel and explain your budget situation.
- Blame the size of the venue – but don’t make it sound like their presence isn’t important to you.
- Invite them to your afters. To be honest, this is where your guests will have the most fun anyway, right?
- Refuse to argue but stand your ground. There’s no point getting yourself upset, you have enough things to worry about already.
In fact this last point is important: planning and budgeting will take a lot of stress out of your big day, just remember accept that the small snags and minor challenges will pale into insignificance when you’re finally walking down the aisle.
This is a sponsored post from Auto Advance, a Logbook Loans provider.
Image Credits: Wedding List -Something Turquoise; Wedding Fund – Wedding Party App; Autumn Wedding – Diply; DIY Flower Vases – Wedding Chicks.
