You probably have grand plans for your wedding day. It may be a day that you’ve thought a LOT about since you were younger. But, if you are struggling to work out how you’re going to have the wedding day you’ve always dreamed of all within your planned wedding budget, you are not alone. Thousands of brides up and down the country are now spending on average over £27,000 on their big day (source: The Independent). This figure may be well outside of your budget, so how can you still have the wedding day of your dreams, on a tighter budget?
The first thing to consider is your priorities. Is it more important to you WHERE you get married or WHEN you get married? Perhaps you have a dream venue that you really like the look of, but you worry that the cost may be outside of your budget. Check if your venue offers a more favourably-priced option outside of the peak summer season. For example, The Italian Villa at Compton Acres would cost around £8500 to £9500 for a Friday in the summer season (based on 75 guests and including venue hire, wedding breakfast, drinks package and evening buffet). However, if you chose a Friday in January or February next year (how about 14th Feb?!), you could have the full off-peak wedding package (again, including venue hire, wedding breakfast, drinks package and evening buffet for 65 guests) for around half that amount at £4300!
Again, it’s worth checking if your venue offers great-value packages which include the catering, as this is usually less expensive than paying for venue hire and catering separately.
Consider your guest list carefully – your venue will probably have a clear minimum number of guests you need to cater for on their packages (at The Italian Villa, that’s from just 65 guests) – even though they may be able to cater for many more (up to 180 guests at The Italian Villa). Don’t forget that you can invite a more select number of guests to your full wedding day and then add on more guests for your evening party. The Italian Villa charges just £12.50 per additional evening guest, which then allows them to enjoy your delicious evening buffet and to dance the night away with you and the rest of your day guests.
It’s worth considering the style of your venue, and what they offer in terms of décor already included. This can save you a tidy sum overall. For example, The Italian Villa features chair sashes on the end of each aisle in the Verona ceremony suite, to add a splash of neutral elegance. They also have coloured uplighters and sparkling string lights adorning the ceiling in the Siena evening party suite. The also include biodegradable confetti for your guests to throw. All these little touches could cost hundreds of pounds if you had to hire them separately.
Think about the location of your preferred venue. Do they have free parking? Are they easy to access and nearby local transport links? This will save money on transporting guests and the wedding party to and from the venue. Are you committed to having compulsory onsite accommodation?
There are always ways to have the wedding venue of your dreams. The best thing you can do is to compile your list of wishes and get in touch with the venue to see how they can help you achieve as many items on your wish list as possible.
Get in touch with The Italian Villa to see how they can make your dream wedding become reality. Call 01202 816074 or email info@the-italian-villa.co.uk.
Image by DM Photography
