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Updated 21st July 2024
If you need to plan a budget wedding, you’re in the right place. According to Hitched, the average wedding in 2023 cost a whopping £20,700. While this is down from 2019’s figure over £30,000, the proportional cost is huge compared to the increased cost of living and real term salaries. We’ve come up with ways to save – keep reading to find out how!
The fact that people take out loans and other lines of credit just to pay for their dream wedding means many couples start off the rest of their lives together in debt. Instead of splurging tens of thousands on one big day, cutting back to a budget wedding and using the money saved to become more financially secure, could be a great way to begin married life together.
We may talk about them a lot, but budgets are so useful and important in keeping on top of your finances – especially when it comes to weddings. Instead of planning your dream wedding and then trying to work out how you’re going to pay for it, ask yourself first what can you feasibly afford to spend on your wedding without getting into serious debt. And stick to it! The Hitched National Wedding Survey revealed that 59% of respondents went over budget on their wedding.
The easiest way to keep track of everything is inputting every spend, no matter how small, into a spreadsheet. Google Sheets is ideal as it’s all managed online and both you and your partner can edit it from any device – meaning you can keep it up-to-date when you’re out and about. Set up separate tabs for each of the major spends of the wedding – venue, catering, decoration, entertainment, and outfits. As you make purchases you’ll be able to instantly compare how much you’ve already spent to how much of your budget you have remaining, making it easy to monitor and make sure you don’t overspend.
Cut Down Your Guest List
Ultimately, something that will heavily determine how much you end up spending is the guest list. After all, when you’re paying for food, drink, and entertainment for each one of your guests it quickly adds up. Opt for a more intimate occasion with a guest list of 30 or less. You’ll be able to consider smaller (and cheaper) venues, like hiring a private room in a pub or restaurant, for example. As venues are a key cost in a wedding, if you can find a way to get a cheaper option you can save thousands.
Another option is to keep your guest list small for your wedding, but host a much larger celebration for your first anniversary. This gives you time to save separately and means you won’t have to worry about blowing a large chunk of your wedding budget on the reception.
If you’re feeling pressure to have a big wedding because of family and friend expectations, STOP. This is about celebrating your partnership, not what other people want. If you can’t get people to agree, you could always elope! Many couples now choose to have a private registry office wedding and announce their nuptials after the fact at a party (birthday, anniversary, house warming – whichever excuse can be found!) instead.
Postpone Your Honeymoon
In a similar line, delaying your honeymoon can help with your wedding costs. If, for example, you decide to go for your first anniversary instead, or even after 6 months, you’re giving yourself an extra time to plan and save for it instead of having to pay it all upfront. Travelling off-season will also help you save massively, read our article on how to grab yourself a holiday bargain here.
Postponing your honeymoon also gives people time to donate towards it as a wedding gift, too. Instead of having a gift registry (who needs another toaster?), you could ask for cash donations towards the honeymoon. You could even make your own ‘registry’ by listing activities you want to do on your honeymoon, like a city tour or going snorkelling, and how much they cost. People can then feel like they’re buying your memories as a newly married couple instead of throwing cash into the ether and not knowing what it’s spent on.
Opt for Creative Catering
For a budget wedding, avoid the traditional 3 course wedding breakfast followed by an evening buffet. Why not choose to get married later on in the day and then serve a large buffet for both the day and evening guests? This way you’ll only have to pay for one meal, and it’ll be much cheaper than a larger sit-down meal.
Consider other cheaper food options as well. Having an afternoon BBQ, creating fun picnic hampers for guests to share out, or hiring a food truck for the day are all fun ways to have delicious food on a budget.
Also, save on having to provide a dessert as well and serve up your wedding cake for dessert instead! You can also have ice cream carts and confectionary stands to allow people to choose their favourites. You can even hire a doughnut wall!
Shop for Pre-Loved and Second-Hand Items
You can find great bargains by shopping for pre-loved and second-hand items. Sites like StillWhite, Bridal Reloved, and Preloved, are three great places where you can find deals on wedding outfits and decorations.
You can discover items at a fraction of their original price, having only been used once before! Oxfam even has its own online bridal shop now, offering even more fantastic deals.
High street and online stores also provide more affordable options for bridal and bridesmaid attire. Brands like Monsoon, Joanna Hope, and Phase Eight are great places to start your search. Just be cautious when ordering very cheap custom-made dresses from overseas, as it could result in expensive customs fees and potentially not receiving the dress as pictured.
For men, purchasing a suit can be quite costly, especially if it’s a style that won’t be worn frequently. Consider checking out high street stores like ASOS, Next, and Marks & Spencers for more budget-friendly wedding suit alternatives.
Consider opting for lab-grown diamond rings or alternative gemstones as ethical and budget-friendly options. Lab-grown diamonds have the same properties as mined diamonds but cost around 30% less. Additionally, gemstones like sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are popular alternatives.
Don’t overlook supermarkets when planning a budget-friendly wedding. Whether it’s for your wedding cake or joining a loyalty scheme, supermarkets can help you save money. Supermarkets like Marks and Spencer offer affordable wedding cake options that you can customize yourself. Utilizing a loyalty card, like Tesco Clubcard, can also lead to great deals with their reward partners.
Alcohol expenses can add up quickly at a wedding, so consider budgeting for booze alternatives. You could set a limit for the bar, provide welcome drinks, lunch wine, and a speeches cocktail, while having guests pay for other drinks at the bar. Some venues allow you to bring your own alcohol, potentially saving on costs.
Consider skipping the popular summer Saturday wedding dates and opt for a weekday or off-season date instead. Getting married Monday to Thursday or between October and March can result in significant cost savings. Negotiate with vendors to secure deals, especially during off-peak seasons, and consider setting aside a contingency budget for unexpected expenses. sentence to make it more concise:
Please let me know if you have any questions or need further information.
Let me know if you have any questions or need more information.