Can Anyone see how I can cut down my budget

We are trying to do our day on as low a cost as possible but our venue was very important and cost 4500 for 50 but includes:

Civil Ceremony room hire
Reception room hire
Arrival glass of pimms or sparkling wine
Crudités on arrival
Four course wedding breakfast including a fruit sorbet for the fourth course
Half a bottle of house wine per person with the meal
Glass of sparkling wine for the toast
Upgraded flower package
Complimentary bridal suite for Bride & Groom followed by full English breakfast
Complimentary bedroom the night before the wedding for either Bride or Groom
Simple table plan, placecards & menus for the table
Evening bacon butties for all day guests and up to 40 extra evening guests
The use of our cake stand, table & knife
White linen and napkins
The services of a dedicated wedding planner
Chair covers with the bow colour of your choice
Menu tasting session for Bride & Groom
Special wedding guest accommodation rates
Special kids menus
Children under 5 go free
One year anniversary complimentary dinner, bed & breakfast for Husband & Wife

These are the other costs Ive worked out so far:

Venue – 4500.00 including DJ
10 extra people – 500.00
Ceremony Fee – 478.50
Giving notice - 67.00
Dress – 600.00
Alterations -???????????
Bridesmaid dresses – 270.00
Suit – 250
Guest book – 11.00 - bought on Ebay
Balloons & ribbon – 14.95 - bought on Ebay
Helium – 28.00
Flowers – 80.00 seen some on ebay (1 brides teardrop + 4 posies)
Cake – 60.00 (Costco so Ive been told!)
Rings – 60.00
Casino/magician – 590.00 (H2B paying for this!!)
Photography – 350.00
Invitation – 58.00 - bought on Ebay
Conor & Kasey – 50.00
Save the dates – 22.00 - bought on Ebay
Favour boxes – 14.95 - bought on Ebay
Favour ribbon – 3.75 - bought on Ebay
Favour sweets – 20.00
Hair & make up – 0.00 (MIL runs a sallon)
Jewellary – 25.00
Gifts – 30.00
Mum’s flowers – 20.00
Decorative Crystals – 6.00
Shrug – 20.00
Shoes – 30.00
Peticoat – 10.00


Everything Ive bought on Ebay was purchased after selling things so kind of like free money!!

Any other ideas to reduce costs would be much appriciated x

I'm guessing that you are buying H2B's suit at that price - you could look into hiring as this would bring costs down?

Get 2nd hand bridesmaid dresses on eBay. £270 is a lot for them!

Costoco cakes are cheaper than that I got a massive cake from there for my h2b's 30th birthday and it was only about £12 - £15, plain white icing, you could easily get some cheap decoration for the top if you wanted and still spend much less than £60

Do you really need the magician/casino? I don't think it matters who is paying, that would be a simple way to save a big chunk - yes it's nice to have but tbh I've been at weddings with & without them and it doesn't make the day any more enjoyable overall

4 course meal is extravagant, will they let you use your cake for the pud and just do the two courses?

agree with the casino/magician cost being quite a lot if you want to cut costs too, there are much cheaper forms of entertainment i'm sure

forgot to say... alternations can be expensive if you're not careful so you might want to find out a bit about that before you come find yourself stuck

Everything seems very reasonable but if you wanted to cut down further...

I would ask if you could cut the forth course, and possible pudding and serve cake.. I'm have two courses at my venue and has saved me a lot of money. (Cake as dessert which I am making with my mum.)

Again I am assuming you are buying the suit for that? You can hire for much cheaper. We have got one down to about £110 including shirts, shoes, cufflinks the lot.

How many bridesmaid dresses are you buying because that sounds like a lot but that depends how many people that is for?

That is a really good photographer price, could you get them to cut it down further by not making books for you (you can do your own on websites really reasonable) Though at this price you may have thought of that already!

Other than that I can't think of anything that wouldnt involve completely cutting things out i/e favours. xx
Completely agree with the others on casino/magician - but if the H2B really wants it then fair enough.

Do you know anyone who would make a cake for you (maybe as a wedding present?) if not

4500 for a venue that covers all of that is actually very reasonable i thought... if an extra 10ppl = £500, thats £50per head with all that food included..
but saying that, if the venue is willing to cut down the price if you reduce a course then maybe its worth it but I'm assuming its all a full package, and you negotiated a deal, and that a deposit is paid for ..!

i agree with the cost for BM dresses, but depends on the numbers! maybe you can ask if they can help contribute towards their dresses??

What's Conor & Kasey – 50.00?