How to get your dream wedding without busting your budget
Are Molly and Tyrone’s attempts to plan a fabulous New Year wedding on a tiny budget In Coronation Street ringing a few bells with you too? If you’re worried your dream day’s going to be more Betty’s hotpot in the Rovers than Champagne and caviar at the Ritz, read on for our guide to getting your dream luxe wedding… for less!
1. Pick a different day Naming a day that isn’t a Saturday between May and September could save you a small fortune. And not just on venue hire: photographers, caterers, florists and entertainment are all likely to charge less on a weekday or out of season.
‘Between November and March is cheapest,’ says Amber Hunter, Head Tutor at the Wedding Planner School, who also warns that winter weddings can be more expensive than you think. ‘December can even be one of the most expensive months for caterers and venues because of the number of Christmas parties being held at that time so plan carefully.’
2. Trim your guest list If it’s luxe you’re after, slimming down your guest list to close friends and family can pull even the swankiest of venues into your price range. ‘Catering costs are typically the most expensive part of a wedding and it’s incredible how food and drink for an extra 10 to 20 guests can impact your overall budget,’ says wedding planner Zoe Lingard.
This year’s You & Your Wedding reader survey showed that the average spend on wedding catering is £3497. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that the fewer people you spend that on, the more you have to spend on each guest. 3. DIY Getting creative when it comes to invitations, cakes, flowers… or roping in friends or family who know how, will do more than just cut zeros off your wedding bill. ‘We designed and made all our invites, orders of service, place cards, menus and favours ourselves, which meant everything was exactly as we wanted and had a really personal feel,’ says Katie Mortimer. See her stunning real wedding here.
4. Shop sideways Not literally, obviously, but don’t head straight for designer shops for yours or your bridesmaids dresses. Designer sample sales, high street shops like Coast and Monsoon, or recycling your mum’s/granny’s wedding dress can result in something equally stylish and heaps more affordable.
‘I got my dream dress from a sample sale for nearly half its original price. All it needed was cleaning and taking in – just like any other dress would. It meant I could then afford to splurge on my dream shoes, too!’ says Rosie Duggan, 31.
5. Swap dinner for drinks… … or afternoon tea, or a potluck buffet, or a stand up ‘bowl food’ reception. Anything that doesn’t involve a sit down meal will cut costs on waiting staff expenses, and table and chair hire, meaning you can spend more on the food you actually serve. ‘Waiting staff cost anywhere between £10 - £25 per waiter per hour,’ says Amber. All money you could be spending on the food itself. Lobster, anyone?
6. Stick to your season Using flowers – and food – in season will keep your budget well within healthy limits, without scrimping on the lovely-factor. For seasonal menu suggestions click here and for seasonal flowers, click here
‘Out-of-season flowers are readily available but can often mean poor quality,’ says Sheila Bailey of Oxford florist Daisies. ‘Tulips in August, while available, simply won't look as fresh and lively as they do in April.’
7. Run away Getting married abroad usually works out a darn sight cheaper than a UK wedding… and can often be even more luxurious due to great value wedding packages. A recent survey by Mintel showed the average British couple getting married abroad spent just £6,000, compared to the whopping £20,100 average spend on a wedding in the UK.
‘We decided to get married in Cyprus so that we could guarantee sunshine and the wedding of our dreams without having to scrimp on anything. The prices are much more competitive abroad then they here and we were able to get a lot more for our money,’ says Donna Colbourne, who got married in Cyprus in October 2008. For fabulous luxury wedding abroad packages, from just £600, see kuoni.co.uk.
To find your dream dress for less than £1000, click here!
