Mike And Alicia Wedding

Scale down your Wedding List

Really think hard about who you want at your wedding and which people will make that day special for you? Remember it can be much cheaper to invite people to the evening reception and keep the wedding day for closer friends and family. Another great way of cutting down on numbers is to have a no children policy – obviously this will depend on the type of wedding you want, some couples cannot imagine a wedding without children running around. If you are frightened of offending people, blame the venue! Say it can only fit a small amount of people seated, or doesn’t provide children meals.

Have a Seasonal Wedding

Most couples dream of a beautiful summer day wedding, with the sun shining. But the weather is never guaranteed. There are some beautiful ideas out there for having themed Autumn, Winter or Spring wedding and many venues have up to a 50% discounts in off peak months.  Non Summer weddings will also mean that you will probably have more choice of venues (and maybe more of  bargaining power) as you are not part of the summer scramble! Try and think of a date that is special to you as a couple – maybe you got engaged in May so have a Spring wedding, or your parent’s wedding day. And remember to choose seasonal flowers too as this will help cut the cost of your flowers too.

Your Venue

Your venue is going to be the single biggest expense that you’ll have to pay when organising your wedding, so it is the perfect place to cut costs. Many town and village halls, golf and rugby clubs and universities have suitable rooms available for a fraction of the price. The trick is to be imaginative, don’t be put off my the décor, think how the room will look with fabric draped on the walls, candles and tealights everywhere and your beautiful flowers as centrepieces. Even once you have bought these accessories you will still make a great saving. Also think is there outside space or a park nearby for the wedding photos.

Married on a Monday!

How about getting married during the week – most venues offer amazing discounts on week day weddings – sometimes by as much as half price. It may mean you have to be a bit more organised, letting all your guests know well in advance so they can book time off work. But the savings can be fantastic and it may mean you can have that dream venue or you can just save more money.

Keep it in the Family

Does someone at work DJ in their spare time. Does Auntie Jean do flowers for the local church? Is your mum a dab hand at making dresses? Does you cousin own a vintage car? Ask around in your circle of family and friends and you will be surprised how many people have skills that you can use for your wedding. People love to be involved and help out, and some people may offer their skills for free, others may give it as a wedding gift and some may want paying but they’ll still be cheaper than a professional. Remember to check out the quality before you agree, and also think about what you want to pay a professional for and what you are happy for friends and family to help out with. And just think how proud Auntie Jean will be to see you walking down the aisle with her bouquet that she made especially for you.

Make a budget and stick to it!

It’s simple and makes organising a wedding so much easier but still very few people do it. Write a list of everything you want for your wedding, then rearrange the list, with the most important items first and least importance last. Think what do you really want on your wedding day and what is maybe not that vital. Then divide the budget between these items, giving more money to the most important things. And remember to have a contingency fund – there will always be something you have forgotten to budget for that you realise you need.

Remember when booking anything to check what is included and what isn’t, so you don’t get stung for any hidden costs. Is VAT included in the fee? At the venue are the grounds accessible or is that extra? Will you need outside catering? Is there a corkage charge?

Be Food and Drink Savvy

Everyone expects a good wedding to have the wine and beer flowing, after all what would a wedding be without a slightly tipsy uncle grooving on the dance floor? But you can still have a tipple at your wedding without breaking the bank.  If you’re having a free bar, offer wine and beer but no spirits. Or buy the spirits but ask people to pay for the mixers. You can always stock up with alcohol by bulk buying, especially if you have a family member with a trade card. If you venue will let you buy in the alcohol all the better. If not try and organise a flat fee corkage fee for all the wine and beer, it may seem a lot to pay up front but it will save you money in the long run.

If you’re not into formal weddings, how about having a buffet instead of a sit down three-course meal. It may offer a chance for your wedding guests to mingle more and will bring down the cost of the catering. If the sit down meal is a must, then how about making the wedding cake/cupcakes part of the pudding course. After all who needs extra cake after three courses!

Wedding Dress Budgeting

A wedding dress is often something most brides will not compromise on – after all you want to look fantastic on your special day. But you can still have that wow factor without the price tag.

There are lots of websites where brides are selling on their dresses and you may find one that is just right for you. Ebay, is a great option and many charities, including Oxfam, have dresses donated from wedding shops that are samples or sale stock. You can also find some beautiful vintage dresses at a fraction of the wedding dress boutique prices.

Have a Honeymoon on Home Soil

We often forget that there are loads of romantic and beautiful places to visit in our own country, from full on boutique city glamour, to rustic eco-lodges and wind swept cottages. And remember to treat yourself – this is your honeymoon, saving on the flights means you can splash out on somewhere special in the UK and still save money while supporting local businesses.

Think about your Wedding Stationery

If you have the time and the patience you can make your own stationery but it is worth costing it out. Quite often once you have bought all the bits and pieces of card and the envelopes you don’t save that much money. Think carefully what stationery you want and what you don’t need – do you need a seating plan and name place cards? Some venues will supply stationery for the tables, which will cut costs – although they may not fit the style of your wedding. And if you have cut down your wedding list then your stationery costs will come down too – so its two savings in one.

Wedding Day Photography

It’s essential to capture your wedding day and no-one can do this better than a professional photographer, but you may have a fantastic amateur in the family who can help capture the day – but make sure you brief them about all the images you want so you don’t miss out a picture of you with your parents, or great Auntie Ethel who has travelled miles to be there. Also look at your photographers package. You may want them to capture the day but the you cansave money buy putting your own wedding album together especially as there are lots of websites out there to help you (such as photocreator, bobbooks and smilebooks).

I hope that helps and remember it is your day – it is something you will only do once in your life so be budget savvy but don’t crimp on things you’ll regret later. And a lot of these tips can be green too so you’re not only saving your money but helping the planet too, what a perfect start to your married life! Enjoy the plann
ing and have a great wedding day.

Article written by Dee Grismond from www.cherrygorgeous.co.uk, an eco-chic wedding stationery company