**Poll about how you're saving money on your big day**

My stepmother is making our cake - not to save money really but more because she wants to. To save money we are just not having most of the things on that list. ?

My OH is scottish and he has been practising making traditional tablet (like a crumbly fudge) for the favours. I have found bags, tags and pretty ribbon on ebay and will dress them.

I have been bargain hunting all the way through - I made our save the dates and invites, I've been scouring eBay for pretty little things to decorate the venue and tables and we are going to Calais to buy the wine and bubbles.

It's not so much about not having the money (my OH and my Mum have both told me that I can afford to release the purse strings a bit) and I'm not being tight, as I hope that our day will be lovely for our guests and we are providing lots of quirky things that other people might not have. But I don't think you have to be extravagant in order to do that.

We've gone for cheaper options for just about every element.

Making our own invites ? won't save a lot of money due to the cost of ink, but it'll mean we can have we want a bit cheaper

a bit of this really. My dress is a bridesmaids dress rather than a wedding dress, that pretty much saves you £1000 right there! Bridesmaids dresses and flower girl dresses are from the high street and everything else we're shopping around and getting the best deals on. We use a cashback website for all our online shopping so this is also helping save a few pounds here and there.

We have shopped around for things, bought bits through eBay. We have also been collecting jars for the last year and painting them to use as part of our table decorations. Plus we have just bought a frame and are making our table plan ourselves.

I've tried really hard to keep cost low - lots of trawling through websites to find the best offers.

Things I've made (or will be making)

• Save the dates
• Invites
• Thank you cards
• My feather bouquet
• Bridesmaids feather bouquets
• Altered bridesmaids feather headpieces
• Pocket squares
• Favour jar tags and tops
• Favours
• Macaroons for nibbles
• Present for OH on the day
• My nephew has made our ring cushion

I make wedding cakes so will obviously be making my own !!

Our invites I have had designed and will print ourselves saving in excess of £100

We aren't having cars

May make felt bouquets ... Just not sure yet !!

Xx

I'm growing most of our wedding flowers and making all the bouquets and buttonholes myself. I have made the order of service, table plans, children's activity books, flowergirl wand etc.

My sister is making my cake.

A student TOG friend is doing church photography, relatives doing the rest.

Good friend is a pro MUA and hair stylist so she is styling me for free.

Daughter is a nail artist, niece a beautician so we will all look our best at zero expense!

Mates rates on DJ and band.

Got 2 vintage cars for a total of £175

my dress and my fg dress were in the bridal shop sale.

My teenage son's suit is from tesco, BM dresses from Ebay and other daughters outfit in the new look sale!

Got everything at bargain rates by shopping around- my shoes, jewellery and hair decor all from Ebay and come to a combined total of £20.

Masses of stuff from Ebay, home bargains, dunelm and B &M

Saved a flippin fortune!! :0) xx

Does the vote not allow multiple options?

Hi Kentish Gal,

Unfortunatly the vote doesnt allow multiple options, but maybe you could vote on the item that is going to save you the most?

Fran

It wouldn't let me pick all the elements, but:

I've bought an ultra inexpensive wedding dress and additional fabric and will be essentially making it myself (with the help of my amazing BW who is a much better seamstress than me. I'm making the cake and growing our own flowers. Bridesmaid dresses will be dresses of the girl's choice (teenagers!!) but I'm crocheting boleros to pull everything together.

My OH is making the cake stands and table pieces (slices of wood) and we are making our wish trees from LED trees we use at Christmas (cherry type) with a few skeleton leaves on and home made tags.

I started making bunting but we just need too much so I'm doing enough to decorate the ceremony and cake/buffet tables and the rest will be bought.

I have to say that I'm enjoying the home made bits more than the shopping for other stuff!

The cake,decor,these things can be made by ourselves,but it is too hard to make a DIY dress,you know,a lot of skillful and professional jobs,meanwhile,it is quite time consuming,easily it can be found in the local market&on line...Sometimes,we can get a discount.

I bought my dress in a sale paid £350 instead of £900, we are only having 13 people at our ceremony and sit down meal, huge saving, with a party a night, no cars just plain taxi's, homemade disco, borrowing and renting sound & lighting systems, asking people to bring instruments for a jam in the drawing room, and I am having a wrist corsage instead of expensive bouquet, in fact for all the flowers for the wedding party its only £65! xx

Boo, you can only choose one. We will be making favours, stationary and more than likely decorations for the venue, oh and a sweetie cart xxx

Not having wedding favours.....the venue is £110 per head so I feel that is a good enough pressie!

I am going to scatter the table with chocolates instead xx

I bought my dream dress in a sample sale, am making my favours and as there are loads of flowers needed in my venue i'm getting a florist to do the bouquet and large displays and then we'll do the tables and smaller arrangements. Accross all 3 areas i'll have saved about 3K.. result!

My OH and I are working our backsides off with second jobs!

Also a friend of ours may be making our cake at cost price and another friend has offered to make my BM dresses and do my alterations. Planning on making the invites myself too and ordering cheap favour bits and putting them together myself. Weddings are chuffing expensive!Lol!

I'm trying to save money in as many areas as possible. So far as follows:

- mother is making my bridesmaid dresses

- made own brooch bouquet and bridesmaids (with their help. possibly not cheaper but will last a lot longer than flowers)

- friend making cake

- bought wedding dress from china website for a fraction of the cost (I love it!)

- making own favours

- made own invitations, order of service

- making own decorations for church and venue

- make up from a friend for free (trade off for my mums dress making skills)

- plus lots of bargains from eBay

All this in 5 months! Not bad I think

Made our own table place settings and table plan.

Oooh only one choice? I'm doing my;

favours

decor

all stationary

bridal tiara

At the moment I'll hopefully be making my own stationary. Haven't thought of anything else just yet.