Wedding budgets

Hi Kay , I think your budget for DIY is very generous . I’m getting married in June and bought a package at the venue for 50 guests for £5000 registers fees was just under £1000 , think I’m up to about £10000 and not having the works , not having cars , bought table decs myself , got my dress for under £1000 as bought off the peg , only having 2 bridesmaids and their dresses was a steal at £30 each , honeymoon was £2000 too ,so yeah I think you have a very fair budget and could come under budget .

How many people are you catering for? Because that's what really affects the price once you've paid for the venue. It costs a lot less to feed 20 than 200.

£10,000 is a very generous budget and it's possible to get married on far less than that, but it depends on what you want to get with your money.

View quoted message Hi Leanne!
I think your package deal sounds amazing, what a great price! And your bridesmaid dresses too!
Thank you so much for your reply, I do think we might come under budget too and we might even fit our honeymoon in within the 10k (wasn’t counting this before) still a few bits to get but fingers crossed! I’m happy with the 10k budget but it’s always good to hear what others are spending and how they’re spending it! Congratulations in advance of your wedding and I hope it’s an amazing day for you all!🥰

View quoted message We are catering for 50-70 people (still a few to rsvp) and doing a DIY BBQ for them all. I think we are on track to spend less than 10k, but I don’t think we will be far off that marker, it seems like so much money to me but I’m not entirely sure where it’s all going! I have tried to buy a lot of things second hand, and some of these things I’m hoping to sell again after so it might not be too bad!

View quoted message Aww thank you , wishing you a wonderful day too . We are approximately at the £10000 including photography , flowers , DJ , cake , suit hire and all the lil things inbetween , Paul’s ( my partners ) ring was more than expected , and I’m using my late grandmothers so mine was only £50 to get resized and rhodium plated . It’s a second wedding for us both so didn’t want to go much over 10k . I do think it’s important to stick to budget whatever it may be as we all have our reasons for justifying the amount to begin with . It’s great that you are including drinks in yours , but I reckon if you are savy you could come under budget . You will have an amazing day and a beautiful wedding . Xx

I think 10k sounds very reasonable tbh. Imagine if you took 70 people out to dinner at a restaurant, you’re going to be spending at least £40pp on food. Then at this dinner, you have to buy their drinks on top - probably at least another £30pp. £70 x 70 is nearly £5k and that’s before you have paid extra for nobody else to get dinner at that restaurant that night, paid for the place to look nice, bought an outfit to wear and paid somebody to provide entertainment. It adds up, it’s just what it is!


I think our wedding has come in about £17k minus the honeymoon which is way more than I thought we would spend but we were very lucky and got financial help from both sets of parents so our actual spend ourselves is probably IRO £4k.

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If you're concerned about going over budget (or want to come in well under your 10k max) then I'd sit down and work out what you really want to have v what everyone tells you that you need to have! It's so easy to get sucked into buying things automatically because 'everyone' has them, so I'd always encourage couples to think about what is really important to them. (E.g. Veil because you love them and have always wanted to wear one = good use of money. Veil because everyone else tells you that you 'have' to have one and won't feel like a bride without one = bad use of money.)

We budgeted £3,000 for 30 people (including honeymoon which was £500). We could have done it for less, but chose to spend a little more on some things. Equally, we could have spent a lot more, but didn't feel the need to as we got the wedding we wanted for under our budget. There's no right or wrong amount as long as you're not stressing yourself out over how to pay for it.

Hi lovely,

We are getting married in Aug this year and our budget is also £10,000 with about 70 people in the evening. I will have to probably diy a lot of our decorations too as I have contacted wedding decor companies before and they basically said my budget is too low, which is (£800). In our budget we have included venue, catering and drinks, photographer, DJ, diy wedding favours, diy cake and dessert table, two outfits each for myself and my fiance, ceremony in the town hall in the afternoon, and accommodation for the day of. To save money we are opting out for digital invites, no flowers, no wedding rings, no transportation (but might need to add some later on), no professional hair or makeup. To be honest there are so many small add ons that you don't even realise you will have. Definitely prioritise what's important for you and your fiance to have on the day.

I think that sounds very reasonable. Even with DIY there are a lot of costs - dress alterations, rings, you might find you need some transport, thank you cards/small gifts for everyone who has contributed. As we've got closer to our day in May, there's been a number of things I hadn't thought to budget for (like umbrellas for wedding party - hopefully won't need them but I live in Scotland, the likelihood of rain is high!) or I'm finding costs are higher than I thought they'd be for certain things. Even as I'm trying to do all the decorations myself I'm finding just sourcing the materials is more expensive than I thought - even when buying secondhand.

It's better to over budget and come in under it (you've then got a little extra to spend on honeymoon or simply putting back in your savings for the future) than not having budgeted enough.
I've ended up budgeting about £20k - the venue & catering (which we had to use venue in-house as they don't allow self-catered) has been the biggest chunk of the cost at around £8000 (for wedding breakfast & evening reception) for 100 guests in the afternoon, and 70 more joining in the evening. If we'd been able to get a venue where we could have done self-catering, I reckon we'd have been able to knock a few £1ks off of our budget.
However, as we've lost several loved ones (both family and friends) in the last 4 years, having as many of the people we love in one room was important to us to make happy memories and celebrate together before anyone else we love departs this earth.

View quoted message This is such a great way of thinking of it! You’re so right, it’s a big meal out in a nice place really isn’t it!
Thank you so much! I am feeling better about the amount after the replies here, I guess it’s just such a big amount it seems crazy to spend it all on one day, I’m also quite big on sustainability but there’s lots of things we will reuse, resell and remember forever! ☺️

View quoted message Thank you! This is a good idea, I think we are on track to spend less than our budget but it won’t hurt to sit down and discuss it again! You’re so right, it’s easy to give into the pressure! And a few things I have definitely given in to! It’s easy to be sucked into the everything needs to be new as well! There’s things I’ve bought new that actually I could have used from home! That’s such a good budget and good amount to spend on a wedding, I haven’t even had mine yet and I do think if I done it again I’d do it differently already 🤣 luckily we are in a good financial position so it’s not so much of a worry but just not wanting to go overboard and regret spending so much on one day! ☺️

View quoted message Hi lovely! ☺️
Do you have any idea for your wedding decor? I have dried so many beautiful flowers, from my garden but also from around where I live! We are luckily to live in the countryside which has an abundance of different grasses and plants which are perfect for drying! Then I’m planning on using my milkman’s milk bottles and jam jars etc to display them in, bit of ribbon or string and perfecto! And has cost be absolutely nothing!
Maybe also have a look on fb marketplace and see if you can buy second hand? I see so much stuff advertised! Your budget and spending is so similar to mine! I’m glad yours is looking to be around the same amount, makes me feel better haha! We are staying two nights at our venue and have an area for campers if required so I guess a nice hotel for the amount of people staying would be well over 2k! Thanks so much for your reply 🥰

View quoted message Yes you’re right! I think when I thought DIY, I thought we’d save a lot but actually the cost is mounting up! Ahh definitely go for some umbrellas! I bought blankets in the sale over Christmas because even though we are getting married in June, it still might be cold! Definitely all the little things you have to think of! Thank you! I think we will come under budget and then we’ll have more to contribute to beautiful Scotland as this is where we are planning our honeymoon!! 😁
I think that’s a reasonable budget and price for the amount of guests you’re having and I completely understand wanting everyone to be there - I am also missing family members and I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, I want us to have a great day whilst we are all still together, I lost my oldest sister nearly 2 years ago so my family being comfortable and happy on the day has been a huge contributor for me, wishing you all the best and congratulations on your big day!🩷

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Hi,
Yes, we are going for minimal, modern and romantic. So loads of candles and some white flowers here and there, still trying to figure out if I want fake flower centrepieces or if I will just do some candles as its more diy easy.

I have been looking on Vinted to see if anyone is selling wedding décor but most of it is not what I'm looking for. But thanks for the recommendation to have a look on Facebook will definitely do.

Planning a wedding on a budget can be a bit of a balancing act, but it sounds like you're doing an amazing job being resourceful and cost-conscious. For a DIY wedding, £10,000 doesn't necessarily sound excessive, especially considering your venue cost and the fact that you're factoring in all expenses, including postage for invites. It's great that you've been mindful of spending and managed to snag a second-hand dress. It might be helpful to break down your budget even further to see where the majority of the expenses are going. For instance, if the venue is taking up a significant chunk, maybe explore if there are any areas where you can make small adjustments to save a bit more. Overall, it sounds like you're doing an awesome job keeping track of your expenses and making thoughtful choices. If you're still feeling unsure, you could reach out to other DIY brides in your area or online communities to get a sense of how their budgets compare. Wishing you all the best with your wedding planning! It sounds like it's going to be a beautiful and personal celebration.

Hi Kay, how exciting!! Not too long to go now!

Personally, I think you could do it for under 10K for sure. I have made the seating plan by buying a canvas and creating it on there, I also DIY made all signs, a newspaper, the centerpieces. The most expensive part for us is the meal. As we have a 3 course meal for everyone and there's 83 guests, so bloomin' expensive! And then 200 in the evening because I have a huge family..

So it does also depend how many people are coming to the wedding.

This list might help you? We set up an excel spreadsheet for the budget which really helped us, maybe this will help you to be under your budget?

Food, Drinks, Venue, Photogroher/videographer, flowers, DJ/Music (spotify playlist to save money?), Accommodation, ceremony fees, Wedding party gifts, Bridesmaids dresses, Decor, Dress, Wedding favours, Groom suit, Groomsmen suits, stationary, Hair and Make up, Rings, Wedding Insurance, Honeymoon, Cake and Transport (of course, some of these might not be needed)

All the best for the planning process, it can get stressful but remember to enjoy it!! DIY does sure take up a lot of your time but it will be all worth it in the end!!

Hi Kay, how exciting!! Not too long to go now!

Personally, I think you could do it for under 10K for sure. I have made the seating plan by buying a canvas and creating it on there, I also DIY made all signs, a newspaper, the centerpieces. The most expensive part for us is the meal. As we have a 3 course meal for everyone and there's 83 guests, so bloomin' expensive! And then 200 in the evening because I have a huge family..

So it does also depend how many people are coming to the wedding.

This list might help you? We set up an excel spreadsheet for the budget which really helped us, maybe this will help you to be under your budget?

Food, Drinks, Venue, Photogroher/videographer, flowers, DJ/Music (spotify playlist to save money?), Accommodation, ceremony fees, Wedding party gifts, Bridesmaids dresses, Decor, Dress, Wedding favours, Groom suit, Groomsmen suits, stationary, Hair and Make up, Rings, Wedding Insurance, Honeymoon, Cake and Transport (of course, some of these might not be needed)

All the best for the planning process, it can get stressful but remember to enjoy it!! DIY does sure take up a lot of your time but it will be all worth it in the end!!

View quoted message Thank you for this lovely message! I really appreciate it 🥰 you’ve made me feel more at ease haha! 🩷

View quoted message Ah thank you Rebekah! I am so hoping we do it for under 10k, I think we might! Out of interest (if you’re happy to share) how much are you looking to spend? With our evening guests we are looking at around 70 people, but we are paying for all food and drinks (I’m reconsidering this, and looking into mobile bars) as I think drinks will be expensive!
Thank you for the list! I’ve got most things done now, so hopefully the next couple months will be smooth sailing until the day 🙈 all the best for your big day!!

Hi, our budget is £5-7K including registry, rings, 40-50 guests at Hotel Du Vin Henley they do wedding package for small weddings for £125 per adult, I calculated my DIY for our center tables and top table around £250 less. Will have a simple wedding gown for £90 or max £250. I save money using hitched as wedding website as invitation. Made my own save the date video as well. My hair is £55 and make up is £75 but thinking to do it my own. My bridesmaids will buy their own dress. This save us money. Some of my guests are sponsoring my cake and flowers. All I need to buy is my bridesmaid flower band. We will have a small wedding only but memorable with our love ones. Originally we want around it to be 25 people in total including us.

View quoted message Hi Jean, that’s amazing. You are doing a great job sticking to your budget, and it’s so low! Our venue is £4000 but this does include all mine and my partners family staying on the Saturday night and some people staying on the Friday. I recalculated the other day and we have hit £8000 now, I thought we would come in under budget but it doesn’t seem we will, we still need grooms suit and all the food and drink, everything else is paid for. Your hair and make up is such a good deal! I’m looking at about £350 & £380 for mine and 3 others - I have paid for it all but maybe I should ask for a contribution as this has greatly increased our price. Thanks so much for your message, it really helps to hear how others are doing it! Best of luck for your big day x

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