wedding on a budget

Hi, there are lots of things you can do, to start with make a list of the things you absolutely cannot do without and what your willing to pay.


It really does depend on what type of day you and your fiancé want, a village hall is generally going to be most cost effective than a stately home for example.

In relation to keeping costs low think about numbers and who you are inviting, do you really want them to share your day or are you just inviting them coz you think you should/returning the invite? Also cut out the extras, most people will not miss wedding favours, fancy printed place cards, printed and posted invites etc.
The wedding website on here is really good in my opinion and you can send invites through it as well by email so it all ties together.
People on here are amazingly helpful at finding stuff and sharing ideas and Diy’s etc so don’t be afraid to ask.
Most importantly enjoy the planning of your big day 😊

Write a list of what is important and what isn’t.
Flowers/ photographer/ cake/ wedding favours/ stationary etc.
A lot of things you can Do it yourself to save money.
Also think of what type of wedding, registry office, hotel, barn etc. Some places have packages which helps bring the cost down. We found a beautiful hotel and the package was everything for £2000.
Food - you can easily save money here too by having fewer people, no food options, etc:
Also with the guest list, keep it to your loved ones. Would you pay £40 for them to have dinner normally? If the answer is no then they are evening only.

We have gone for a Twilight wedding, which helps cut costs hugely. The ceremony is at 5pm, so you only need to feed people once, and some venues can reduce the hire cost too if you don't need it for the whole day. Of course, the smaller your guest list the lower the costs too. We made our own invites. Bridesmaids dresses from high street brands, ASOS is great for that. There are lots of ways to keep costs down to your budget.

I bought my bridesmaid dresses from ASOS, their sandals from boohoo, single white rose to carry instead of a bouquet each. We have done an all in package with our venue as otherwise when you start adding the extras the costs can spiral. I bought my dress off the peg so that saved a lot. We’ve kept the day guests to 60 and have booked a photographer for 5 hours instead of a full day. He will catch me getting ready and the first dance before leaving. We are hiring the suits instead of buying and only paying for hair for the bridesmaid and not make up as they are happy to do their own. No cars as we are staying at the venue the night before. I’ve done some nice little touches that haven’t cost much like a basket of flip flops for the ladies, Primark 90p a pair and a toiletry basket with tampax, toothpaste , toothbrushes, mints , chewing gum , deodorant , wipes , tissues etc. I’m using an events company for the decor as it’s cheaper than buying everything.

1) Pick a non wedding venue for the venue! E.g. go for a pub or village hall instead of a hotel or stately home that specialises in weddings

2) Consider hiring, buying second hand or buying from high street/mail order companies for your wedding dress. The groom can either hire a suit or wear one he already has, depending on what style he wants.

3) Don't have a wedding party. Or if you really do want one, get them to wear whatever they like.

4) Buy a cake from one of the supermarkets - loads of them do celebration cakes now which are way cheaper than buying one from a baker.

5) DIY ceremony & reception flowers - ideally using ones from the garden. You could also look at carrying a single flower or a supermarket bouquet instead of getting one made by a florist.

6) Look at alternatives for catering - e.g. a mobile van that does pies or a hog roast company will often be cheaper than a 'wedding caterer'.

7) Look at getting married out of season or midweek - venues, photographers etc are often cheaper then. Also, you are more likely to get a photographer who will be willing to do a half day instead of a full day.

8) Cut out all the unnecessary stuff - you don't need favours, menus, expensive signs, boxes to post wedding cards in or many of the other things that people tell you are 'essential'.

9) Think really hard about your guest list - don't invite anyone out of guilt or expectation. Only have the people there that you really want to be there.

View quoted message Thank you everyone!!!!

A few things we’ve done :
- I’m doing the flowers myself with my mum, growing as a much as we can in our gardens.

- I’ve done table centrepieces using ikea things - google ikea wedding hacks and there are loads!

- We asked our venue for ‘late availability’ dates and managed to get a really good deal because they wanted the date filling - only works if you’re willing to do a short notice wedding though ☺️

- We’re not having evening guests, just inviting our closest friends and family to the full day.

- We aren’t having a photo booth for the evening, but have bought a second hand Polaroid camera and some props to help with a photo guestbook

- I bought my dress from Wed2B and couldn’t fault them or the service. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but they have some really lovely, good quality dresses for a lot less than a traditional bridal boutique

Hope that helps!