BUDGET WEDDING: HOW TO SAVE MONEY

Tips to have a dream wedding without breaking the bank

Your wedding day is going to be one of the most important days in your life and you naturally want it to be just perfect, but you don’t have to spend lots. You don’t need to impress anybody! Your friends and family will already be over the moon that you wanted to share your big day and exchange of the I Do’s with them.

The first golden rule is to set a budget and stick to it. NO ifs NO buts, once you have set your number, don’t go over it! While average weddings cost up to 25,000 pounds there are many ways to reduce costs, so prioritise and discuss with your fiancee what is really important to both of you. Need a little help? Our friends at Perfect Aisle have created this very useful Printable Wedding Budget Worksheet to help you plan ahead and keep track of your costs.

Now let’s have a look at some tips on how to have a budget but still cracking wedding:

VENUE:

When are you planning to get married? One of the quickest ways to reduce costs on your venue is to plan a winter wedding or to choose off peak days such as Fridays or Sundays. If you choose a weekday (Monday to Thursday) it will be even cheaper. This naturally might mean some of your guests will not be able to attend, although this can also be another money saver!

 

GUESTS:

Did you promise yourself yours would be a quiet wedding and you found numbers quickly added up? Well, it’s time to narrow your numbers down. Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise and invite only the closest friends and family to the ceremony and reception and leave your work colleagues and friends of a friend for the reception only.

 

PHOTOGRAPHER:

This is a no-brainer. Nowadays there is no doubt social media platforms lead our lives. We all love a selfie and an Instagram filter! Create a hashtag specifically for your wedding and get your guests to upload and share all their pictures with you.

We found this original printable example from The Lion and The Lark which you can buy on their Etsy shop.

 

BAND/DISCO:

Our two options:

• Have you got a friend who can sing or play guitar? Tap into your guests’ talents and ask them to sing at your wedding! This will not only reduce the cost but also create a magical atmosphere and will make your big day more personal.
• Be your own DJ: Create a playlist beforehand. Include a song request on your wedding invitations and as you start receiving your RSVP cards back with your guests song choices you can start creating your playlist.

 

INVITATIONS:

There are so many possibilities to save up costs on this one! As we explained on our previous blog post ‘DIY BRIDES: A Handmade Wedding is possible’ there are quite a few companies that offer free printable wedding invitations. If you would like a professional wedding stationary company to take care of this aspect, get in touch with us and we will help you create a budget package!

 

CAKE:

If you don’t know anybody that can bake a cake, do it yourself! I know this might sound crazy but yes, you can bake your own wedding cake and it’s not so difficult. We have brought you an easy tutorial to create a naked wedding cake decorated with fruits from Superfine Bakery. Click here to watch the video.

Tip: To save some extra money, serve your wedding cake as a dessert, after the food.

And some more wedding looks for your wedding cake on this little project by M&S and Rock My Wedding:

FOOD AND DRINKS:

Last week we wrote a post on our blog about how to cater your wedding with food and drink trucks. While this is our favourite option, there are many other ways to save money on this. You could opt for preparing your own food. Just make sure you keep it simple! Before you jump into this, write a list to make sure you are able to cater your own wedding:

• Menu: Make a list of the possible dishes you would like to prepare.
• Supplies: Will you be able to source all the ingredients you need for you menu?
• Kitchen space and equipment: Is your kitchen big enough? Have you got all the utensils you need to prepare your menu?
• Storage: Where will you store all the food once it has been cooked? If your fridge is not big enough, ask a close relative to help you store it!

 

FLOWERS

If you definitely want flowers to decorate your venue or reception, here are some tips to create a magical look without spending a lot:

• Go for inexpensive flowers: Flowers such as lilies and tulips combined with solidago and rice flowers make a winning combination.
• Buy online: As much as we love going local, if you are on a budget you will save some money by purchasing online.
• Re-use your flowers: Do not buy a different lot of flowers for the venue and for the reception. Simply transfer them from one to the other!
• Go green: Leaves can look just as beautiful on your reception tables and they are way cheaper than flowers. This will also add a rustic touch to your wedding! Lemon leaves are one of the cheapest but still good looking options.

 

DECORATION

We would like to introduce you to our friends at Ginger Ray, the budget wedding gurus! They sell everything wedding! Honestly they have pretty much everything you can think of, from their hen party accessory line to their ‘on the day’ wedding decorations like balloons, chair and table decor, bunting, signs, lanterns and confetti.’

 

HONEYMOON:

This is not strictly part of the wedding day, per se, but it is part of your wedding budget! We are sure that getting away with your partner as newly weds after your wedding day is something you can’t stop thinking about. And with this thought comes the question: ‘Can we afford the honeymoon of our dreams?’.

There is a cheeky tip we love telling our future brides and grooms when they come to us for their wedding stationary. The secret? Include a honeymoon wish card in the envelope with your wedding invitation. Honeymoon wish poems politely request your guests to contribute towards your honeymoon. This will help you achieve your dream honeymoon destination and will make it easy for your guests to decide what to get you.

We hope these tips help you plan your wedding! Do you know of any other ideas for a budget wedding? Share them with us!

The Sugar Team x