How to Save Money on your Wedding
Wedding budgeting is very important if you want to save money on your big day!
You met “the one”, they proposed or you, you juggled the minefield of living together and now its time to plan the wedding but for a lot of people this part is always the scariest and for some the part they never make it to simply because the cost of a wedding can spiral way out of control and for some is out of budget altogether. When you look at the latest survey conducted by Bridesbook.co.uk the average wedding is now set to cost a whopping £30,335 that’s £3,365 more than it cost last year, who has that kind of money for a wedding, for some that’s a deposit on your first house for others its an unimaginable number but weddings don’t have to cost the earth to be special. What makes a wedding special is all those small details and at the end of the day a £30,000 wedding can look no different than a £3,000 wedding it’s not what you spend its how you spend.
There’re so many ways you can save money on a wedding here’s just a few to get you started and before you know it the day you have always dreamed off will become a reality without sacrificing your bank balance.
Set yourself a budget…
Work out how much you can realistically save/ spend on your big day and make sure you stick to it, going off plan can cause costs to spiral.
Give yourself plenty of time…
Planning for a short time frame can seriously impact your budget, you run the risk of running out of time to pay for things and that can lead to loans being taken out as you have simply run out of time, plan for as far ahead as you can afford. Once you have set your budget work out how long it will take for you to reach that amount. Whether it’s a year or 3 it doesn’t matter how long what matters is you don’t sacrifice important things to pay for it quickly.
Get family and friends involved…
This one can be difficult for some, but a lot of times family and friends will love that they are involved in a wedding and it really brings people together, you will be surprised the hidden talents family members have that you never knew about. A cake maker, a florist, a caterer, a wedding car even a photographer. By simply asking you may be able to cross off some big-ticket items. Just ask you have nothing to lose.
Look out for second-hand items…
Regularly check local selling sites, wedding items most of the time will only have been used once and then not needed, a perfect time for you to snap up some bargains. You can find everything from décor to dresses at budget-friendly prices, you may even be able to find someone selling bulk items and work out a deal.
Shop in the sales…
Buying a second hand dress isn’t for everyone sometimes it’s the one item you would like as your something new, dresses range from 100’s to 10,000’s. Find bridal sample sales, they usually have 1 of each dress which has been used as a sample and its being sold at a discounted price, bridal shops will hold sample sales throughout the year and they are usually very busy, one of the best things to do is scope out the dress you like then wait for the sample sale and try and bag it then. Everyone knows the famous scenes from Friends with Rachel cowering under dresses blowing her whistle well that’s not a lie be prepared and stay focused. Don’t bag the dress then next thing to do is shop the sale rail at the bridal shops you can pick up dresses that would have been £1,000+ for just a couple of hundred.
Is it worth hiring a suit?
Suit hire can be a money pit as well as a minefield of ill-fitting suits, missing orders and missing items. The average suit hire is now at £140 and then when you add best man, father of the bride and ushers it can be a whopping chunk of your budget. Places like Matalan and ASDA do some fantastic suits perfect for weddings before you think oh no not Asda for a wedding suit its worth a look you may just be pleasantly surprised. The average cost of a suit from ASDA is just £45 and you can use it again and again.
Enter as many wedding competitions as you can…
This one isn’t a given, but you never know you may just be lucky enough to win items for your wedding, the more you enter the greater your chance of winning. Be on the lookout for low entry competitions as you stand more of a chance of winning. If you’re lucky you may just be able to cross off some big-ticket items.
Resource: List of UK Competition Websites
Get Creative…
Your best friend when planning a wedding will be Pinterest, you can find so many ideas and themes. If you find something you like but can’t afford the price tag, then simply DIY it. Some of the best weddings are made by these hand-crafted items, they can take a wedding from nice to stunning for a fraction the cost. Before you think you couldn’t possibly make anything you’re not crafty enough then give it a go before you say no, you may just surprise yourself at what you can create.
These are just a few tips to get you started, once you start down the wedding money saving path you will be constantly amazed at the savings and items you can create.
