£21,000; that is now the average cost of a wedding according to The Guardian newspaper. It looks like the Farther of the Bwill be thumbing the ‘FT‘ for the best remortgage deals! That amount of debt should make anyone stop and think about ways to cut it down to a more manageable level. So here we give eight quick tips to slash wedding costs while keeping the magic of your big day.
1 Buy a second hand dress: Your wedding dress may be one of your biggest expenses but there are lots of ways of saving your cash. For example, Oxfam have eleven bridal stores and many designers donate wedding dresses to the charity. These shops wouldn’t exist if people didn’t use them, so you wouldn’t be alone. Plenty of other charity shops stock good quality wedding dresses which cost a fraction of the price of a brand new frock. You can also save money by employing a local seamstress to make a dress or finding a local independent bridal store which will often undercut mainstream retailers.
2 Ask for cash as gifts: Instead of coming up with an elaborate list of gifts for your wedding, how about you consider asking for contributions towards the cost of the wedding. This could really contribute towards all the costs whilst also saving your guests the hassle of finding a gift that you are unlikely to return! If your close family members or friends insist on buying you a specific gift, then how about you suggest a few holiday vouchers or air miles that you can put towards your honeymoon? Or you could ask them to purchase
3 Find a cheap photographer: A professional photographer isn’t the only option for your wedding day. Do you have any friends or family members with an interest in photography? If so, I’m sure they’d be willing to lend you a very cheap (or free!) service. Otherwise, disposable cameras are extremely cheap to buy today, how about placing a few on the tables at the reception – that way you will more than likely get some interesting flicks by the end of the night! Interest in photography has grown along with photo sharing social network sites such as Facebook, so even if you don’t have a camera of your own, you are guaranteed a good selection from your guests to be uploaded through these sites.
4 Don’t go mad on your honeymoon: The Daily Mail reported in 2008 that a honeymoon is the second highest wedding cost that couples incur. The average cost of a honeymoon has reached £3,220 as destinations become ever increasingly exotic. To save money, why not choose a more unusual destination or ask your guests to pay for a honeymoon as a gift? Instead of flying to an exotic location, why not have a short break closer to home or, alternatively, book your honeymoon at the last minute to grab a bargain deal?
5 Create your own, wonderful invitations: If you’re thinking “Why would I need to save on invitations? They’re not that expensive” you’d be wrong. Weddingcrafter founder Alison Wren has this advice to give: “Stationery can easily set you back £300. Making things yourself is quite stylish and can save two-thirds of the cost.” Changed your mind yet?
6 Keep it a secret: Of course, getting married is something many of us want to shout from the rooftops bursting with pride and excitement, but just be a little selective with whom you confide. According to research conducted by consumer group Which? some hotels, photographers, caterers and florists actually hitch up their prices specifically for weddings. Be a little sly, ask for quotes without mentioning the fact you are hoping to buy for your wedding – if they are adamant in knowing a function, go with a birthday or retirement party for example. That way you ensure that you aren’t taken advantage of in regards to how much you pay.
7 Plan your wedding for the quiet period: Whatever venue you are looking at for the special day, be that a lavish stately home, a traditional church or an intimate registry office, ask when their quieter times are. Liz Taylor, a wedding planner of Lynn Corporation (who also, coincidently recently planned the ceremony between Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford) highlights that “even the very best venues have quieter times, so check when they are and look to negotiate costs”. The discounted prices could be of real benefit to cutting the costs of the day.
8 Simple, good food: Your guests are not looking for nouveau cuisine, they will be just as happy with a buffet table full of food rather than frois gras or food that some people have never even heard of, let alone tasted! Additionally, have your ceremony after lunch, that way you only have to provide food for dinner. Many venues now allow you to bring your own food, rather than using their own catering facilities. In which case, do just that, gather a few of the nearest and dearest who are willing to lend a helping hand and lay your own spread. You needn’t spend a fortune on drinks either, ask your guests to bring a bottle of something for the buffet instead of a wedding gift. You’d be amazed at just how much you could save by being cunning when it comes to food and drink for the day.
The wedding cake has to be up there on the list of expense for your wedding day. While every married couple would like their cake to represent their relationship whilst also attracting the guest’s attention, it doesn’t need to be 10 tiers high! Simply by cutting a single tier off your cake could save you a huge £200. Also, the cake is there to be eaten after all, so how about having that as the dessert rather than forking out more on other fancy deserts. So if it looks like the Brides Father is going to have to remortgage the family home to pay for all this, make sure he gets some decent remortgage rates.