How to have a beautiful budget wedding
August 2021 | Read time: 7 minutes
With the average wedding in the UK coming in at over £30,000*, it’s never been more important to be savvy with your wedding spending.
Of course, it’s only natural to get caught up in the excitement - after all, this is one of the biggest and best days of your life! Unfortunately, that means costs can often spiral.
However, you don’t need to spend a fortune to have the day you’ve always wanted. There are loads of great ways to cut costs without compromising on quality. Our top 5 savvy spending tips will help you deliver on the wow factor but save on the pennies.
1. Think outside the box for wedding catering.
Let’s start with food because catering is always a biggy. Guests need to be fed and if your guest list is growing then so are your costs. A three-course sit down meal is likely to take a big chunk of your budget. But thinking outside the box for catering can really pay off.
Firstly, have you considered a buffet? A good spread can create a more relaxed atmosphere and take some of the stress away from organising everybody’s meal preferences. With a per-head cost of as little as £11 or £12, opting for a buffet over a sit-down wedding breakfast can cut your catering bill by up to 30%^.
Or how about a food truck? If you love a bit of boho-chic, then a trendy food truck could be for you. They’re fun, quirky, less formal & your guests will love the relaxed atmosphere, not to mention the delicious food.
As there’s no need for waiters or fancy tableware, you can seriously save on costs. Get in touch with your favourite food truck, or restaurant and talk menus, pricing, and availability.
Photography by Matthew Moore for Martha Stewart Weddings
2. Piece of cake alternatives
Let’s be honest, a five-tier wedding cake spectacular isn’t for everyone. Firstly, not everyone likes traditional wedding cake. Ask yourself ‘would anyone miss it?’. Even those with the sweetest tooth may prefer an alternative.
It can also go untouched. Especially after a big meal and a few drinks. Plus, once the dance floor gets going, the cake is unlikely to be top of the agenda. Couples often think they need a big enough wedding cake so that everyone has a slice, only to find themselves pleading with guests to take some home.
If you do want to serve wedding cake, how about offering it as a dessert option? This can help save on catering costs. You can also buy traditional three-tier versions from certain supermarkets for about £1 a slice - a real money saver. Or even better, ask a friend to bake a cake. We all know a handy baker these days.
But, what about an alternative?
You could always go savoury with a cheese celebration cake. This fantastic 4 cheese tower costs just £70 and can feed 90 guests at 78p a portion.
How about a macaron tower? They look great and are super simple to create yourself. You can grab 12 Extra Special macarons from Asda for just over £3.
Donut towers are also a great alternative and could be an option for dessert. They look spectacular and are sure to be a talking point when your guests arrive.
3. DIY your wedding invites
A wedding invite usually sets the tone for the entire event. Often the first thing your guests see and likely to be your first real expense. Couples spend an average of £300-500** on wedding invites, information cards & RSVPs. But, there are lots of easy ways to save on costs.
If you’re a hands-on couple who want to get creative with your wedding stationery, why not make your own? There are plenty of free templates out there. Check out Canva for example. For even more inspiration head over to Pinterest. Once you’ve chosen your style, start creating. It’s an incredibly rewarding process and your guests will be super impressed when they hear you created the invites yourself.
Or, why not go full digital with your wedding invites? Ditch the paper and send everything via email. You can set up your own wedding website super easily these days. Sites like TheKnot are free to use and you can set up a site in minutes. You can also manage your RSVPs and a website is a handy place for guests to find information about the venue, nearby hotels, taxis, etc.
Doing it digitally is also environmentally friendly and avoids printing and postage costs. Win-win!
4. Pre-loved to re-loved
Shopping for second-hand items is a sure-fire route to a luxe-for-less bargain. Of course, one of the most important (and expensive) items of any wedding is the dress. A 2019 survey found that brides spent an average of £1,313 on their wedding dress. That’s a serious chunk of any budget, which is why many brides are now turning to pre-loved wedding dresses. In fact, around 1 in 4 brides-to-be say they would now seriously consider buying their wedding dress second-hand^^. These dresses have likely been worn once before and will have been treated with incredible love and care.
Check out second-hand marketplaces like Still White and Preloved. These sites allow couples to recoup some of the cost of the dress while ensuring the gown goes to a good home.
Oxfam also has a dedicated wedding dress section of their online shop, meaning you can give a little back while picking up a bargain.
And it’s not just dresses that can be picked up pre-loved. Second-hand accessories, jewelry, decor, stationery and other crafts can all be snapped up for a bargain on sites like Sell My Wedding.
Of course, don’t forget about the wonderful wedding community on Instagram. It’s a hive of inspiration, experience & support for brides-to-be. You can easily connect with like-minded brides and often share items after the big day.
5. A Unique wedding film for a fraction of the cost
Of course, no savvy saving list would be complete without our own plug. We know how expensive wedding videography can be. On average a wedding film in the UK will set you back £1,500. Unfortunately, that often means couples have to compromise and prioritise other elements of their wedding.
At Your Wedding Story we create unique wedding films at a fraction of the cost of traditional videographers. We do it by simply using your guests and their smartphones. In a world of selfies, Instagram and TikTok we’re all pros behind the camera these days. The latest technology in smartphones also rivals the specs of dedicated camera kit, meaning there’s no need to hire an expensive videographer. Let your friends & family capture those candid, personal moments just as they normally would. Then we can produce you a truly memorable wedding video for as little as £299.
Here are a few reasons why we think our approach works well.
It creates a more relaxed atmosphere
A stranger putting a camera in your (and your guests) face can be a little unnerving. Our approach creates a more relaxed, natural atmosphere; snapping clips on our smartphones is now second nature. The result is more authentic footage which creates a better film. You also spend less time out of the action, posing for a shot list and more time enjoying your day.
It’s less hassle
One less person to coordinate with, feed and worry about on the day. Your guests simply need to bring their smartphones and we’ll take care of the rest.
You get to see more of your day
A single videographer can only be in one place at any one time, but a wedding is a hive of activity with lots of mini moments happening all at once. Our approach means you can relive it all.
We’re flexible
We’ve got our fingers crossed that weddings can go ahead as planned now that Covid restrictions are easing. But, our approach means we are completely flexible, giving you extra peace of mind should dates change.
Your wedding day is for you
There’s no doubt that you can have a beautiful budget wedding that delivers on quality and cost. Once you have your priorities in order just look for ways to cut costs on those items that are lower on your priority list. Above all, the most important thing to remember is that your wedding is for you. There’s no need to add something to the list just because it’s ‘the norm’. If you don’t want a five-tier wedding cake or a sit down meal, then simply don’t have one. Whatever your plans, whatever your budget, do what makes you happy.
*Hitched. ^Moneysupermarket. **Statista. ^^Independent online
