In the midst of a cost of living crisis, you may be concerned about your wedding. And rightly so. There are some genius ways to afford your dream wedding suppliers despite the rising cost of living!
Just because you may be feeling the pinch (and aren’t we all!) doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your Big Day. Create a memorable wedding day that is affordable and fun with these practical tips:
Wedding Venue: Dry Hire vs All Inclusive
Here’s the scoop: a dry hire wedding venue will enable you to customise your Big Day, choosing the decor, suppliers and food that you want and can afford.
While a dry hire venue sounds like the best value for money, you have to remember that you will need to hire in everything. And I mean, everything. Catering, tables, chairs, glassware, bar staff, and so much more. What seems like the cheaper option will turn into a logistical nightmare and may end up costing you more.
Here’s why I love an all inclusive venue:
- Literally everything is included.
- Wedding venues and their staff know how to pull off a gorgeous wedding effortlessly.
- They usually come with a venue coordinator who can pull it all together on the day.
- You won’t need to deal with the logistics of figuring out how many tables you need and then coordinating the hire and delivery of said tables (plus all the other wedding extras mentioned earlier).
- The all inclusive packages often include items that would cost you more to piece together individually.
- Peace of mind.
Look For Off-Peak Wedding Dates
I’m a big fan of off-peak wedding dates!
Peak wedding dates include Fridays and Saturdays, Bank Holidays and pretty much anything in the summer months.
Off-peak dates are the opposite: Sundays, midweek wedding dates and anything in the ‘less popular’ winter months.
Don’t be fooled… these off-peak dates are every bit as special and romantic as the more popular dates. In fact, there are plenty of benefits to choosing an unconventional wedding date that go far beyond saving money (although that is a big plus).
Midweek weddings are a fabulous way to guarantee your dream wedding suppliers will be available and usually at a discounted rate (just ask!) and winter weddings are cosy, intimate and the perfect opportunity to go big on candles and lighting!
Bridal Sample Sales Are Your Friend
Perhaps you’ve got your eye on a particular designer’s style but your wedding dress budget just won’t stretch. Bridal sample sales are a brilliant way to buy a gorgeous wedding dress at a heavily discounted rate.
Keep an eye on our Wedding Events page to see which bridal sample sales are taking place near you!
Another place to look for beautiful wedding dresses at a lower price is our Pre-Loved Wedding Group on Facebook. You can find wedding dresses, shoes, accessories, decor and pretty much any wedding item.
Save Money on Wedding Photos
I don’t mean to burst your bubble here, but this is one area that you simply cannot skimp on. Sure, you could choose an unconventional date, as mentioned earlier, but aside from that, there’s little room for negotiation. And rightly so! You’re not just paying for a few wedding photos. You are paying for the experience, skip and creativity at capturing the most memorable day of your life.
Wedding photography advice to avoid:
- Just ask a friend to take photos.
- Give all your guests disposable cameras.
- Hire a photography student for free or cheap.
- Get someone to take photos and then send you the raw images to edit yourself.
The saying is true: you get what you pay for. So if you want high quality wedding photos that you can print and display in your home, then choose the best of the best.
Instead of haggling for a discount, try this instead:
- Ask your photographer if a payment plan is an option.
- Enquire about different packages and eliminate the extras you don’t need.
- Ask if the price will change if you only need your photographer for a few hours on the day (ceremony to first dance, for example) and then be ok with no getting ready photos or shots of your exit.
Reuse Your Wedding Flowers
You won’t save a huge amount here, but every penny counts, right?
We certainly aren’t suggesting that you take your bridesmaids’ bouquets and pop them in vases on the wedding reception tables (literally do not do this, the flowers will wilt and you’ll regret it).
Here’s what you can do:
- Create one flower installation that you can use for multiple things (ie a wedding backdrop during your ceremony and repurposed as a photobooth backdrop later on).
- Take the photos from the pulpit at your ceremony and display them on your wedding head table.
Shop Local and Seasonal
Want to save money on importing flowers or meal ingredients from all over the world? Then select items that are in season and available locally.
By choosing suppliers that live and work close to your wedding venue, you will also be saving money on fuel costs.
Bonus: you’ll reduce your carbon footprint!
Use One Thing For Multiple Purposes
This is my favourite wedding budget hack and something I did at my own wedding. Use one thing for more than one use!
Here are some examples of what you could do:
- Serve your wedding cake as your dessert instead of paying for both dessert and cake.
- Use little trees or pot plants as centrepieces and allow guests to take them home as wedding favours.
- Your candy buffet or printable photobooth pics could also double up as wedding favours.
