We’re all fairly clued in that money doesn’t in-fact grow on trees (unfortunately) and where weddings are concerned, no matter how hard you budget and plan, they just cost a lot of money! But does that mean you have to go without and make do for your Big Day? Definitely not. It’s all about being clever, making sensible decisions and today we’ll be sharing five tips to help you make your money go further and work harder.
1. The Biggie – Choose your day and date wisely
If you’re at the very beginning of your wedding planning and haven’t chosen your venue or even your date, remember this – peak wedding season runs from May until September with prices being at their highest during the middle of summer (July & August), during the weekend (Friday & Saturday). To stretch your limited budget, consider booking your day at the very beginning or end of wedding season and during the week (Monday-Thursday is considered midweek). As long as you decide early and give your guests plenty of notice, a midweek wedding should be no problem at all.
2. Bye bye Mr Postie
You might be very surprised at how much postage of your wedding invitations will cost, and it’s one area couples forget to include in their initial budget. For some of your guests anyway (because we know Aunt Pat will still want a physical card!) why not choose to go paperless and email your guests their invite? Alternatively, you could ask your guests to RSVP through text message, WhatsApp, email or via your wedding website to cut costs on purchasing stamps. Always remember to keep a record of who has and hasn’t RSVP’d!
3. Small & Beautiful Bridal Party
When it comes to your bridal party, remember one thing – the more you have, the more you have to dress, which obviously costs money! You could choose to forego bridesmaids all together and just ask your sweet little nieces to help you on the day, tiny dresses cost a fraction of the price. Or, head to the high street for alternative bridesmaids dresses that your girls will wear again. Same goes for the groom and his groomsmen, maybe a Best Man might be better if he were taller than 3ft, but he certainly doesn’t have to have a huge grooms party just to fill photographs!
4. Double up your suppliers
Chances are if you spend time researching your suppliers, you’ll find that many of them offer more than just one service. Your photographer might also be a videographer or offer a photo booth service and your cake supplier might offer handmade chocolates or macarons for wedding favours. Ask each of your suppliers what other service they offer and chances are if you use all and book two services together, you’ll get a nice discount and save lots for another area of your day.
5. Shop local and consider the season
Most of us try to shop local in our everyday lives and your wedding day should be no different. It’s good for everyone, from the small business you are supporting to the environment and your wedding budget. When it comes to elements of your day including food, cake and flowers, seasonality is key – stick to flowers and foods of the season to keep costs down. If you’re unsure about anything, ask your suppliers for their advice.
Images from Martha and John’s romantic summer garden party wedding by Anna Frins Photography.
