Many couples are looking at ways to make a savvy saving on their wedding day (Image: Getty)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeWith the cost-of-living crisis placing financial strain on UK households, many couples are looking at ways to make a savvy saving on their wedding day. Shocking figures have revealed the average cost of getting married now exceeds £31,500 – so it’s no wonder more couples are scaling back their wedding plans. During the pandemic, many Brits were forced to opt for unconventional weddings that looked far from traditional and didn’t cost tens of thousands of pounds. The team at money-saving website, Choosewisely.co.uk, have shared their tips on budgeting for the big day to help stretch out your wedding budget. Design digital wedding invitations Use free design apps to create your invitations and send them via WhatsApp or email. A few options include Canva, Desgyner, Evite, and Invitation Card Maker App from Clear Coast LTD. E-invitations are beneficial for guests who are prone to losing things, as they can easily access the wedding details over their phone. Throw a party and do the legal bit another day Hold an imitation wedding celebration in a garden, invite guests to listen to your promises, and then go to a registry office another day to make your marriage legal. This can save you a huge sum of money, as the price of getting married at a registration office costs around £57. As couples will be surrounded by loved ones during the imitation celebration, it will feel just like the real thing without breaking the bank. Wait and get married anywhere Rather than splashing out on venue fees, wait and host the occasion in your back garden, on the beach, or in your local park. The Law Commission is recommending that weddings should be able to take place anywhere, providing the presiding official considers it safe and dignified. Want the latest showbiz, royal and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our daily newsletter HERE

Host the wedding in your back garden, on the beach, or in your local park
(Image: GETTY)

These proposals to tear up current restrictions on where weddings can be held, could save couples thousands of pounds. This also gives people the creativity to choose where they marry, rather than a traditional place or worship, or a registry office. Forget about wedding cars Your guests want to see you get hitched; how you arrived isn’t important to them. If you are keen to travel in style, ask a friend with a nice car if they would be willing to chauffeur you on the big day. Get married in the evening From canapés to the main meal to evening nosh, catering for your guests really eats up your wedding budget. The later you get married, the less food and drink you need to provide for your guests, helping you stretch your money even further. Get hitched mid-week Due to the pandemic, the backlog of couples getting hitched on a Saturday meant couples were forced to get married midweek and guess what? No one minded. Saturday ceremonies are favoured by many as it eases planning for both the couple and guests, however venues often charge premium rates as it is the most sought-after day. If you choose a weekday, from Monday to Thursday, the venue is normally a fraction of the Saturday cost. Alter your expectations of the weather You’ll save yourself a lot of heartache and money if you don’t get married in the summer months. You’re never guaranteed a sunny day living in the UK anyway. Planning your wedding during the off season, from October to March, can save you a real bargain on most wedding related services, such as location, attire, catering and photography.

Planning your wedding during the off season can save you a real bargain
(Image: Getty)

Replace fresh flowers with dried Flowers are a wedding day staple, with most couples opting for vibrant bouquets to mark their magical day – but they don’t have to break the bank if you choose wisely. Instead of using fresh flowers, swap to dried blooms to save yourself a reasonable sum. The average price of a bridal bouquet is around £80, while a dried flower alternative will cost you £35. This way, you can also keep your bouquets and centrepieces forever. Make alternative buttonholes Buttonholes traditionally consist of a single central flower either used alone or accompanied by foliage. This small detail can can be an unnecessary expense. Instead, feathers and pampas are cheaper alternatives that look just as good. A small pack of 50 feathers costs no more than £15. Save all your glass bottles Centrepieces can be expensive, but a bottle with a candle in it looks rustic and romantic. Save up all your bottles and jam jars for free centrepieces in the run-up to the wedding. Borrow or hire your wedding dress You can rent your dream wedding dress for just a fraction of the cost of a new one. As you will only wear it once, consider borrowing or renting a dress to save yourself money. The average price of a new wedding dress is £1250, but a rented alternative will cost around £300. Do your own hair and makeup Professional hair and makeup can cost a small fortune – practice doing it yourself using YouTube videos or ask for a free consultation at a makeup counter on the high street. Ask your bridesmaids to wear their favourite outfit Traditionally bridesmaids wear the same dress to accompany the bride on her big day. Instead, ask them to wear their favourite outfit – their friendship is all that matters.

Ask your bridesmaids to wear their favourite outfit
(Image: Getty)

They will most likely feel more comfortable in a dress they chose too. Top hats and tails are a thing of the past Top hats and tails are an expensive tradition. Your groomsmen don’t have to match; have them wear their favourite suit instead. Again, they will feel a lot more comfortable in their own suit – especially the best man who may be feeling the pre-speech nerves. You don’t have to buy a new wedding ring There’s no law to say you have to wear a wedding ring. If you don’t usually wear rings, or you already own a ring you love, skip buying a new one. Wedding rings can cost anywhere from £100 to £3000, so ditch this tradition if it’s not for you. DIY confetti Ask friends with flowers in their garden to save the petals – instant biodegradable confetti. Book your photographer for a couple of hours Most photographers will charge you more the longer they stay. In reality, you’ll only ever have one or two photographs printed and displayed in your house, so you don’t need thousands of shots – get your guests to snap away on their phones instead. This may cost you around £500 for a couple of hours, rather than the average £1,500 for most all-day services. Reduce the number of guests Once upon a time, it was traditional to invite the whole family when Mum and Dad were footing the bill, but with more couples paying for their wedding, it’s important to invite the people you see regularly, who are a large part of your lives. Rather than splashing out on food and drinks for acquaintances, keep it a small and intimate occasion. Serve crisps rather than canapes Canapes are expensive, but everyone loves old-school crisps like McCoys, Discos and Skips. No guest can resist a trip down memory lane to childhood lunchboxes. This will see you spending a small expense on nibbles, between £20 to £50. Consider a buffet Your guests won’t mind how they’re fed, as long as they are. A buffet always works out much cheaper because the caterers will need less staff to serve it. This will cost around £15 to £30 per head. BYO booze If you’re celebrating at an unlicensed venue, ask your guests to bring their own booze. That way, they get to drink their preferred tipple, and you’ll save yourself a fortune. Ditch the glass of champagne to make a toast Traditionally during the speeches, guests are given a glass of champagne to make a toast – ditch the additional alcohol and let your guests raise the glass they already have. You can also use cheaper alternatives that will be just as good, such as prosecco, Cava, or a sparkling wine.

Aimee suggests using a primer to keep makeup in place all day
(Image: Getty)

Don’t have wedding favours Personalised wedding favours are often a waste of a couple’s money and effort. Many guests often leave them behind anyway, so save yourself the hassle. Skip the wedding cake Wedding cakes can be expensive, costing between £250 and £550 for a standard three-tier cake. But if your caterers are providing pudding, your guests don’t need cake on top. Have your guests bring the dessert To save money on catering, run a competition to see which guest can bake the best cake and serve it to your wedding party. Hire loudspeakers and plug in your phone Live bands are great, but they come with an expensive price tag. Create a playlist of songs you love to dance to and crank up the volume. You can hire loudspeakers for around £60 for the whole day. Mini-moon Keep your honeymoon short but sweet, and celebrate over a weekend away with your beaux rather than a week away somewhere tropical. This can see you spending no more than £300 for your little vacation. Co-founder of Choosewisely.co.uk, Tara Flynn, said: “It’s easy to fall into the trap of organising a traditional wedding because it’s a tried and tested formula, but those traditions can so often cause a wedding to become unaffordable for many.

You can save a lot of money cutting your honeymoon short
(Image: Getty)

Read More
Related Articles

Martin Lewis issues money-saving advice for Zara shoppers

Read More
Related Articles

Families could get £160 off energy bills as Rishi Sunak vows to scrap VAT

“Too often, couples and parents feel pressured into taking on expensive debt to afford the wedding of their dreams, but this shouldn’t be the case. “The pandemic forced couples to re-think their plans, creating a new trend of unconventional weddings since lockdown lifted that have been highly personalised and cheaper than traditional weddings,” she added. “All the couples we spoke to said their guests loved the unique touches that saved them money and made their wedding day stand out.”Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnCelebrity weddingsMoney

Categorized in:

Family, Others, People,

Last Update: October 24, 2024