In Pursuit of the Affordable Wedding!
Who do you know?
Some of my friends married in Greece – so although everyone had to pay for their own package holiday, it significantly reduced the number of people that needed catering for, as only people who really wanted to be there came. And those of us who went saw it as our summer holiday of the year, with loads of friends and fun, and didn’t begrudge the event at all (if anything, I’d like to go again and wonder what next occasion we can have the same people all together on a week long holiday!).
The bride’s mother owns a restaurant so they held the reception there, and all food and drink was just at cost price (which in Greece is better than here), except for the champagne which needed to be from the UK and not Greece! So the bride distributed the bottles, 1 per wedding party, to take in their suitcase.
For the wedding they married on the site of what once was the village well, with ‘stage’ area from historical brickwork and grass, and a little hand crafted archway to ‘frame’ the vows.
It was a great event, and with the mother of the bride’s local contacts they managed to host the event with food, flowers, transport, music etc, and pay for their holiday and honeymoon, all for approx £5,000. Not necessarily affordable for everyone, but for them it was saving enough to not have to start married life in debt. They did a simple registry office wedding when they got home to do the legal process as the ceremony in Greece wouldn’t count for UK purposes.
If you don’t know anyone who owns a restaurant, home or away
It may still pay to go abroad! My boyfriend and I (although not technically engaged yet), are half-seriously considering taking advantage of the easy come easy go wedding culture in Las Vegas! As with my friends’ wedding, it would mean that anyone who came and needed catering for (by catering, I mean paying a restaurant and bar tab!) would be desperate to be there to share our day, and there wouldn’t be any ‘plus ones, twos or threes’ that you feel hesitant to pay the £100 per head for in UK reception venues!
Also, we could just ‘rock up’ to the Elvis Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas and spend a mere $200 on the event and then go and party with all our friends, and who knows – there’d even be the chance to win the expense of the wedding back in the casinos!
Alternatively, companies like Thomas Cook offer foreign holiday wedding packages from £1300 or so, although this price wouldn’t include travel and accommodation, but is still a viable alternative for some beautiful scenes, in comparison to the high prices and poor weather offered in the UK!
If your fiancé in an Elvis costume, or an Italian language wedding ceremony aren’t your idea of value though, and you can’t bear the thought of Granny not being able to attend your foreign wedding, there IS still some hope, and some tips on…
Getting the best deals in the UK!
The average cost of a wedding in the UK is £20,000! On one day! So how can you cut this figure down, without having to absolutely cull your invite list or scrimp on the overall magic of the day?
Work out what you can afford to spend, and then:
Prioritise!
Between you and your fiancé decide what aspects of the day are non-negotiable, and work on these aspects first. Don’t let customs, tradition, peers, or even your future mother in law tell you what you need or don’t need. By all means accept helpful advice but this is YOUR wedding, so do what you want to, and not necessarily what you think you should do.
From cakes to cars, rings to registry office fees, to professional photographers and honeymoon, if you can’t afford for everything to be as your dream wedding, opt for a friend or uncle to take the photos, and go to Europe instead of Mauritius for your honeymoon (you can save up and go to Mauritius for your 5 year wedding anniversary!), and borrow Granddad’s car for the day!
Get the facts!
Work out as much as you can the hidden costs. For example, marrying in a Church of England church will cost £451 in 2014 for fees. However on top of this they will charge for things like flowers, organist, chairs, and heating – so find out how much this is likely to cost for your number of guests and at the time of the year. A hotel package may not be as picturesque as a church, but they may offer a package to host the wedding and the reception together saving money. Again, check for hidden fees for ‘keeping the bar open late’ etc.
Could you think about doing the vows somewhere simple and free, hosted by a friend who speaks well publicly, and do the ‘legal stuff’ before or after in a registry office?
Choose the date carefully
Remember, venue costs are likely to be about one third to half of your budget. Don’t get married on a Saturday in August! The cost of venues, photographers, hotel room rates and other services can be as much as halved simply by picking a Friday or Sunday, and even more so by picking winter!
Save for extra treats
Save money in hidden places if you still have a while before the big day! That coffee or smoothie on the way to work every morning for £2, over a year, will add up to £500 – possibly the make or break between the cheap honeymoon or the less cheap honeymoon! Or between having a real photographer or your uncle Dave!
For the reception
If you know someone with some extra land or a big garden, check out the prices of marquee hire, with an ‘outside bar’ company to bring the bar, drinks, serve and clear up. For the food, don’t tell anyone it’s a wedding. Get catering quotes for particular dishes/menus but telling the caterers it’s for a birthday party or even a 50th anniversary ‘low key’ party, and don’t divulge that it’s a wedding until the contract is signed. If that doesn’t save enough money, ask family and friends to help in the run up to the wedding with preparing simpler items, and then for the main event get a hog roast or, find a friend who’s boyfriend is a chef and offer a great day rate to coordinate all the food. Ask friends’ younger brothers or sisters to help with serving the food.
For the cake – ask a budding local baker to quote you for a simple iced cake, and buy some of the decorations on line to turn it into a wedding cake. Or be creative, people having been having tiered stands with cupcakes or all sorts of other alternatives to the old fruitcakes.
How to look a million dollars on a few pounds
The dress: find some examples of elegant dresses you like, and get quotes from local dress makers! Not only will it be custom made to fit you, it’ll be unique, and an heirloom to pass on to your children as an antique.
Make-up and hair: get a locally advertised individual to test you for your make up well in advance of the day. People starting up their own businesses will be determined to win your business to help grow their portfolio so may budge on price, and even more so if you are willing to be photographed and included on their website. Alternatively, if you’re confident with your own hair and make-up, don’t feel pressured to pay for experts – look online for different ways to ensure your make-up lasts, and any tips for how to ensure your face looks great in photos, but otherwise, you may know your face better than a professional anyway, so don’t feel pressured into paying excessive rates! Have confidence and ask any friends you trust who always look well made up for tips!
Bio: Karen loves nothing more than throwing a big part with all her family. Whether it’s a special occasion or not Karen is always looking for luxury, space and affordability, so when she is ready to start planning her next shindig there is no one better to ask advice from than Gig Tent, who offer a variety of inspiring tents and marquee hire for all events.
Category: Budget, Family Finances, Weddings
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