5 Steps to a Beautiful Budget Wedding

When you're planning your wedding, you want every detail to be perfect. You want the day to be something you'll remember fondly rather than something you'll look back on and wish you had done differently! You might assume that if you have a limited budget, it won't be feasible to have a gorgeous wedding, and you'll have to make some sacrifices, but that's not entirely true – you can have a beautiful wedding on a budget, and in this post I'm going to some suggestions on how to accomplish it.

Catering

The food is often one of the most expensive aspects of any wedding. You may want to provide a three-course dinner to your guests, but this can end up being incredibly pricey. However there are other options when it comes to your Wedding Breakfast. If you schedule your wedding properly, you can simply serve a buffet-style dinner, which will also help add a more relaxed feel to the day.

You could even choose to provide the food yourself if that is a possibility. However, if you want to go down this route you've got to keep in mind that preparing for a wedding, and making sure the food is ready might be a bit too much for one person to do by themselves. If you intend not to hire an outside caterer, then you'll need to plan well in advance, and you'll need to enlist the help of friends and relatives to save you from getting too stressed.

Other ideas include a big barbecue after the ceremony or even a potluck event where everyone brings a dish and shares it out. There's so many different options available now, so just make sure you research, research, research!

Invitations

Invitations are another major expense that is often neglected and when it comes time to obtain estimates, the truth price can come as quite a surprise. All of that printing, not to mention mailing the invites, will quickly add up - just one 2nd class stamp costs 65p. One option to save money in this regard is to email the invitations to as many people as possible. In this way, you can still design something lovely, but it will be digital and therefore not cost anything to send.

If you prefer to be more traditional then the best advice is to shop around. In that way, when you find a place to buy printed foil invitations, you can be sure you're getting the best deal. Some companies will now let you design and send straight to the recipient which might help you to save some pennies too.

The Dress

When you think bride, you're first thought it most likely going to be about 'the dress'. Luxury gowns can cost thousands of pounds, and when contrasted to the rest of the wedding, it simply doesn't seem fair to spend so much money on just one thing. Some shops sell used wedding gowns that you can visit (or even look at online). Remember that these gowns have only been worn once for a few hours, so they are usually in excellent condition, and they are a fraction of the price of a brand new on!  Plus, unless you tell them, no one will ever know it's a secondhand dress. You can look at places like Asos for wedding dresses these days too, where you can find beautiful gowns at a fraction of the cost.

Don't Ask for Gifts

Many weddings include a gift list that specifies what the happy couple would want guests to send as gifts. It may make more sense to ask for help with the wedding budget rather than presents, particularly if you're already living together or have been living independently and have everything you need.

For example, if you know a photographer, instead of gifting you anything, ask them to shoot photos of the day. The same can be said for a cake maker, a dressmaker, a florist, or anybody else who might be able to assist. It will save you a lot of money and ensure that you don't get any unwanted presents. Of course, it's important to be sensitive; some people may not want to offer their services, and instead they might want to let their hair down and have a break. Always let them know there is no obligation, but that if they want to help out, they certainly can. 

Choose the Right Date

Consider getting married outside of the usual season, or even on a weekday, to save money on your wedding. According to Bridebook's 2019 wedding report, couples could save almost £5,000 by having their wedding in January or February instead of the busy months of June to August. And you could save up to £6,000 by getting married on a Tuesday or Wednesday rather than a Saturday! Although it may not be quite what you imagined at first, a winter wedding can be stunning, and many people would be glad to take a couple of days off work to celebrate your special day with you.

This is a collaborative post.