A Wedding Costs How Much!?

By Daisy Technology
Ltd. Bulgaria (http://daisy.bg/index.php?id=135)
 [CC-BY-3.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

They say that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Unless of course, you turn up to a wedding without a present and start digging into the buffet...

In the age of the consumer - for better or for worse - we pay for everything and weddings are no exception. The average price of a wedding in the UK is now an eye watering £17,853. 

Somewhere along the line we swapped simple ceremonies, small sit-down meals and our Sunday bests for photo booths, vodka fountains and garters stitched with diamonds wept from virgin mermaid eyeballs. You'll more than likely find that last one somewhere on Etsy. 

Picking a budget isn't about prescribing how much you should spend. It's about working out what you can spend. Whether that's £500,000 or £500, by being smart with your spending you can make your money go further. 

Whatever you're thinking of spending on your big day, here are out top 10 tips to help you save the pennies.

1. When you're phoning around wedding services and providers, don't tell them that you're looking to book them for a wedding. Explain your requirements and ask them for a quote. Many companies will raise their prices for weddings because they know you're more likely to pay it. If you can pin them down to a price first, then they'll be less likely to increase those prices later
   
   
2. Why get married on a Saturday? It's the most expensive day of the week, and they book up faster, too. Sunday and Fridays are quickly becoming a popular alternative, but their still cheaper. If you want the advantage however, when haggling prices, ask for a Tuesday wedding. Currently the least popular day to be married on, it's likely to be the cheapest.
   
   
3. Keep the guest list small. This means less mouths to feed, less transport to arrange, less invitations and a less spacious venue - in fact, it means less everything. You might think inviting Keith and Tammy from accounts is a nice thing to do, but don't feel like you're responsible for everyone's social life. More people does not make the wedding better. In fact, it can often have the opposite effect.
   
   
4. Source favours from family and friends. Is Aunt May an amazing cook? Uncle Pete drives a brand new BMW? Is your sister amazing with hair and beauty? Do you have some crafty friends? Home-made chic is bang on trend at the moment, and it's a great way to get people involved. Don't be exploitative however. Always ask politely and don't be pushy. Most people should be happy to help out. Just make sure that you pick reliable people
   .
5. Don't be afraid of second hand. Call it vintage chic if it makes you feel better. Oxfam have a number of bridal shops that stock wide ranges of unwanted and pre-loved dresses. Why should you be sniffy about a £70 dress that retails at £900? Nobody will know if you don't tell them.
   
   
6. The political repercussions in your group could be phenomenal, but don't feel like you have to have bridesmaids. The dresses, hair, make-up and accessories will all add up to a tidy sum. If they're real friends then they will understand. If you can't do without them, give your girls input into the dress choices and ask for them to contribute to the price or pay for the dress themselves. As long as you're not looking at custom made Versache gowns, they'll agree.
   
   
7. This might sound like an odd one, but take out wedding insurance. Then if something goes wrong, you're covered. Weddings are planned so far in advance that you run the risk of losing everything if a serious problem arises. Shop around for the best deal for you and make sure you're covered for the big items and deposits.
   
   
8.  Have your wedding ceremony and reception in the same place. Packages are invariably cheaper, and they're easier to plan for. They usually come with a wedding coordinator too, who'll look after any problems that arise during the day. You're always within staggering distance of a bed, too. Which is handy for any wedding.
   
   
9. Ditch the DJ for an Ipod. The added bonus is that you control the playlist and nobody has to sit through hi-ho silver lining and the macarana. Unless you want to, of course.
   
   
10. Finally, don't let tradition force you into spending money that you don't have. Weddings are crying out to be custom made. The important thing is that you're marrying your partner. Send your invites by Facebook; ditch the wedding favours, reuse the church flowers in your venue. It doesn't matter. The time of superstition and tradition is being eroded by common sense decisions. Make sure everything in your wedding is there because you want it to be - you'll feel better for it.
    
    

How did you budget for your wedding? How are you budgeting for it? Stop by our Twitter page and let us know.