As we step further down the aisle towards the start of the UK wedding season, searches for ‘how to budget for a wedding’ have rocketed by 116% in the past month.
Wedding planning can be stressful at the best of times, but as the UK continues through an economic downturn, couples may find it increasingly difficult to afford their dream wedding.
Now, new data from engagement ring experts at Queensmith has revealed that 93% of newlyweds found budgeting to be the biggest stress in the wedding planning process.
So, to support couples looking to save money on their nuptials, Queensmith has teamed up with wedding planner Sophie Wilson to provide some little-known ideas for nailing your wedding budget that could save up to £6,315.
- Pick one venue for your ceremony and reception
While newlyweds deemed budgeting the least enjoyable aspect of the wedding process, Queensmith discovered that looking around wedding venues was the fourth most enjoyable aspect of wedding planning for couples.
And, according to Sophie, your venue can be a great area to save money too she adds: “Try and find a venue that can do your ceremony and reception in one.
“A lot of places will now have a separate room or area for both to take place, and you will only pay for one venue hire charge, saving money and time for yourselves and guests who have to travel.”
- Being flexible with your wedding date – amount saved £4,000-£5,000
Saturdays are the most popular day of the week to get married, allowing venues to charge a premium. By opting for a weekday, and being flexible with the season and specific date of your day you can save thousands of pounds.
Sophie explains: “I’d always suggest going for a Friday wedding, people can usually get the day off work, and then you have the whole weekend to continue celebrations!”
- Buy a sample dress – amount saved £650
The dress can be one of the most expensive components of a wedding, and an item couples (rightly) don’t want to scrimp on. But what if you could get your dream dress for up to 50% less than its price tag?
A sample dress is a display you can try on in wedding dress stores and boutiques and often arrives in stock six months ahead of their intended season.
If you try on ‘the one’ in a store you can enquire about buying that specific dress and then get alterations later for the perfect fit.
Alternatively, if you see a dress at a show or in a catalogue that is not yet on sale you can call ahead to local stores and boutiques to enquire about when they will get samples in.
Buying your dress this way can save you around 40-50% of the original price.
- Re-use your bridesmaid’s flowers
Flowers can be a costly part of your wedding, not only will you need bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, but additional floral arrangements are also needed to decorate your venue.
To help you save money and reduce waste, Sophie suggests reusing bridesmaid’s bouquets for reception tables.
Simply place empty vases for the number of bouquets you have on tables across the room, and once you’ve finished your photos, pop the beautiful blooms in to adorn the table.
- Address your wedding invites by hand – amount saved £245
Many couples opt to have their wedding invites done by a bespoke company that designs and then personalises each invite, and while this is a great service, it can be expensive.
Sophie comments: “You’re paying a premium for the same design with a different name on each invitation.
“Instead, I recommend going on to a website like Etsy, they have loads of different designs that you can buy and download for £5 or less.”
And the savings don’t stop there, Sophie also recommends getting the invites printed by a volume printer who can provide hundreds for around £50.
Sophie adds: “Leave space for your guests’ names on your invites, and then, once they’re printed you and your fiance can personally address the invitations.”
- Go big on greenery
Flowers are a strong feature at weddings, but remember they aren’t the only thing that can go into bouquets and arrangements.
As Sophie shares asking your florist for more greenery can help cut costs: “It isn’t about having everything really green, you can still stick to your aesthetic and colour scheme, but the price of flowers and stems is almost double greenery.
“Florists can pick up greenery in bulk for a low price, so the more you have added into each floral display or bouquet, the better for your budget.”
- Search for evening, not bridesmaid dresses – amount saved £420
As you may have found with much of your wedding planning process, anything labelled wedding-specific can carry a higher premium.
When searching for bridesmaid dresses, Sophie suggests instead looking for floor length or evening dresses to avoid paying extra for dresses carrying a higher price tag for their ‘bridesmaid’ label.
