Weddings are big business, with the average British wedding now reported to cost around £27,000. There are ways to cut on costs however, with many of them resulting in a more personal touch to boot…
Consider alternative dates
If you aren’t a superstitious person, then choosing an “unpopular” date (such as Friday 13th, could save you a fortune. Also think about holiday your big day during the week – you could shave hundreds off your bill…
Picture this
Instead of spending a fortune on floral displays for the middle of the tables, why not make the centrepiece a bit more personal with pictures of yourselves? Frame images of you as a couple during every year of your relationship and stand them on each table – you can borrow frames from your own house, friends and family in order to keep the cost down.
Shelling out
The likelihood is that, if you are from North Wales, that the beach will mean a lot to you. Instead of buying placecards, collect shells from your favourite beach and write the guests names on those instead…
Twice as nice
Instead of a traditional wedding cake, order cupcakes as an alternative. Arrange them in a traditional tier, and cut one as usual for the photo opportunity. But instead of having a mountain of cake left at the end of the day, you can give a cupcake away as a wedding favour, therefore killing two birds with one stone.
The gift of talent
Don’t ask for wedding gifts from you guests – instead ask them to contribute to your day. Have a talented photographer in the crowd? Ask them to take the pictures. Are you friends with a cake maker? Then get them to put their baking skills to the ultimate test. Does a family member have a posh car? Get them to drive you to the church. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask – most people would be thrilled to contribute to your special day.
Sell it on
Plenty of things that you bought for your big day can be sold on once its all over. We know its nice to hang on to as much as possible from a memory point of view, but if you hit ebay and the right Facebook groups you could raise a small fortune from selling on the things that you won’t ever use again. Second honeymoon anyone?
