4 Ways To Save On Wedding Costs
The world economy is still in a precarious position right now; living on increasingly stricter budgets have become the norm for many couples across the globe. It may come as a surprise that the average British wedding costs between £23,000 and £26,000. Add another couple of thousand for the honeymoon and it’s no surprise that newlyweds return from a dream holiday away to get sucked into a mire of debt. But fear not, here you will find some simple and elegant ways to cut the cost without sacrificing on quality.
1. Let’s consider some of the really big expenditures attached the “big day”. First of all we have the venue. Usually a church or chapel, it is becoming increasingly popular to get married in hotels, beaches or marquis in beautiful locations. If opting for the latter, try and plan an out of season wedding, say January. Places that offer wedding services won’t have much business during these months and will be willing to offer discounts or reduced prices for the business as it’s better to get 50% of something rather than 100% of nothing.
2. Then of course we have the guests. Now, as much as a wedding is a celebration, it is also a very personal moment really between just two people. Cut down the list to just close family and friends to save hugely on food and drink costs (an area you most definitely should not skimp out on) and also forget about wedding favours. I went to a wedding several years ago and still have the wedding favour. It sits in a cupboard gathering dust. Not worth it.
One more thing you can do in this area which can save you money long before the wedding rolls around is scrap “save the date” cards. These little card are an extra expense on top of invitations (which you shouldn’t have many of because of the reduced guest list!) and unless you plan to have your wedding in a remote or exotic location (e.g. overseas) then this is simply something you can do without.
3. Next is the dress. Some woman would consider the act of buying a second hand dress or one of dubious origins to be sacrilege. But if you look around then you can find an absolute bargain. Ebay hosts a number of online bridal stores that make dresses for considerably cheaper than high street wedding retailers and a number of high street chains such as BHS and Tesco also cater to weddings. BHS in particular make gorgeous wedding dresses upwards of £200 and if a sale is on then you can grab a beautiful dress for a ridiculous price.
Another alternative is the Oxfam bridal shops which have a considerable reputation for brides to be finding the perfect dress first time or grabbing a last minute replacement for a fraction of the cost. Plus, you’ll also be giving money to charity so everyone truly wins.
A word of warning though; research is vital if dress shopping online. For every joyful success story there are two stories of regret and disappointment. Thoroughly research any online vendor for reviews and if it is an auction, then ensure you ask loads of questions so that you have proof you checked before buying the dress. Auctions usually start as low as 99p but postage is usually extremely high given the weight, size and fragility of the product to be shipped. Always take that into account before bidding. If you are careful and well researched then you can pick up a dream dress for a steal.
4. Flowers are often a necessity to a wedding, they add elegance and grace to a scene already filled with rapturous beauty, however, it is often the one thing where the cost creeps up and ends up in the thousands easily. A couple of ways to save on the costs are to buy in-season flowers. Roses will always come with a hefty price tag but certain flowers like lilies are much cheaper during blooming months and considerably pricier when out of season. Always buy flowers with “loose stems” and buy that I mean without any arrangement. Arranging flowers is not difficult and it can save on the costs big time. Finally, don’t say you are buying for a wedding. A bunch of roses for a wedding are somehow more expensive than a bunch of roses for other occasions. Vendors often do this to make a little more so be discreet and save.