If you weren't lucky enough to hear Kate from Seber Weddings & Events talk on Savvy Budget Planning at our recent Wedding Show don't worry. We've got the key points covered here...
Kate Said: "Weddings
can easily burst their budgets, so being prepared with some easy, money-saving
tips will help keep you on track. Choose the key areas where you really want to treat
yourselves, be it the venue, flowers, outfits or entertainment and then try to reduce your
costs elsewhere.
Save Money on your Venue:
- The months of October - March
(with the exception of Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day) are the
cheaper months with regards to venue hire charges. Along with that,
Mondays - Thursdays are the days which offer the best value. So a Monday in March
could save you thousands compared to a Saturday in July.
- Many hotels offer amazing deals based on a specific
number of guests and dates. They typically include the hire fee, catering,
drinks and a DJ.
- Choosing a venue which is
nicely decorated and with attractive banqueting chairs could save you between £££'s on chair covers and venue draping
- Gain as many quotes and as much
information as possible if you’re considering a reception in your garden. It’s
not as simple or cheap as you’d think!
Save Money on Food:
- A popular choice for the meal
at the moment is to opt for a two course menu. Skip the starter and opt for
meats which are in season and perhaps an English classic such as Toad in the
Hole, Bangers and Mash or Cottage Pie to ensure your guests remember your menu
weeks after!
- Use your wedding cake as your
dessert. Most venues and caterers are very happy to supply ice cream, cream and
mixed berries to accompany this and it ensures that the money you’ve spend on
your lovely cake hasn’t gone to waste when everyone’s too full from a three
course banquet.
Save Money on Drinks:
- Changing from champagne to
sparkling wine will save you hundreds of pounds. A crisp Prosecco will do the
job very well, at half the price. During your drinks reception, you could put a
set amount of money behind the bar for soft drinks, beer or house wine rather
than paying for a set drink such as champagne or Pimms which may not appeal to
everyone, and therefore may be wasted.
- Always ask for jugs of tap
water to be on the tables during the meal. They can look lovely with slices of
lemon or lime and costs absolutely nothing, compared with an average of £3 - £4 a
bottle.
Save Money on Flowers:
- Choose flowers which are going
to be in season around the month of your wedding. Larger statement blooms may
be more expensive, but you’ll need fewer to fill a vase so it’s worth
considering peonies and sunflowers among others.
- Another alternative is to
enrol on a flower arranging course with the mums or bridesmaids which will give
you time together and the ability to purchase flowers from local flower
markets.
- Bridesmaid bouquets can also double up as centrepieces – just pop a
vase with water on the table and put the bouquets in when you sit down to your
meal.
- If flowers aren’t your thing,
or your budget doesn’t stretch to them then there are all sorts of centrepiece
ideas to consider. Pine cones, candles, mirrors, baubles, lanterns and
birdcages are all excellent alternatives and make lovely features in your home
after the big day.
Save Money on Your Dress:
- Dresses can be very expensive,
but they don’t need to be. Most bridal shops offer ‘off the peg’ sales in the
year, where you can purchase the actual dress you try on in the shop, sometimes
at less than half the usual price.
- The high street also offer amazing designs
and Monsoon, BHS, Debenhams and TK Maxx are some of our favourites.
Save Money on Your Cake:
- If your budget can quite
accommodate a 4 tiered extravaganza of a cake, fear not. Why not order a two
tiered cake along with some cutting cakes which can be given to your venue or
caterer. When you have cut your cake and it is taken away to be portioned up, the
cutting cakes will make up the difference. Waitrose and M&S have amazing
cake lines at a fraction of the cost, and they can be jazzed up with ribbon and
flowers.
- Alternatively you could ask your chosen cake maker to create a 'dummy' tier which will look like it's part of the cake but actually be made of polystyrene making your cake look bigger without the cost of extra layer of cake.
Save Money on Entertainment:
- An iPod could be used for parts
of your day such as the ceremony, or as background music during your meal. DJ
services are generally less expensive than bands but it depends on your
personal preference.
Save Money on Your Evening Photography:
- Guests can share all their
photos of your wedding day if you consider providing them with discs and they
can download their images on to it when they get home. This may save money if
your professional photographer is charging more to stay into the evening.
Save Money on Your Stationery:
- Your stationery should reflect
the theme for the day and your personalities, but the items don’t all need to
match one another. Hobbycraft offer items to make your own invitations or table
plans at reasonable prices and you can then book a professional stationer to
provide your on-the-day items (place cards, menus and table plan) so they
match. YouTube has fantastic ‘How To’ videos on making your own stationery.
Save Money on Your Honeymoon:
- Most couples these days are
already living together when they tie the knot and so it’s becoming more
acceptable to ask for money as a wedding gift. Honeymoons can equate to up to a
quarter of the budget so it’s fantastic that travel companies have come to the
rescue. Trailfinders, for example, offer bespoke honeymoons along with a gift
service so your guests can call or go online and donate money towards the
honeymoon of your dreams. You pay for the trip yourselves in full prior to the
wedding, and then when the gift service closes 3-4 weeks before the wedding,
Trailfinders reimburse you with the funds your guests have gifted.
Save Money when Planning:
- Consider hiring a wedding
planner. With supplier contacts, industry knowledge and insider tips, we can
save you more money. Seber Events offer a pay-as-you-go system meaning you only
pay for our time when you need us.
You really don’t want to be
paying off your wedding for years afterwards so if you do decide to borrow money,
only borrow what you can afford to pay back within a year. That way, you’ll
start married life in the best possible way!"
Thank you Kate for some very honest and insightful budget planning advice. We'd love to know which areas are your splurge and which areas of your wedding you are prepared to cut back on so please leave a comment at the end of the blog.
