Low-Budget Wedding Planning | How To Be Frugal Without Missing Out!
“If you see a beautiful dress online that you’d look perfect in, go ahead and grab it!”
Weddings can be a big investment, but they don’t have to be. If you’re planning a micro wedding, either because of COVID-19 or because you don’t want your budget to go over the top, we’ve got some great tips to help you cut down on costs!
Our first piece of advice would be to avoid overloading your guest list with too many people. If you have an original guest list that’s over fifty people, we recommend going through this list with your partner to see if you’re inviting anyone out of a sense of obligation rather than because you want them present to witness and celebrate your union. For example, these guests may be distant relatives that you haven’t spoken to in years but you’ve been told you have to invite, or friends that you said you’d invite a long time ago but haven’t spoken to them in years. It’s your wedding your way so it’s entirely your choice as a couple on who you invite, but we’d recommend going through the guest list and seeing if there are any names you feel you don’t need to invite. You can always have a post-wedding celebration later on and invite them to celebrate with you if you feel you still need to invite them.
Wedding venues can also be expensive, however, there’s a way to cut costs — if you’ve shortened your guest list, you could search for venues that charge per head rather than a set package price. Town/village halls can provide this kind of service, along with including a wedding breakfast if you choose. Alternatively, you could have a civil ceremony at a registry office and have the reception in the comfort of your own home and not have to worry about venue costs. This is one of the main areas where the number of guests can influence the costs — venues can be cheaper if charging per head, but if you only have ten or twenty guests and a spacious home then you can always host a small party with a modest buffet. A home reception can also mean less to spend on decoration should you choose, though we understand it can be incredibly fun to set up the decor for your big day.
It can also help to cut down on costs by seeing if anyone in your network of friends/family works as a vendor or can recommend any good quality services on a budget price. Low-cost shouldn’t mean low-quality! We’d recommend avoiding asking any vendors in your network to work for free they have to make a living from their business after all, but if they offer you a discount then you can discuss terms with them. You can always ask your family members and friends to help out with decisions on things like invitation designs, decor, or food as well if you can’t afford an official wedding planner. As for attire, if you’re looking to keep it low-budget then we’d recommend looking into outlet stores or charity shops which are dedicated to selling pre-loved wedding dresses. Oxfam and the British Red Cross both have specialised shops which are dedicated to selling wedding dresses donated by the public, but if that’s not to your taste, there’s no reason why you have to get married in a white wedding dress. If you see a beautiful dress online that you’d look perfect in, go ahead and grab it! It’s your wedding, so do what makes you happiest. If you or your partner still wishes to wear a suit, renting one may be cheaper than purchasing one so check out any outlet stores in your area, or even check the same charity shops for suits in all shapes and sizes.
You can also save money by cutting down on the number of flowers you order for bouquets, buttonholes and decor. If you’re determined to have a floral wedding, we’d recommend going for seasonal flowers or even picking your own wildflowers. You could grow your wildflowers ahead of time specifically for your wedding day, and offer the seeds that drop from your mini-meadow as wedding favours for your guests. Wildflowers are also great for rustic wedding themes (see our blog on rustic styles here), and go great with recycled wooden pallets. You can either buy these pallets or search around online for people or businesses who may be giving away their old pallets for free. Wooden pallets are great for adding signage to your wedding day, and a great way of informing your guests of the day’s schedule.
For your reception, if you don’t feel like you need the services of a DJ (perhaps you’re hosting your reception at home?) you could borrow or lend (for a fee) stereo equipment. You’d have to check with the venue if you’re allowed to use stereo equipment without the regular insurance that a DJ would have, but if you’re hosting a small event in the comfort of your own home, you could simply set up a number of speakers on the same network to play songs from your personal playlists on Spotify, Google Play Music etc. You can also substitute a wedding cake for a modest selection of your favourite desserts to offer your guests, maybe with a specific treat intended for you and your other half.
One final suggestion — you could create your own invitations! If you feel up to the task, you could search small design choices online for easy origami and purchase coloured paper in bulk online. Your creations would be unique to your big day, and would certainly be something your guests would treasure. Plus, if your guest list isn’t long then that means fewer invitations to make overall, making the task much easier for you and your partner.
If you have any other suggestions, please let us know — we’d love to hear them and we’re sure our readers would too!
See you next week.
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If you’re hosting your wedding within the COVID-19 pandemic, please remember to adhere to the rules set out by the government to keep safe: gov.uk/weddings.
