Your wedding day just might be the most exciting day of your life. This means that you’re likely to get carried away with the image in your head, and pay less attention to your budget than might be sensible.
However, the added stress of planning a wedding right now is, of course, the cost-of-living crisis. This can make getting married on, or even below, your budget more important than ever before.
So, if you want to have the perfect day without breaking the bank, keep reading for some tips on how to plan a wedding on a budget.
- Set your budget
The easiest way to stick to your budget is to have a fixed, realistic one set in the first place. Have a look at online wedding cost guides to help you work out a rough estimate of how much your wedding is likely to cost, taking any contributions into account. Once you know roughly how much the overall wedding will cost, split it up based on how much specific things will cost, and prioritise what’s most important to you.
- Hire a wedding planner
We promise this isn’t a waste of your money. Having a wedding planner is essential for staying on budget. Not only will they be another person holding you accountable, but they have connections that you don’t have, and are more likely to be able to find you money saving deals.
- Consider the season
Peak ‘marrying times’ are usually between May and October and are a lot more expensive than during the winter. Take this into consideration when booking a venue if you’re looking to save money. Looking at weekdays is important too. Did you know that getting married during the week or on a Sunday is less expensive than getting married on a Saturday?
- Be realistic with your guest list
The smaller a wedding party, the less it will cost. It can be hard to cut out people you want to spend your special day with, but by keeping numbers down you won’t spend as much on things like flowers, food and wedding favours.
Many people keep the wedding itself small and then have a huge afterparty where costs don’t factor in as much – so if you’re worried about leaving people out this could be a good solution for you.
- Shop around for your wedding outfits
Wedding dresses and suits are among the more expensive parts of your wedding and will take up a surprising amount of your budget. Instead of going straight to the most expensive wedding-specific vendors, consider high-end retailers like T.M. Lewin. With a wedding section suited for all men’s formal wear needs, you can grab less expensive but equally gorgeous outfits.
- DIY
DIY items can be fun, cost-effective and make your day even more special. However, we recognise that with a wedding coming up this can cause undue stress and can result in you spending more money than intended if you’re unhappy with the results. Instead of taking on lots of DIY projects, pick just one or two. You’ll feel proud of your contribution, save yourself a lot of money, and cause yourself less stress than if you had taken on loads of different DIY projects at a time.
