5 Ways to Prepare the Perfect Budget Wedding

Who doesn’t love a good wedding? They’re not just a celebration of love; they’re also a chance to get together with friends and family. Weddings are always exciting, but when you’re planning your own there’s even more to get excited about.

That’s not to say it’s easy. In fact, planning a wedding can be tough on the finances and on the emotions. Family feuds can seem bigger than ever, and no matter how you try to cut costs there always seems to be something that goes over budget. Bear these few simple tips in mind, and your wedding planning should go a little smoother:

Make Use of a Friend’s Skills

Your friends probably have a wide range of talents. A cousin might make really beautiful cakes, and an old school friend might be able to create some handmade wedding invitations. Before you go spending money on those wedding essentials, ask around and see if your friends are able to help. Most will feel honoured to be a part of your special day, helping for free or at least offering a reduced rate. You’d be surprised how many friends have talents that you can make use of!

Just remember to ask for a friend’s support during your preparation, and not on the big day. Some people might be excited to be involved on the day of your wedding, but others find it stressful. Instead of helping out, your loved ones want to be able to enjoy your special day. Don’t give them a job that distracts them from the occasion and puts pressure on them. Hire a real photographer, rather than asking your brother to take your wedding photos.

Skip the Favours

Wedding favours are a nice little treat, but when you’re on a tight budget you have to think about cutting the costs that aren’t completely necessary. If you’re cutting costs, wedding favours can be amongst the first things to go. They’re not an essential, and your guests won’t think less of you if there are no favours on their tables.

If you really want some wedding favours, but can’t afford to buy individual gifts for each of your guests, then why not consider a candy buffet? Your guests can help themselves to sweets, and you can potentially save significant amounts of money. You can hire professional candy buffets, where sweets will be provided and displayed without any effort on your part, or create a DIY buffet table if you’d like to try it for yourself. With a candy buffet, your favours could cost as little as 50p per person.

Buy a Second-Hand Wedding Dress

Venue hire aside, a brand new wedding dress can be the most expensive single purchase you make for your wedding. People spend a lot of money on dresses that they’ll only wear once. Fortunately, that also means that there are thousands of second-hand wedding dresses available in nearly new condition. Often, people sell their wedding dress very soon after their big day.

Online, and in wedding charity shops, you’ll find designer wedding dresses at incredibly low prices. In fact, you might even find a cheap wedding dress that’s still available to buy brand new in other shops. A second-hand wedding dress might have a few scuffs if it’s dragged over the floor as another bride has worn it, but they’re going to be barely visible. Nobody will notice unless you tell them, and they could mean that you get your dress at 10% of the original price.

Buy Bridesmaid Gifts on a Budget

Your bridesmaids are attending your wedding because they care about you. They want to support you on one of the most exciting (and the most stressful) days of your life. They’re not doing what they do for a material reward, though a gift to say ‘thanks’ is a wonderful gesture.

Don’t go getting into debt just to show your bridesmaids that you appreciate all of their hard work. Sometimes, smaller gestures mean a whole lot more. Buy a Sterling Silver pendant to present to them during your wedding speeches, and give them a gift that they can treasure forever and one that you know will be used regularly. Alternatively, simply let them keep the bridesmaid jewellery, dress and shoes that they wore for the occasion.

Create a ‘Guest Poster’

Traditional guest books can be expensive. Unfortunately, they usually end up lost in a drawer once the wedding day is over. Thanks to Facebook newlyweds can regularly take a look at their wedding photographs once their special day has finished, but very few go to the effort of digging out their guest book and looking through the pages. That’s a shame, because wedding guest books are usually filled with wonderful sentimental and thoughtful comments from the people that mean the most to them.

Instead of spending a small fortune on a guest book, why not have a wedding poster? Print a photograph of you and your partner, mount it and put it on a large and sturdy piece of black card. Buy one or two metallic water-based felt pens, and let your guests scribble their thoughts throughout your wedding day. It can cost less than £10, and you’ll get a really special poster to hang in the home as a lasting reminder of your wedding day.

Weddings don’t have to cost a lot. There’s nothing wrong with spending a small fortune on your big day, but by keeping costs down you’ll have more money to spend on the marriage. After all, it’s what you’re getting married for!

Written by Cheryl Lewis on behalf of Delicate Dreams