The average wedding in the UK now costs £20,700 (according to Hitched). No wonder then that couples are on the lookout for ways to reduce that cost! There are, of course, many ways you can save money on your wedding, some more drastic than others, but here are a few ideas for savings that won’t detract from your wonderful day:
Forget the favours
Although it seems like a lovely gesture to give guests something to remember your day by, don’t forget this is YOUR day. Guests will have had a memorable time just being there and celebrating with you and you’ll all have photos to treasure forever. In truth, most favours get left behind anyway.
Repurpose your flowers
Flowers can be a really important part of your day, but often they are just left at the venue, or just used in one place. Ask your florist for flowers to be in moveable containers so that they can be carried from the ceremony area to the tipis for example, and instead of favours or gifts, why not give your flowers to your wedding party as they leave for them to take home and enjoy? Or, if you aren’t going on honeymoon straight away, take them home with you to enjoy. Another way to reuse flowers, especially the bride’s bouquet or buttonholes, is to get them pressed as a forever keepsake.
Everyone loves cake for dessert
Cake for dessert? Yes please! Let’s face it, most guests won’t eat dessert and cake, so why not make the best use of your wedding cake and save on catering costs. This way, your guests really get to appreciate and enjoy your cake.
If your heart is set on a band
A live band is usually quite expensive, but if this is non-negotiable for you then try to find one that offers a complimentary DJ service too. Then you won’t have two sets of costs for music.
Go local
Not only is using local suppliers better for the planet and for your local economy, but it’s also better for your budget as you will be paying lower travel costs.
Visit open days and wedding shows
Most venues have regular Open Days and there are numerous Wedding Shows all over the country. It’s there you will often find that suppliers and venues have special show offers, making attending well worth the effort! (*just so you know we will be offering a one off discount at our open day!)
Hire your decor
Instead of buying your wedding decor, why not look into hiring? This is often far cheaper and means less wastage (and no boxes of wedding decor in your garage for years to come). So, unless you are buying things that you know you will use again, this could be a great saving.
Call in favours with friends and family
Everybody loves a wedding and friends and family will usually jump at the chance of being involved in your special day. So why not make the most of that by calling in a bit of help? For example, if you know someone with green fingers, maybe they could sort the petal confetti for you?
We hope you find these money-saving tips helpful and they’ve given you some ideas for your wedding day. Have any more? Let me know below, or via my socials.
Don’t forget, you could hire your own tipi from our sister company, Orchard Tipis and potentially save money on venue costs.