I’m having a budget wedding that costs £3,000 with 85 guests – here’s how
THOUSANDS of extra weddings are taking place this year, as couples who postponed theirs during the pandemic finally get to tie the knot.
But amid the cost-of-living crisis, many brides and grooms, as well as guests, will be looking for ways to save money on the big day.
This week, Sun Money’s Leah Milner and Laura Whateley talk to three brides about how to manage costs, and offer tips for wedding insurance, as well as guests facing big outlays.
‘A weekday ceremony in November was thousands of pounds cheaper’
BEING creative and flexible is key if you want a dream wedding on a shoestring budget.
That is the advice of Lucy Clarke, founder of blog , which features ideas for couples getting hitched on a budget.
Lucy – who also runs online platform GetBlogged.net connecting influencers and brands – tied the knot herself in 2010, to partner Andrew, an online user experience manager.
First up, she recommends choosing a weekday, out of season.
She said: “The wedding season is from March through to September, but we got married in late November, which saved us thousands. It meant we could afford to go to our dream venue, Polhawn Fort in Cornwall.”
The couple, both 40, who live in Basingstoke, Hants with children Fin, nine, Indi, five, and Beau, three, spent around £6,000 on their big day, which they celebrated with 110 guests. They organised their own catering, but found it very stressful.
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Instead, she suggests booking a food truck to provide something more informal such as fish and chips – and added: “Having your ceremony in the afternoon means you’ll only need to feed the guests once, in the evening.”
Lucy’s wedding dress was a vintage 1920s number she found on eBay for just £60, while Andrew and his groomsmen got their suits in the sale at River Island for around £50 each.
For wedding favours, Lucy’s website has loads of ideas for personalised trinkets that cost less than 50p each – from clay hearts to name charms that hang on wine glasses.
But you don’t have to stick to tradition, she says. For example, you could ditch the favours entirely, or swap the expensive wedding band or DJ for a playlist.
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‘We paid just £250 for reception venue’
DO not be afraid to rope in family and friends to help, if you need to save on your big day.
Alicia Bartle, 25, and fiance Shaun Ward, 32, have a £3,000 budget for their September wedding and are calling on loved ones to pitch in.
They live with sons Quintin, three, and three-month-old Tobias in Langley Park, Co Durham – and are hoping they will be third time lucky after twice having to postpone their nuptials during the pandemic.
The couple have only one income, from Shaun’s work as a labourer, as Alicia is a stay-at-home mum.
But she said: “My mum is putting in £1,000 and we’re having the reception in a community hall, so will only pay only £250 for the venue.”
They have invited 85 guests for the meal and have booked caterers for £750 but a friend of Alicia’s mum is making their cake and they are saving a load more by not offering a free bar.
She said: “Neither of us really drinks so we don’t really want it to revolve around alcohol. We have hired a bar for £200 and we get the deposit back if guests spend over £1,000.”
Alicia’s dress is one of the biggest expenses, at £400, but they have cut back in other areas.
Shaun found a stylish second-hand suit for just £20 on eBay, where the couple also found matching outfits for their sons for £20 each.
The three bridesmaids’ dresses were £35 each in a Debenhams sale.
Alicia added: “We are not the kind of couple to spend £20,000 to get married at a castle, because we’d rather use the money for the kids or doing up the garden.
“Instead of a gift list, if guests want to get us something we are saving up for a ‘familymoon’, to take the children to a caravan park in Scotland.”
- 260,000 weddings postponed because of pandemic
- £17,300 is average spend on the big day according to
Tips for guests
WEDDINGS can also end up expensive for guests, so here’s some advice for them . . .
1) Set a budget. Before you accept the invite, work out how much you will need to spend.
Martyn James from consumer site Resolver says: “Many expensive mistakes occur when people don’t read invites. This can include assuming you have a plus-one, or not looking at the costs of accommodation or travel.”
2) Do not be afraid to repeat an outfit. Check your wardrobe for forgotten dresses or maybe borrow from a friend.
3) Gifts can be expensive, so club together with family or friends, buy a bigger present and split the cost.
Or make a personalised gift yourself – it can mean a lot.
4) Shop around for accommodation and book ASAP. Check Airbnb and for cheaper options.
5) Ask friends and family if they want to share taxis, or buddy up for lift shares, to keep travel costs down too.
‘Guests said it was best they’d been to’
PARENTS-to-be Autumn and Joseph Rice-Mundy had their dream church wedding and reception for 70 guests for around £2,200 last October, most of which was donated by their parents and grandparents.
The couple, both 22 and teaching assistants, live in Cleethorpes, Lincs.
They had to keep costs down as they were expecting baby Arthur, who was born last month, and are saving a deposit to buy their first home.
Autumn said: “We spent around £500 on the church ceremony, but didn’t go for all the extras like bells and an organ player – we used our own music instead.
“For decorations I ordered lots of artificial foliage and I also used fake flowers for the bouquets and buttonholes, which came to £180, but you couldn’t tell they weren’t real.
“My dress was £399, reduced from £1,200 because the bridal boutique had lots of discounted stock due to Covid cancellations. I paid £150 to get it altered and Joseph paid £200 for his suit.
“Our wedding rings were simple silver bands costing £25 each. My hair and make-up was around £200.
“The four bridesmaids offered to buy their own outfits. They each picked a dress from Asos and the second-hand app Depop, following my sage-green colour scheme.
“The biggest saving was the venue for the reception, as we had it at Joseph’s parents’ house. His builder dad made a canopy in the garden.
“We had a buffet dinner of finger food, which came to £400. My sister-in-law, who works at a bakery, gave us a cake made from doughnuts. I bought all the alcohol for £90 at Lidl.
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“My cousin did the pictures as he’s a photographer, and a friend of the family DJ’d and ran the karaoke.
“We couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out and lots of the guests said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to.”
Check insurance - It may have a clause for concern
WEDDING insurance premiums have often TREBLED since before the pandemic.
A bride and groom will now fork out on average £150, instead of £50, according to the comparison site .
The number of firms offering policies has shrunk but three that remain are , Dreamsaver Wedding Insurance and Wedinsure.
Mind the gaps in cover, though, especially when it comes to cancellations due to Covid.
will not pay out for any cancellation or loss relating to Covid or related government restrictions.
Dreamsaver offers an add-on to cover cancellations costs if you or a relative fall ill with Covid within ten days of the wedding, provided you are vaccinated.
Wedinsure will pay out if the couple or a close relative is seriously ill or dies as a result of Covid, but will not cover the cost of cancelling the wedding if there is a new lockdown.
Covid aside, there are also many other reasons to take out wedding insurance.
It can cover you against various disasters, from your venue burning down, to your caterer going out of business on the eve of your big day.
Look out for an unfair clause which may, for example, say a deposit is non-refundable without explaining why.
Watch out, too, for any high cancellation charges if you have to call off the event.
Pay for everything on credit card where possible. Section 75 of the consumer credit act means you can seek a refund from your card provider worth up to £30,000 if you do not get what you paid for or your supplier goes bust.
But remember to pay it off in full – or get a card with a long zero-per-cent offer so you do not get into debt.
