Budget big day tips

Wedding season is just around the corner and if it’s time to think about planning one of the most fantastic days in your life for you, you’re probably also thinking about how much it will cost. We know that weddings often come with a hefty price tag so, we’ve enrolled Hazel Thomas from money savvy wedding blog, Say I Do On A Budget to help you plan your wedding properly, know your funds and keep your big day on a budget.

Have you found yourself recently engaged? Congratulations on your engagement! You’re probably walking around with a bounce in your step until you start fielding questions from family, friends and near strangers - all of which you probably don’t have answers to! If you are starting to think about getting some wedding planning underway, I'm here to help you with the biggest decision you will make... the budget.

It can be tempting to jump straight into saving pictures of dresses or booking viewings for venues, but, if you haven't started working out your budget you could be setting yourself up for disappointment, or even worse -  wedding related debt.

How to start with deciding on a wedding budget - the three steps

1. Firstly, if you are happy to use some or all of any savings you have on the wedding this amount can go straight into your budget.

2. The second port of call could be that when you announced your engagement family members said that they would like to contribute towards your wedding. It will really help with your budgeting if you can sensitively ask them how much they'd like to contribute. Explain that you'd like to start some plans and it will be helpful to know so you can budget better.

3. Thirdly, work out how much you can save each month towards your wedding. Look at your outgoings and see what you are happy to cut back on. Check out The Nottingham’s guide on How to Save Money Fast and then specifically for food shopping here. Work out how much you can both save a month, multiply this by how many months you have between now and the date you hope to marry and add this to any savings and family contributions you have. This is your budget.

How to stick to your budget
Remember, your day, your way. Whatever is on your must have list is entirely down to the two of you, but overall the whole day doesn’t have to cost a fortune. I know many couples who have got married for £10,000 or less and have featured the fabulous real small budget weddings of many couples on my blog. I myself, got married in 2016 for £7,000 all in.  

The best piece of advice I can give on how to stick within your budget is not to have anything at your wedding that you do not want or that isn't important to you. Finally, here are seven of my favourite top tips that can add up to even more savings for your wedding. Happy planning!

Seven tips for easy ways to save on your wedding

1. Ditch save the dates - simply send out your invites sooner. Or, lose invites altogether and go green by sending email invitations to everyone or creating a Facebook event for the day if all of your guests are on social media!

2. Instead of serving champagne as the 'welcome' or 'toast' drink, choose something more personal or quirky, such as Pimms, cloudy cider or even a Prosecco and orange juice Mimosa if you still want fizz, to save money and insert a bit of your own personalities.

3. Opt for a pre-loved or sample sale wedding dress to have a designer gown for less. Or, scour online sites such as ASOS for a bargain as many affordable retailers have started to create their own wedding lines from as little as £100.  

4. Buy second hand wedding decorations. There are lots of websites and groups on Facebook where couples sell their wedding decorations or, go for a hunt in charity shops for unique finds for your big day.

5. Don't be afraid to use what you already have. Have a pair of shoes you love already, why not wear them for your wedding?

6. Utilise the skills of your friends and family. If you have a friend who is great at applying makeup, why not ask if they will do yours on the big day? If your aunt loves to bake, ask her to make your cake for you.

7. Get married later in the day so you don't have to entertain your guests for as long, and by doing this, you may only need to feed them once which will save you a lot of money!