6 Genius Hacks for saving for a Wedding

6 Tricks to have your dream wedding on a budget

In a whole 5 months' time I'm going to a Mrs and I'm genuinely so excited I could scream. It's a weird time right now I'm in prime planning mode but also a little worried because of Covid19 so saving money has an even higher priority than it did when we started. When we get married we won't have been engaged for a year, so it's been really important that I planned meticulously including all of the money-saving methods so I wanted to share the best tricks I've found for keeping in your budget, saving for a wedding, but still having your dream. If you've had to change plans due to Covid19 then hosting an almost wedding can be just as fun 

Design your own invites

Invites are one of those things that as a couple you'll obsess over, but as a guest, it will be a quick 'aww' and then either chucked in the bin or left in a pile of papers never to be seen again. This is definitely an area you can start saving for a wedding. You can design beautiful invites on Canva, or buy a download via Etsy and then get it printed in a stationery store or online using a company like Vistaprint

Outside Catering / Drinks

When you're looking around for venues, the all-in packages can be really tempting but have a look and see if somewhere that allows outside catering could work. You can often get really unique catering vans or buffet options that could work better than a sit-down meal, plus it encourages your guests to mingle and chat to everyone rather than just those at their table. Also, check if your venue allows you to supply the alcohol because that can decrease the spend by a huge chunk

Dress to Impress

It's a huge part of every girls dream wedding right? The wedding dress is such a crucial element but think about it realistically, depending on the time of your wedding you're probably going to be wearing it at most 12 hours, with an average wedding dress cost in the UK of just under £1400 that's more than £100 an hour - think what you can do with that money. You can still get stunning dresses either off the rack or ones tailored to other occasions such as prom. You can choose your prom dress* and make it exactly what you wanted for a fraction of the typical wedding dress price and only you would know!

Decorate it your way

There are hundreds of wedding Pinterest ideas and DIY Facebook groups, make sure you check them out for the best tips on decorating your venue. Check out all the bargain stores like Home Bargains, The Range and Poundland for cute decor items like gems, petals, and other bridal party goodies. For example, we got beautiful birdcage centrepieces costing £30 which if we'd gone to a decorator would have cost a lot more. Same with your flowers, maybe get your bouquet made by a florist but flowers for the venue can be sourced at flower markets the day before your wedding

Pictures that last a lifetime

Photography is one of the most important elements, you'll look back on these pictures for the rest of your life so put some real thought into the photographer and what package you want. It's easy to decide you want to go the whole hog, but do you really need a photographer there in the morning? Do you really need multiple photographers? I recommend getting a really good photographer for the important moments so from the I do's to the first dance but then utilise a wedding photo sharing tool to collate all your guests' photos too, that way you can make your own wedding album with professional photos and guest taken ones too

Wedding Cake Hacks

Some things I was happier to scrimp on than others, the cake was not one of them because CAKE! But I know it's not always a huge deal for everyone so there are lots of ways to save money here. You can have one tier for the top and model for the bottom tiers which would save a small fortune. Or maybe just one tier and a fancy cake topper with a dessert bar around it for your guests. If you do choose to go with a big cake make sure you cut it up and serve it so your money doesn't go to waste - plus it saves money on dessert! 

Whatever you decide to do remember it's your day, you'll probably only do this once and the highlight will always be marrying your significant other

What did you save money on at your wedding?