19 tips to save money on your wedding budget

1. Budget - Sit down and prioritise your must haves, this way you will know which items you can save on and what items you want to spend a little bit more on.

2. Drinks - Instead of using champagne, use Prosecco as an alternative. This can save a considerable amount of money depending on your numbers.

3. Overall costs - Consider having your wedding mid-week, this could save a huge amount of money through discounts from your suppliers on their standard rates.

4. Stationery - Don’t use save the date cards, design a lovely email to your friends and family. If you are unable to do this yourself, have a look at fivesquid.com or fiverr.com they can put together a lovely design for you.

5. Stationery – Do you really need to print an order of service? You could always have a wedding website, where all of this information is communicated before the wedding or have an itinerary up for your guests to see on the day.

6. Flowers – Choosing flowers that are in season for your wedding will save you on this section of the budget. Also stay clear of big florist peak times i.e. Valentine’s Day and Mother’s day.

7. Honeymoon – Ask for holiday vouchers instead of gifts this can then make a big difference to where you can go for your honeymoon and will mean you don’t need to put as much of your budget towards this.

8. Overall costs – Get married later in the day, this will reduce the amount you need to organise for your guests, which in turn will save money.

9. Food – Use your wedding cake as your dessert, this won’t save money at every venue but it could save a considerable amount.

10. Flowers – Arrange for your ceremony flowers to be moved through to your reception, whether this is from the church to the hotel or from your ceremony room to your reception room.

11.  Stationery – Combine your place card and favour, so you are only purchasing only one item.

12. Overall cost – Reduce your bridal party, this will save on outfits, flowers and gifts.

13. Overall cost – Minimise your guest list, consider not giving your single guests a plus one unless they have a partner. You could also consider not having children or work colleagues or at least not inviting the whole office!

14. Bridal accessories – Borrow a close friends headwear or jewellery that they wore at their wedding. This will also be your something borrowed.

15. Venue hire – Think of different types of venues that are not wedding venues. These charge a fraction of the hire charges that some venues do. Maybe you have a pretty village hall in your local area or a museum or another attractive hire only venue.

16. Decorations – Make your own decorations, favours and many other items. Arrange a few evenings with the girls provide some food and drinks and you have a lovely girlie evening in.

17. Drinks – Instead of having an open bar why not serve a custom-made cocktail or you could pick one each. These could be your favourite cocktail or a cocktail that fits with your colour scheme or theme. It’s another great personalised touch to your wedding. Your other option is to just reduce your cash bar to beer, wine and soft drinks.

18. Decorations - Don’t start buying table decorations and the like until you are completely happy with your theme and design. Buying early can mean that you change your mind and then you have loads of unused items that eat into
your budget.

19. Photography - Don’t purchase expensive disposable cameras as everyone has a camera on their phone these days. Get your guests to upload their photos straight to your wedding website or save them to Dropbox or something similar.

If you have any other top saving tip you would like to share with others, leave me a comment in the box.