If you’re planning on getting hitched you’ll have discovered it’s not cheap to marry the one you love. In fact, the average wedding costs around £30,000 and the average annual salary in the UK for those in full-time work is only £5,000 more. If those figures make you baulk, you might want to think about planning a wedding in which you do the leg work to help reduce the costs – without compromising on your dream day.
Things you’ll need
If you intend to take care of planning your wedding, you’ll realise it takes a lot of work and organisation. Being organised from the off is imperative, so having a wedding folder full of all the information, contact details and costs will help keep you on track – and keep the stress levels in check.
The first step is making sure you give yourself plenty of time for your wedding planning. A longer timeline will help, so if possible aim for around a year. And of course, don’t forget to involve your significant other in the planning – it is their day too after all.
Your budget
Your wedding budget will be the driving factor for your wedding-related decisions. Work out exactly how much you have and make sure if you’re borrowing money that you have a robust plan in place to help with repayments. If any family members are contributing, ask them what they’re comfortable spending. If you’re footing the bill yourself, consider your finances carefully.
Once you’ve created your budget, you need to stick to it. You don’t want your big day marred with guilt about the amount of money you’ve spent.
Your priorities
It can be easy to get swept up in the latest wedding trends but you should sit down with your partner and determine what the three most important aspects of your wedding will be. This could be your dream venue or a specific date. Do you have a photographer in mind, or do you have your heart set on a live band?
Prioritise these key details and be willing to compromise on the rest. Not only will this help you stay within your budget, but it will help you focus your efforts on what really matters to you.
Things you can do
DIY wedding décor elements can be cost-effective and can add some incredible personal touches to your wedding day. Plenty of DIY projects can be done well in advance, including table favours, welcome bags, and of course the save the date cards and wedding invites.
For things like wedding day florals or food, professional help is best – unless you have friends and family who are professionals in their field and in lieu of a wedding gift they donate their time and expertise.
