A mid-week Winter Wedding on a £5k Budget: Natalie and Andrew
Natalie and Andrew were married at The Lynnhurst Hotel in Renfrewshire, Scotland on the 12th December last year. Natalie decided to incorporate a Cadburys purple theme into their winter wedding and here she shares how she achieved her wedding day dreams on a frugal budget.
Natalie, tell us how you went about setting your wedding budget?
We calculated our income for the eight months that we had from setting the date to the actual wedding day, so we worked out roughly how much we could spare after all our other outgoings. Once I had a rough figure I then started getting quotes on the cost of everything for wedding to make sure it was realistic.
What was the most important element of the wedding to you?
The most important element of the day was the gathering of the people I love the most to witness me marrying my soul mate. The atmosphere when I walked down the aisle was amazing, sensing all the happiness in the room.
And what was your most memorable moment?
Seeing my husband’s face as I walked down the aisle with my Dad and two year-old daughter. My little girl held our hands as we stood in front of the registrar, it was perfect.
Where did you spend the most?
My biggest spend was the venue, but it was also my biggest save as I got a half price midweek package. It is amazing how much less it costs to get married on a Wednesday when you are getting everything the exact same as you would on a Saturday!
What would be your top tips for our other readers?
Tips for brides to be on a similar budget would be to decide if it has to be a Saturday wedding as a venue would use up most of your budget and you would be left scrimping on other important things whereas midweek wedding will allow for more spending on other things!
Make a plan of when certain things need to be paid off such as the cake, wedding rings and photographer etc. Bearing in mind that full payments usually need to be paid six weeks before the big day, so include this in your budgeting plan. Do not book the first service you look at! Most consultations are free of charge, so speak to a few photographers to see what packages they offer and if they will be doing any deals. Make the most of cake-tasting open days at cake shops to ensure you like the taste of your wedding cake and not just the look. Use eBay for the smaller things such as favours and bridesmaid and groomsmen keepsakes and gifts. Also consider foam flowers, as the quality is amazing! They look so real, can be kept after your wedding and are often cheaper than fresh flowers.
How did your wedding budget break down?
Our total spend on wedding was £5,245
♥ Venue including ceremony room hire, chair cover and sashes hire and a four course meal for 48 guests, evening buffet for 100 guests and toastmaster: £2,500
♥ Wedding cake: £150
♥ Photography by Stacey Macleod Photography: £295
♥ Flowers: £150
♥ Wedding dress from Berketex: £1,000
♥ Grooms outfit: £100
♥ Bridal accessories: £100
♥ Wedding Rings: £100
♥ Bridal Hair and bridesmaids including bride trial: £150
♥ Bridal Make up including a trial: £60
♥ Bridal tan and nails including trial: £60
♥ Bridal Lingerie: £80
♥ Wedding invites and other stationery: £70
♥ DJ: £180
♥ Evening centrepieces: £50
♥ Accommodation: £200
It sounds like you had an incredible wedding day on a £5k budget! Thank you for sharing all of your advice and tips with us Natalie and congratulations to you and Andrew 🙂
