Amethyst Weddings Guest Post – Dressing your Bridal Party on a Budget
Today I’m really pleased to share the next instalment of Budget Wedding Tips with you from one our Budget Beautiful Wedding Suppliers – Sian from Amethyst Weddings . Sian is a wedding planner and has plenty of ideas to help you max your budget for dressing your bridal party!
In part one I gave you hints and tips about organising the main aspects of your wedding day and how to keep costs down. Part two concentrates on dressing yourself and your bridal party.
Colour choice: If the wedding budget is tight, opt for a colour readily available on the high street. You will have less choice but trying to colour-match dresses, waistcoats, ties and so on can prove costly. Alternatively, finding a local seamstress and having everything made in the same colour and material can actually work out more cost effective.
Bridesmaids: Keep them to a minimum - each bridesmaid can cost a lot of money! You could ask them to contribute to their outfit costs but be fair and let them help choose; preferably a dress they can wear again. Or foot the bill and re-sell afterwards. Buy your bridesmaids jewellery and double it up as their thank you gift.
Photo: www.bhs.co.uk
Suits: Hire or buy? This depends on whether you want traditional style suits or contemporary.
* Modern style suits are readily available in high street stores and even in supermarket clothing departments.
* Hire costs often include waistcoats, ties and even shirts so check what is included carefully. There are a couple of hire companies that are internet-based; they send and collect via courier, often up to a week before the wedding to give you time to check your suits.
* If the budget won't stretch to dressing your groom's entourage, ask them to wear suits of their own in the same colour and consider buying matching ties or cravats. Cuff-links or tie pins will make lovely thank you gifts and help accessorise and differentiate the groomsmen from the other male guests.
Photo: www.pinterest.com/amethystwedding/suit-hire/
Bride's Dress: You can take a few different approaches to find your dream wedding dress on a budget.
* Shop on the high street; various high street names now stock a line of bridal gowns with prices starting as low as £115. These can be seasonal collections so they aren't always available 12 months of the year. You might consider trying your luck at their end-of-season sales. Sign up for email updates so you get notified of upcoming sales.
* Bridal shops and boutiques rotate their collections and will sell off end-of-line gowns to make way for new designs from the latest collections. These are usually twice a year. Always be honest when you visit; tell them your budget. Don't try on a dress you can't afford. Ask if you can purchase the sample gown, negotiate a discount as it could be slightly soiled as a result of regular shop use. Look around for shops that sell on pre-loved gowns on behalf of newly-weds.
* Search online marketplaces for used and as-new dresses. Even if it needs specialist cleaning it could save you a lot of money in the long run.
Photo: WB Bridal Outlet
With plenty of thought and consideration you can keep the costs to a minimum but still have a well dressed bridal party.
Thanks for sharing this with us Sian! If you would like to contact Amethyst Weddings to help you with your wedding planning, you can contact Sian direct on enquiries@amethystweddings.co.uk – her wedding planning services start from just £10!
Happy planning!
Laura xx
