Five tips for buying a budget wedding dress from wedding dress sample sale.com

I’m delighted to welcome the gorgeous weddingdresssamplesale.com to the Budget Bride Company. Specialising in beautiful wedding dresses that are available either as part of boutique sample sales or pre-loved by brides who would like to sell their gowns on, weddingdresssamplesale.com is a fantastic one stop shop for finding the perfect wedding dress on the budget that you have available.
You can find weddingdresssamplesale.com listed in our directory in all UK regions here. I’m now going to hand you over to the site’s founder, Sarah, who is going to let us in on some tips for buying a budget wedding dress.

http://www.weddingdresssamplesale.com

Champagne tastes on a lemonade budget? The average UK wedding dress costs a whopping £1,746, so it’s not surprising that savvy brides are looking for affordable options.
Wedding Dress Sample Sale  has helped hundreds of brides find their perfect designer dress without breaking the budget.Here are my 5 top tips for budget dress success.

1. Know your samples from your counterfeit
Sample, preowned and high street gowns are all better options than counterfeit.
Sample gowns are dresses that have been tried on in bridal shops. They are often in good condition and will not have been previously altered. Expect 50% or more off of retail price. You can track down sample sales at Wedding Dress Sample Sale.
Preowned dresses are dresses that have been worn once by brides on their wedding day. Be sure to check if the dress has been altered or needs a clean and factor that into your budget.
The high street offer some lovely budget options, usually relaxed column or vintage styles. BHS and Monsoon are always worth a look.
Counterfeit dresses are ‘made to measure’ dresses that come directly from a factory, often in China.
Be careful if you are looking on eBay. The dress you see in the picture may not be the one you end up with.
There are loads of horror stories out there, and very few brides get their money back. You don’t want to end up buying twice.

http://www.weddingdresssamplesale.com

2. Don’t just look online
Online can point you in the right direction, but there are plenty of bargains that never get listed.
Bridal boutiques hold regular on premises sales, so if you see something in the window of your local boutique that’s a bit out of your price range, ask them when they’re having their next sample sale.
Wedding fairs are another great place to find discount gowns. Boutiques and designers will often bring their samples to shows to sell them quickly.
Some of the best UK fairs include Budget Bride Live, Chosen Wedding Fair, Vintage Wedding Fayre and the National Wedding Show.

3. Try before you buy
There is no substitute for trying on a wedding dress.
We don’t wear long dresses every day (well, apart from the odd summer maxi) so it’s hard to imagine what your dress will look like until you’re wearing it.
To make it even more confusing, bridal sizes usually come up smaller than the high street, and vary between designers so a size 14 in one designer might be a high street size 12.
Bridal boutiques are happy for you to come and try sample dresses. They may even offer a returns policy, allowing you to buy online, try the dress at home and return it if it doesn’t fit. Speak to your boutique to find out more.

http://www.weddingdresssamplesale.com

4. Check for faults before you hand over the cash.
Sample and preowned dresses will come in the sizes they are listed in and once they’re gone, they’re gone!
It’s natural to want to move fast, but do take the time to check the dress over.
Sample gowns are ‘sold as seen’ so if you discover a fault once you’ve taken it home you won’t be able to return it.
I’ve sold hundreds of sample dresses and the majority are in excellent condition. Dust on the hem or small make up marks inside the bodice are to be expected, and can be easily cleaned.
If you are unlucky enough to run into fake tan, faded sequins or large tears then it’s not a bargain after all.

http://www.weddingdresssamplesale.com

5. Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It never hurts to ask ‘is that your best price?’ The seller can always say no after all.
If a seller can’t take money off of the price of the dress, they may be able to throw in free delivery.
Remember to pay safely, using PayPal for online purchases and cash or debit / credit card for in person payments. Avoid cheques and bank transfers.

http://www.weddingdresssamplesale.com

I hope you found this blog post helpful. We’ve got lots more advice in our free eBook ‘How to buy your Wedding Dress’ - download it today.

Thank you so much for your advice Sarah! Head to weddingdresssamplesale.com to browse through the options for you today.

Laura xx

Budget Bride Company Interview on BBC Radio

I was delighted to be asked for an interview yesterday on BBC Radio with Mark Forrest. Mark was doing a spotlight on budget weddings and I was invited to give my ideas on how to have a big day for less and my thoughts on second hand wedding dresses, amongst other things!

You can listen to the interview and my advice on BBC iPlayer here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02kqdsp  – just skip to 01:42:03 on the time bar at the bottom 🙂

 

Budget Wedding Interview BBC Radio

Laura xx

Leanne and Chris get married on a £5000 Wedding Budget

£5000 wedding budget

Leanne and Chris got married in 2011 on a £5000 wedding budget. As a wedding supplier herself (Leanne runs Love Letters – you can see her creations here, Leanne knew all the ways to save money on her wedding, whilst still keeping things stylish!

We had a chat with Leanne to find out how she pulled off her dream day on a £5000 wedding budget.

Tell us a little bit about how you met your fiancé and how you got engaged?

We had been together for 13 years before we got married (now 16 years!).  We met through friends and started dating and never looked back.  We got engaged on Christmas day!  The last present under the tree was for me and it was a big box - I unwrapped it to find a smaller box which I unwrapped to find the ring box!  Still thinking it would be a pair of earrings I was totally shocked to find an engagement ring.  My husband got down on one knee and proposed! The ring fitted so perfectly - it was the best Christmas ever!

 £5000 wedding budget

What was your favourite part of planning your wedding?

Our favourite part about planning the wedding was getting stuck in and making as much as we could ourselves.  I enjoyed getting my glue gun out and creating some beautiful invitations that cost me a quarter of the price they would have to get printed up.  We also loved attending every wedding fair we could to look at venues and speak to all the different suppliers.  We got some great ideas and tasted lots of lovely wedding cake too!

Tell us about how you made the most of your £5000 wedding budget

We had a £5000 wedding budget so we were really careful to make sure we shopped around.  We were really good at finding something we liked and then researching how we could make it fit our budget.  For example we wanted to make sure that we had a nice wedding cake but we couldn't justify the expense within our budget.  My husband took on the challenge of sourcing us a reasonably priced wedding cake.  Our cake was an iced sponge wedding cake from Marks and Spencers with some lovely iced fairy cakes from Waitrose.  I decorated the cake with some purple ribbon to match with our colour scheme and we displayed the cupcakes on a three tiered cake stand.  Everybody loved the cake and said they tasted great!  I don't think people would have known that we bought them from a supermarket.

What is your best money saving tip for other brides on a budget?

Go to all the wedding fairs you can – wedding suppliers offer enticing discounts to you on the day and you will find that you can get so much more for your money this way.  Also be flexible with your wedding date - don't choose a date first.  Find the venue and see what deals they are doing then fit your date in with them.  You could save thousands of pounds on your wedding budget.

Who were your favourite budget wedding suppliers?

Our favourite budget wedding suppliers were probably the venue.  As I mentioned we found our dream venue but couldn't afford the price.  We went back to the venue when they were hosting a wedding fair and found that they were offering certain dates for a greatly reduced price.  After a couple of glasses of wine whilst we checked through our diaries we booked a date and paid the deposit there and then!  The venue was Brownsover Hall in Rugby.  At the same wedding fair we came across a wonderful florist - Jane Andrews Floral Design  (who also got married at Brownsover Hall).  She totally understood our budget and helped us to create exactly the look we wanted to fit our budget.

We also found a lovely photographer -  White Rose Photography - who did us a fantastic deal and we have some beautiful photos as a result .

 £5000 wedding budget

Did you do much DIY?

We made our wedding invitations, the table plan and the post box for cards and gifts.  We also painted our own MR & MRS wooden letters which led into us starting up our own business - Love Letters.  We now supply lots of weddings with hand painted wooden letters and signs for their special day.

 £5000 wedding budget

What did you enjoy most on your wedding day?

Seeing everyone enjoying themselves and feeling special!

Did you have a theme for your wedding day and if so, how did you decide on it?

We didn't have a theme as such but we wanted to use the Cadbury purple colour as the main scheme of the day.  My beautiful bridesmaid wore a dress that I sourced online.  I wanted to have pearls as my jewelry to have a bit more of a vintage style; I found a lovely tiara from Glitzy secrets and purchased faux pearl necklaces and bracelets from a highstreet store to match. 

 £5000 wedding budget

What would be your best piece of advice for all of our other Budget Bride Company readers?

Don't fall in to the trap of feeling you have to have what everyone else has.  For example we didn't need a wedding car as I stayed the night before in the hotel and my husband travelled with his best man from home to the venue.  To us a car would have been a pointless extravagance that we didn't need.  Find what is important to you and stick to your guns. 

Thanks so much for sharing your wedding planning secrets with us Leanne!

Laura x

Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

One of the things I get asked about most by Brides to be is how to create a wedding budget that works. Planning your wedding is SO much fun and it’s a great idea to have a grip on the finances from the outset, so that you don’t have any niggling money worries in the back of your mind whilst you’re cracking on with your preparations.

I have covered a lot about how to set a wedding budget in my Wedding Planning E-Course that you can enrol on here, but I think that it’s a brilliant idea to have a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet right from the start of your wedding planning, so that you can keep full tabs on the money that you have set aside and what is being spent as you spend it. It can be so easy to just pop into town on your lunch break and come back with three pairs of Bridesmaid shoes that you saw on offer, that somehow don’t get included in your overall budget – it’s easy to see where the money can disappear to!

I have created a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet especially for UK brides to be looking to get organised and on top of everything in the run up to their wedding.

This Wedding Budget Spreadsheet will help you to:

♥ Work out your total budget and figure out priorities on where you want to spend it

♥ Help you to stay in total control of your money from engagement through to honeymoon

♥ Keep track of your wedding guests, RSVPs and special requirements

♥ Sort your table plan for your wedding breakfast

♥ Organise your hen do

♥ Work out your timeline in the run up to the day as well as helping you sort out what you want to happen and when on the big day itself

With over ten years of event planning experience under my belt – as well as having my own wedding to plan! – I know exactly how to help you sort out your wedding budget. And best of all? You can get the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet now for just £4.50 saving yourself bags of hassle and research time! Just click here to buy, and your spreadsheet will be emailed straight out to you, ready to use.

Happy Budgeting, Brides to be!

Laura xx

Image courtesy of Danielle Mobbs Photography

Plan your own wedding: on budget, on time and in style: a 30 day e-course

Plan Your Own Wedding E-course

 

Morning all! I hope that you are enjoying the glorious weather and that any wedding planning you are working on is being done outside wherever possible!

I have something lovely to unveil for you today, something which I have been working on for a while and should help a lot of you with the questions and dilemmas that I know you can face whilst planning your wedding…

I have created our first ever Budget Bride Company e-course and it has been made especially with you in mind! This is a 30 day learning course that is emailed to you in 30 bite size chunks over 30 days and will guide you through every area to help you plan your own wedding.

From how to set your budget, through to dealing with tricky in-laws, this course covers it all and will take the stress right out of your planning.

And the best bit? This 30 day course is yours for £9.50! Simply buy your course here, and your first session will be emailed straight to your inbox. I recommend buying a lovely folder that you can print the sessions out into to save and work through as they arrive with you each day, to help you stay super organised and top of your planning.

Here’s a little glimpse of the topics that will be covered in your Plan Your Own Wedding 30 day course :

♥ Getting started with your wedding planning

♥ Setting your budget

♥ Setting your timeline

♥ Working on emotional and financial priorities

♥ Researching and finding your perfect venue

♥ Deciding on a colour pallet and / or theme for your wedding

♥ Deciding on your guest list

♥ Assigning tasks

♥ Stationery

♥ Gift lists and how to ask for money as a gift

♥ Catering

♥ Table planning

♥ Decoration

♥ Favours

♥ The cake

♥ Booking your key wedding suppliers

♥ Dealing with awkward relatives

♥ The legal requirements

♥ Wedding Etiquette

♥ The Dress

♥ Underwear and accessories

♥ Hair and make-up

♥ Key roles within your wedding party

♥ The Hen Do and Stag Do

♥ The Honeymoon

♥ Running order on the day

♥ Speeches

♥ Traditions you may or may not want to follow

♥ Keeping your energy up on the day

♥ Happily Ever After – wise words

It’s a comprehensive course and each day includes a top wedding planning tip as well as an action point for you to carry out. The aim of the Plan Your Own Wedding 30 day course is to help you achieve a beautiful wedding and to enjoy every minute of your planning time!

I have based the course on questions that I am asked by brides to be all the time, and I have used my 12 years of wedding planning and event management experience to give you the guidance and inspiration that you need. As a bride to be on a budget myself, I know exactly where to focus your energy and time and this course will show you how to make planning your wedding a breeze!

I can’t wait to help you plan your own wedding – you can started with your course today for £9.50, just head over to the e-course page and as soon as you have paid by PayPal, your first session will be sent out to you!

Happy Wedding Planning!

Laura xxx

Real life Rustic Themed Budget Wedding Planning – Sarah and Simon

Meet Sarah and Simon, this lovely couple are planning their rustic themed budget wedding in Devon on a £10K budget with lots of DIY elements to make their money stretch further.

Rustic Themed Budget Wedding

Tell us a little bit about how you met Simon and how you got engaged?

We met in University; we were both on the same course. At first we weren’t really friends - I freaked him out with my bubbliness and he freaked me out with his bizarre clothes and hair. During our second year we became friends after working on a project together and ended up sharing a flat as mates in the 3rd year and eventually as a couple!

As for the engagement, it started with Simon refusing to visit my family for my birthday weekend (RUDE!) so he could instead see his family to tell them he was planning to propose to me; unbeknown to me. He also took an old ring of mine to get the right size, he then brought a ring he had been keeping an eye on and kept it in his bag until the right moment.

We arranged a date night for a Thursday in November 2013, to go see Skyfall and have a meal out. Unfortunately the film had sold out, I’ve never seen Simon so horrified before; for me this was a normal night out so I suggested we go for a drink at our local pub Dogstar where I chatting away about my day and I could tell Simon wasn’t really listening!

We then went for dinner at Honest Burger in Brixton Market; our favourite restaurant since we moved to London and while we were waiting for food we got chatting about how happy we are with our relationship; at this point Simon said “What if we were more than we are now?” and slid the ring across the table (his hands were shaking like mad!), to which I replied in shock “Are you serious?” to which he replied “I wouldn’t have bought the ring if I wasn’t! So what do you think? Will you marry me?” Of course I said “YES!”

When the server found out we had just got engaged she brought us over free limoncellos and got all the staff to cheer us. For me it was perfect; low key, a total shock, in a place I loved and to top it all off in a place where no one else had got engaged before: completely unique and completely us!

 

What has been your favourite part of planning your wedding so far?

Visiting the venues; you see such a diverse range of places and it’s great fun travelling around to see them all; it makes the event suddenly seem so real and it helps you visualise the day (exciting!) and decide what you actually want.

Also you will always see something you never get on the website; at one location we walked out onto a balcony and received a massive shock when we saw two peacocks sat on the balcony ledge.

At our chosen venue we didn’t realise until we got there that the hallway would be decorated like a forest; it was a massive surprise and we had a great time pretending to hide in the foliage.

Rustic Themed Budget Wedding

What is your wedding Budget and how are you making the most of it?

£10,000, which for this day and age is quite a small budget, but feels MASSIVE when you break it all down. As our parents can’t help us with the wedding we are being really strict with the budget.

To make the most of it we are getting a lot of our items homemade which is saving us a lot of money; we have also researched every item prior to booking to get averages worked out beforehand.

 

What is your best money saving tip for other brides on a budget?

Search, Search and Search some more! It’s too easy to settle for the first item you see, but if you’re willing to put the effort in, you will usually manage to find something cheaper.

When searching, don’t ignore recommendations; other brides are more than happy to offer you money saving tips and recommend the websites that helped them. All of the information and suppliers that you need to have a budget wedding are out there, you just need to search for them!

 

Are you doing much DIY for your wedding?

We have done quite a lot of DIY for our rustic themed budget wedding; at the moment we’ve agreed the following will be homemade:

- All our favours, which will be jars of marmalade, jam and chutneys.

- Simons step mum is making the cake for us; she makes loads of cakes every year so we know it will be delicious!

- My mum makes flower arrangements every year for Christmas so I’ve asked her to help plan and organise the table decorations.

- Getting chalkboards ordered so we can write our own signs for the day.

- Personalising my bridesmaid dresses with ribbons.

- Creating some funky picture props to sit on the tables: I’ve seen these in store, but they can be easily replicated with card and some lollypop sticks!

- Making our own confetti holders as well; again these are really easy to make with some card!

 

Tell us about how you decided on your theme for your wedding day?

Our theme is rustic; with orange, reds, yellows and purples being our main colours. We chose this wedding theme because we love the country; we picked our venue for the views of the countryside and we felt rustic fit in with this and the kind of style we like. We picked the colours because it reminds us of bonfires and sunsets but also because they are bright, vibrant and energetic.

Rustic themed budget wedding

What would be your best piece of advice for all of our other Budget Bride Company readers?

Keep organised to keep your budget in check; it’s too easy to buy things on a whim and forget you’ve brought 10 other things on a whim; and end up spending hundreds but by knowing what you want and setting yourself a limit you can keep this in check.

 

Rustic Themed Budget Wedding - Sarah and Simon

Wow, Sarah – it sounds like you’re totally on the case with the planning and keeping on top of your wedding budget 🙂  We can’t wait to see the photos and hear all about how you enjoyed your rustic themed budget wedding day!

 

Laura x

Dream Big, Spend Small – Five tips for small wedding budget success

Small budget wedding success

I love that weddings are one of the few occasions in your life where you can really go to town with your imagination and throw a party that is purely you and your partner’s vision. I also love that  you can spend years coming up with lots of ideas, squirreling away cut outs from magazines and swatches of material into wedding planning scrapbooks that you know at some point will come together to create the day that you have been plotting and planning for, for so long.

So, you can imagine that it makes me sad when Brides to be say that they are not going to be able to have their day the way they want it, because of budget reasons. I have seen, time and again that it is all about the energy and love that you put into your day, that will make it special – not how much money you have spent. Don't get me wrong, sometimes reality will get in the way when your £4k wedding budget won't stretch to cover a private fireworks display and brand new Vera Wang wedding dress, but I am a big believer in making the most of what you have and focussing on what you can do to ensure small wedding budget success.

Granted, creating a beautiful wedding day when you don’t have the assistance of a stylist or wedding planner, can be demanding on your time (and patience!) but it is possible.

Here are five of my top tips for small wedding budget success:

 

1. Create a plan:

Everything in life is easier when you have a game plan, and weddings are no exception. Grab yourself a scrapbook, shoebox or just create a folder on your laptop and start collecting everything that inspires you for your wedding – magazine articles, colour swatches, the names of particular flowers that you have fallen in love with over the years – put EVERYTHING in there and once you look through your inspiration collection, you will be able to move your plans forward.

 

2. Give yourself plenty of time...

One of the best tips that I can share with you, when it comes to planning your wedding on a budget, is to give yourself enough time to collect together everything that you need to pull off your wedding day. When you don’t have the money to make things happen at the snap of your fingers, time will give you the luxury of being able to search for suppliers who can come in on budget as well as giving you space to create your DIY wedding decorations amongst the myriad of other items on your to-do list.

 

3. Internet stalk – It is ALL about the online resources!

Online wedding planning and shopping is your friend – full stop. Pinterest and Facebook can give you buckets of inspiration for free – just be sure to take note of where you have seen certain ideas (or Pin them to your own page) to ensure that you can easily look them up again. Wedding sites like Sell My Wedding mean that you can pick up absoloute bargains that would otherwise cost a fortune to buy new. Ebay is fantastic for sourcing favours and materials for DIY projects and don’t forget our Budget Bride Boutique where we have sourced hundreds of budget friendly goodies for your wedding from dresses through to personalised wedding items.

 

4. Car boot sales and charity shops

This can be a really fun part of your wedding planning and I totally recommend heading out to every car boot sale, vintage and homemade fair and charity shop that you can in the run up to your wedding. If you visit enough of these cheap and cheerful events and stores, you are pretty much guaranteed to be able to find what you are after for your wedding – from teacups and saucers to bundles of old vintage romance novels, making gorgeous unique wedding decoration ideas.

 

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help - borrowing is a great solution!

On the whole, most of your friends and family will be falling over themselves to help you in any way they can with preparing for your wedding. So, if you have spied a beautiful mirror at your friends’ house that could make a lovely table plan mount, or if you know that your Aunty has an epic bunting collection, then just ask! More often than not, whoever you confide in will be delighted to help you out!

 

So, good luck with your planning and don’t be afraid to dream big for your wedding! If you give yourself enough time and the right resources, you can have small wedding budget success 🙂

I’d love to hear how you’re dreaming big and spending small on your wedding – head over to the facebook page and join in the discussion!

Laura xx

 

Photo Credit: Nomadic Lass via Photopin

 

Planning a wedding on a £6k Budget – Gemma and Stephen

Gemma and Stephen are going to be getting married this year on the 15th August at Dorton house in Aylesbury. The couple have been planning their wedding on a £6k budget and today Gemma is sharing some of her tips with us for how she has created her dream day…

 

 

How did you and Stephen meet?

Stephen  and I have been together for seven years; we first met in august 2001 when we were at our annual summer camp with the Army Cadets. We lost contact and then found each on Facebook in 2007 and the rest as they say, is history 😉

 

Can you tell us a bit about the proposal?

Steve proposed on the 14th December 2012. It was a complete surprise as I had had a bad day with our daughter, so he had suggested that I go for a nice relaxing bath which I agreed would be a good idea! When I finally got out of the bath, I got dressed in to my pj's and went downstairs. When I went into the front room, all of the lights had been turned off apart from  the Christmas tree lights… Steve was wearing his dinner jacket and was down on one knee he said 'will you spend the rest of your life with me'! Of course I said yes 😀

Gemma and Stephen and planning a £6k wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is your favourite part of planning your wedding so far?

 My favourite part so far has been choosing everything! The wedding has pretty much planned its self as we knew exactly what we both wanted, so it has been great fun pulling all of our ideas together.

The Bridesmaids Shoes

 

The Thank you Gift Bag

 

What wedding budget are you aiming to stick to?

Our wedding will cost in total around £6,000, with the biggest expense being our venue at £4,000.

 

Gemma and Stephen are getting married at Dorton house in Aylesbury

 

What is your best money saving tip for other brides on a budget?

My best money saving tip is to call in favours from friends and family wherever you can. My mum and I are going to make the wedding cake and favours; my hairdresser is a close friend of ours as well which helps! But the best tip that I have is to look in the sales - we got our bridesmaid’s dresses for £15 each instead of £70.

Table Place Settings

Bridesmaids Jewellery from River Island

 

Are you doing much wedding DIY?

DIY is a major part of our wedding. I made our invites, table plan and place settings so they all match perfectly. We will also be doing our own venue decoration which will include bird cages and lovely sky blue chair sashes.

Bird Cage Centre Pieces - Wedding Table Decoration

 

What would be your best piece of advice for all of our other Budget Bride Company readers?

My best piece of wedding advice would be to have the most important members of your family to the ceremony during the day and everyone else can come in the evening. Also, it's your day and don’t let anyone tell you what you should do!

 

Thanks for sharing your wedding plans with us Gemma! Hope that you love every minute of the remaining run up to your wedding in August and we can’t wait to hear all of the details and see the pictures of the day afterwards!

 

Laura xx

Five Gorgeous Budget Wedding Dresses under £700

One of the most common things I hear when ladies start planning their weddings, is the panic about how much they are going to have to spend on their wedding dress. As a dedicated lover of bargains and beauty (always at the same time!) I have made it my mission to keep on budget for my own wedding whilst still having what I want. I know that if I see a stunning Vera Wang dress for £5k, that I will be able to track down an affordable version – or have one made for me - to ensure that I can have the look that I want on the money I have available.

Here are five lovely budget wedding dresses that you will be able to pick up for under £700.

 

Budget Wedding Dresses under £700

Esme from Phase 8 - £495

I love this dress for the oversized flowers on the waist and the full flowing tulle skirt which adds sophisticated volume and a flowing romantic look. Pair with a cute little shrug – like this one for £50 for a demure look.

 

Budget Wedding Dress Ideas under £700

Gemolyn Maxi from Coast - £695

This dress is pure drama! With a beautiful full skirt balanced by a fitted and flattering bodice, this will create a stunning bridal look for your wedding day. Gorgeous enough to wear alone, or pair with some bling to add sparkle with a belt or necklace.

 

 

Budget Wedding Dress Ideas under £700

Ivy Wedding Dress from BHS - £125

This dress was inspired by the crisp lines of origami paper art and has beautiful pleating around the bodice which layers into the pearl and bead encrusted waistband. With a rich satin fabric finish and an inner netting layer, this dress also comes with detachable straps should you need them.

 

 Budget Wedding Dress Ideas under £700

Debut Ivory Embelished dress - £250

This is a beautiful take on a classic design – plenty of soft chiffon and eye catching embellishment makes this a glamourous budget friendly wedding dress choice.

 

 Wedding Dress 5

Iris Champagne Wedding Dress - £110

I love this dress for the price and the individual look. Although classed as a bridesmaid dress, I think it makes a really different looking Wedding Dress choice and the champagne colour is super flattering.

 

With so much variety around and at such great prices for Brides on a budget, you really don’t have to compromise to get the wedding dress you really want with the money you have available.

Laura x

Real Life Nautical Themed French Wedding – Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

I’m so proud and happy to be sharing this wonderful Nautical Themed French Wedding with you today 😀 One of my most lovely friends, Hannah, married her dream boy on the 3rd August last Summer in Brittany, France.

This gorgeous pair decided to marry in RoRo’s home town of Quiberon which opened up an amazing opportunity for a seaside themed wedding. After searching high and low for a venue that was going to be well suited to their bohemian style, Hannah and RoRo settled on a boat for their venue! What better way to celebrate your vows that afloat in the ocean?

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

The total spend for this amazing nautical venue was 2,000€ and included the hire of the boat along with strawberries and champagne for the guests.

Hannah kept her budget in check by hiring a French Wedding Co-ordinator who was able to negotiate the best possible rates for the London based couple. From liaising with the caterers to setting up the venue for the reception, the Wedding Co-ordinator was definitely one of Hannah’s best money saving tips to share with other brides wanting a destination wedding sans dramas!

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

Hannah made the most of her budget by choosing her feminine nautical themed bridesmaids dresses from River Island. Hannah chose her own £40 shoes from Next and wore silk flowers in her hair that she had nabbed from her Mum’s bathroom! She also tucked a photo of her Grandpa into her bouquet which was such a nice way for him to be with her on the day.

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

To transport the guests from the harbor over the reception venue, the couple hired this horse drawn ‘carriage’ to transport their guests for 150€.

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

 At the venue after the wedding, the room was decked with seashells and starfish for favours which cost around £1 each and hundreds of fairy lights which added a magical atmosphere for the guests.

 A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

Hannah had a very specific idea for how she wanted to present her table plans and came up with this great idea! The photo frames cost around 20€ and she attached these to shutter style screens at the venue.

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

Hannah and RoRo decided to celebrate with an amazing multi leveled cheese cake. Just looking at this picture makes me hungry!

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

Hannah and RoRo used an old fishing boat for an impromptu photo booth which the wedding party clearly loved!

A Nautical themed wedding in France: Hannah and RoRo

Congratulations to you both, you lovely pair and thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous Nautical Themed French Wedding with us 😀

Big French Love,

Laura xxx

All photos courtesy of Raymond Lin Photography