Todays real life black and white themed budget wedding took place at The Brecon Castle Hotel in South Wales. This lovely couple celebrated with their friends and family at a Black and White themed wedding that Sian had been dreaming of for years…
Tell us a little bit about how you met your fiancé and how you got engaged?
We meet through work, we worked in different departments so didn’t really interact with each other but we eventually met on a works night out. It took us a while to become an item, but we did and eventually moved in together.
We had a child and had recently moved into a new house so getting married just seemed the next logical step. We decided to get engaged whilst on Holidays in Tenby, we bought the ring, but Luke wouldn’t let me wear it until he had asked my dad properly and this turned into a bit of a comedy sketch as every time he went to ask my father, someone would interrupt! We eventually got engaged in a local Italian restaurant and of course I said YES!!
What was your favourite part of planning your wedding?
If I am completely honest I wasn’t the best wedding planner, I didn’t really enjoy all the hype and importance that was placed on every decision. I was a very laid back bride! I didn’t really understand how the smallest things could turn some people into crazy women! My family were getting more stressed because I wasn’t moving fast enough for them!
I did however enjoy looking for a venue; we would book the visit with the venues wedding co-ordinator under my name, and then we would book a meal before we met the wedding planner in Luke’s name. That way we could taste the food and get a feel for the venue atmosphere without feeling that we were trying to be ‘wined and dined’ into choosing them. We could also get a feeling for the level of service provided, which for me was a bit part of the decision.
Did you have quite a tight budget to stick to and how did you make the most of it?
We didn’t have a strict budget although I was very money conscious through the whole process, I just felt having just bought a house and with having a small child, spending thousands of pounds on a wedding wouldn’t really be the best thing to do.
What is your best money saving tip for other brides on a budget?
Shop around! Our invitations were taken from an idea I found on a website but were actually printed in our local printers shop along with information cards & RSVP cards for a fraction of the price.
It doesn’t have to labelled as ‘wedding’ to be suitable for a wedding; for example, decorations and cards they may not scream wedding, but if you like them and they suit your theme, go with them.
Don’t feel like you have to use one company. I hired one company to do my chair covers and centre pieces, but they couldn’t provide the table clothes I wanted or the centre pieces I had in mind, so I found another local company and with a mixture of the two companies I got the look that I had been thinking about.
Winter is cheaper; we got married in Brecon at the end of November. I resigned myself to the fact the weather may not be the best, but the package the hotel provided was far better value than if we had held the wedding in the summer. My photographer was prepped for the wedding and had looked at the venue for photo opportunities should the weather take a turn for the worst. However, we couldn’t have asked for better! The sun was so bright that this actually caused the photographer problems!
Who were your favourite budget wedding suppliers?
Ebay! My bridesmaids dresses, decorations, table settings, veil, petticoat, flower girl wand, favours, all came off Ebay. My favours were hot chocolate cones, which I found on EBay made by a lady starting her business. She thankfully agreed to make my favours at a fraction of the cost and they were a massive hit. My bridesmaids dresses also came off EBay and were ridiculously cheap; I was apprehensive but thankfully my sister in law is a very good seamstress, so I figured if they were dreadful she could help. It turns out they were perfect and my sister in law said she couldn’t have bought the fabric for the price I paid for the dresses.
What did you enjoy most on your wedding day?
I was so nervous, but when we sat down for the wedding breakfast, I looked around at all our family and friends having a good time, and thought, that’s why I’ve done this! All I wanted out of my day was that everyone enjoyed themselves and were relaxed and could have fun.
Did you have a theme for your wedding day and if so, how did you decide on it?
The theme for the wedding was black and white; that has always been the theme that I knew I would have. But I wanted it too look romantic as well as classic. So I opted for candle and white feather centrepieces on black table clothes to soften the look slightly. I also opted for one shoulder flowing dresses for the bridesmaids to create a softer look.
What would be your best piece of advice for all of our other Budget Bride Company readers?
Relax! Hire a venue that you feel comfortable in and if they have a wedding planner available, make use of them. Brecon castle hotel had a wedding planner called Sam, she was absolutely amazing! Everything ran like clockwork because of her and her team. Call in favours, if you family or friends that can make something that will save you money, ask them.
Congratulations Sian and Luke – what an amazing wedding day on a budget 🙂
Laura xx
Photos courtesy of Samantha Cox Photography
