Wedding Budgeting Tips from Amethyst Weddings
At the Budget Bride Company, we are always on the lookout for new tips on how to get the most out of the wedding budget you have available.
Sian Bowron is a Wedding Planner at Amethyst Weddings and today she is sharing her tips with us on how to max your budget when planning your ceremony and reception.
Everyone has different priorities when it comes to budgeting for a wedding. With the average wedding expenditure rapidly nearing £20k, it's no surprise that couples on tight budgets are resorting to DIY options to help stretch the pennies.
As a wedding planner, I often get asked the best ways to make the most of a wedding budget, so here are a few of my top tips on how to keep an eye on the purse strings…
Keep the ceremony intimate
Invite your nearest and dearest only - the people that really matter. Less people at the ceremony means less mouths to feed at the wedding breakfast and the savings can stack up incredibly quickly.
Photo Credit: www.intimateweddings.com
Church ceremonies
Check with your vicar to find out if they have a marriage ceremony booklet and hymn books. This will save on the additional cost and time of preparing an order of service specifically for your wedding.
Civil ceremonies
Pick a reception venue that is licensed for civil ceremonies and host both your ceremony and reception at the same place as this saves unnecessary transport costs.
Look out for venues that waive room hire charges for hosting your ceremony and reception with them, as this will give you greater bargaining power!
Another great way to save the pounds is to get married at your local registry office. By keeping it local and simple, you can save more money for spending on your reception.
Photo Credit: Fran Scott at http://www.hiwinchester.co.uk/weddings
Package deals
Don't get fooled in to thinking that these are good deals. It's only a good deal if you need or want everything that is included. A £2000 package including 50 three course meals is only of any use if you have 50 guests. Also be sure to double check the minimum numbers required.
Weekday weddings
Registrar fees and venue hire fees are generally cheaper mid-week which means that you will get a lot more for your wedding budget. You may find that suppliers such as photographers and make-up artists also offer a reduced rate for weddings not held on a weekend. This can also apply to dates outside of wedding season which is generally April through to October.
Caterers
If your venue permits outside catering, then try and find a caterer who can work to your budget. Work with them on the menu - they are the experts so ask them what is realistic for the budget you have. A buffet style wedding breakfast is normally a cheaper alternative to a three course meal or you could try a fun alternative such as a hog roast.
Photo Credit: www.claretcatering.co.uk
I hope that you have found these ceremony and reception wedding budgeting tips helpful! In Part 2, I will share some hints and tips with you on wedding attire and choosing your colour scheme.
Thank you for sharing your tips with us Sian! And we look forward to reading Part 2 on the Blog soon 🙂
Laura
