First things first…
The first step that we would always suggest would be to set your wedding budget. Before you start dreaming of elements for your wedding, you’ll need to set a realistic budget that you can aim to stick to. Have conversations with those who may be contributing to your wedding even if that is yourself and your partner and come up with a total amount that would be good to aim for. A good way to keep a track of your spending within that budget can be to use budgeting tools such as those on Bride Book and Hitched.
What do you both love?
Now you can start dreaming and researching, once you start doing this, focus on what matters to you as a couple. When sectioning out your budget, think about what’s important, are you both music lovers? Then reserve more for the cost of a band or DJ. Are you more into your food? Keep music simple and make sure you have a good proportion of funds allocated for this aspect of the day. It is all about balance!
Use your date to your advantage
Think about booking your wedding day in the vendors off season, most of the time this will be in January and February, but chat to vendors and be flexible. It will save your pennies for other fun elsewhere.
Honesty is the best policy
It is always a good idea to be upfront with your vendors straight away, tell them your budget and ask questions. When meeting with your vendors for the first time, ask for and use their advice. Most in the business will have worked with couples budgets time and time again, so they really do have a wealth of knowledge that you could tap into. A great example of this would be that you have seen a bouquet that you love, but it has a season and expensive flower in it. Ask your florist for an alternative that could give you a similar look! The more flexible that you are, the easier it will be on your wallet. Keep reading, because share our top tips for furniture hire a little later on in the blog!
Use a professional wedding planner
Often a money saver rather than cost, planners have fantastic connections within the industry. This can often mean that you receive discounts through association. Planners also work with budgets all the time and will have plenty of creative cost-saving ideas up their sleeve. We regularly work with The Wedding Dolls who are a testament to this.
Numbers game
When it comes to your guest list, be firm. The more guests, the more expensive your wedding will be. If you need to, use this to your advantage and have a slightly smaller wedding. That means that no, aunt Mildred’s second cousin can’t come. Be polite, but hold strong.
Finally here are our specialist top tips for ideas to keep your wedding budget on track:
A great way to save is to hire a rustic table, the beautiful wood grain tops don’t require linen to hide anything beneath.
Opt for bench seating, this is our lowest cost seating, which not only matches our rustic tables but also keeps seating arrangements friendly and flexible.
As you will read in one of our recent social media posts “Lighting is one of the most economical, important and impactful ways to decorate your event!”. From fairylights to uplighters and festoons we can help you add the wow factor without breaking the bank.