5 Quick and Painless Ways to Pay Less for Your Wedding

It's funny. Weddings are often so similar.  It's almost as if we're all just using the same template: get married on a Saturday; have a wedding cake, have wedding cars, have a wedding breakfast with a champagne toast, have an evening reception with a buffet...

And that's fine. The tried-and-tested route works precisely because it's been tried-and-tested. Most people don't want to deviate too far from the norm. What it does mean, however, is that you're likely to pay more for certain "staples".

Of course, beside the registrar, the witnesses and the vows, there are no other genuine staples. Everything else is tacked on and labelled as traditional. Well, traditions cost.

 So we've found some painless ways to cut the cost of your wedding without compromising the overall vision for your big day.

Have Your Ceremony Later In The Day

This will help you in two ways. Firstly, your guests won't be hanging around all day getting bored, getting drunk or costing you money, and secondly, you can enjoy the build-up. You can get up later, sip champagne, enjoy a breakfast or spend some time in the spa. It is, after all, your final few hours before wedded bliss.

A sit-down meal can be nice, but it's hardly what your guests will be raving about years down the line. Instead, you can skip the wedding breakfast altogether, and offer canopies and drinks after the ceremony, before the evening reception.

A later ceremony doesn't need to be that much later, either. If you were to start it after three-thirty, then you'd probably find that it'll easily flow into the evening.

Downsize or Ditch Your Expensive Wedding Favours.

The amount that some couples are willing to pay is ridiculous. And ridiculous is fine if you have money to burn. Sure, everyone will spend thirty seconds marvelling at how much you've managed to fit into a Kilner jar, and, sure, people will think they're lovely, but wedding favours ramp up the cost. The internet is chockfull of useful, imaginative favours that won't break the bank or better still have your wedding cake as the favour. One gesture that's becoming increasingly popular is when the couple makes a charity donation on behalf of each guest.

Say I Do On Any Day But Saturday

Most people will get married on a Saturday, and that has a knock-on effect both on prices and availability. Switch to another day of the week (maybe Sunday or Friday) and you'll find that your wedding will not only be cheaper but is more likely to be available on the dates you want. Equally, why not take advantage of bank holiday weekends? That way everyone can party on the Sunday without having to take the hangover to work the next day.

Use a Friend's Car

Wedding cars are a fantastic way to get you or your partner to the ceremony. They can also be very expensive especially if you only live down the road from the venue. Of course, owning a fancy car isn't as rare as it was decades ago. Nobody is suggesting you turn up in an Austin Maestro, but chances are you'll probably have a friend who has a nice set of wheels. It doesn't have to be a Rolls Royce, either. Any car that looks good enough could do. With a good wax and some ribbon, the car is good to go (unless it is an Austin Maestro). Perhaps you could ask to use their car as a wedding gift? Or you could pay them for valeting and petrol? 

Keep It Under Your Hat

In the initial stages, when you're still working out what you want, don't tell vendors and service providers that you need them for a wedding. You only need to do this until they've given you a quote. The truth is that people know you're more likely to spend over the odds for a wedding than a birthday party or evening shindig.

If they have a wedding package that is more expensive, then that's fine. Just so long as you're getting something extra to justify the additional cost.

What did you do or what are you doing to cut the costs on your big day? We'd love to hear about it. Drop us a message or get in touch via our FB and Twitter pages.