5 Tips to Keep Your Wedding Spending Under Control
A few months later, The Independent wrote that the average deposit for first time homeowners was £33,000.
That’s only a £6,000 difference, and the cost of a single event versus owning your own home.
And that’s even assuming that the average price of a home in your area is £207,693.
In some parts of the UK it’s considerably less.
£27,000 let that sink in for a moment.
Whatever your budget, the trick is to spend smarter not harder.
Here are our 5 tips to stop you from overspending on your big day.
Add a 10% buffer to your budget
All the planners, calendars, apps and organisers in the world can’t
save you from unforeseen expenses. Not to mention something you might have overlooked, miscalculated or underestimated the price of.
It happens but having a bit of wiggle room can make all the difference.
We suggest building in a 10% buffer.
A £10,000 wedding would have a £1,000 buffer, for example, to cover hair trials that were left out of the initial budget or if you need an extra wedding car of if you’ve forgotten to buy your mother-in-law a gift.
It’ll help to stop you going over into your savings.
Get Friends and Family Involved
Know someone who’s a mean baker? A talented photographer? In a band? Owns a set of DJ decks? Know a friend who can do alterations or have an Uncle with a fancy set of wheels?
Ask and see what they can do.
Getting friends and family to help out is a great way to save money, but it doesn’t give you the right to treat poor Aunt Edna like a one-woman sweatshop. Find out who has a talent for what and then ask if they’d be willing to help you.
Remember to be polite and accept those who decline with good grace. Remember, too, to give people enough notice before the big day. Offer to pay any expenses and extras. Maybe some can do it in lieu of a wedding gift. Mates rates will be far cheaper than the services of a stranger.
Just be sure that you can trust the person you’ve asked to deliver what they promise.
Use Cashback Websites
You can’t get married for free but you can earn money on anything you spend by signing up to cashback sites like Topcashback or Quidco or by using a credit card that gives a percentage back on each purchase.
Cashback websites are brilliant. You simply visit the website first and then click through to whichever website or vendor you’re purchasing off and it’s done. It costs you nothing and everything you earn, no matter how small, soon adds up.
We use Topcashback regularly, and we'd love for you to use our referral link (you'll get an extra £2.50 when you earn your first fiver).
Get Married Out of Season
Getting married on a Saturday will cost you more. If you switch the day, you could save thousands of pounds. Fridays and Sundays are becoming more popular as is using the bank holiday weekend.
The summer is peak wedding season so unless you have your heart set on getting hitched in July and August then switch to another time of the year.
Winter weddings make for a great overall theme to your big day, and, let's face it, in the UK there's no guarantee of wall-to-wall sunshine over the summer anyway.
Shop on the High Street
God bless the British High Street.
If boutiques are beyond your budget then shops and online retailers like ASOS, Dorothy Perkins, Topshop and Debenhams could be for you.
There are so many gorgeous designs on rails in high street stores that you could save a pretty penny without compromising on style.
This goes for wedding decor, too. Home Bargains, Primark, Poundland, Clinton Cards etc have all jumped on the wedding bandwagon.
They’re ideal for lights and candles and cute touches that will tie a wedding theme throughout the venue without costing you a fortune.