It’s no secret that weddings cost a lot of money.
In fact, the average price of a British wedding is £25,090 – nearly as much as the average UK salary of £27,000.
Financial comparison site, money.co.uk has analysed personal finance data from over the past eight decades to predict that by 2028, the average cost of a wedding will rise to £29,838.
With wedding costs going up, we decided to talk to wedding expert Hamish Shephard, Founder and CEO of Bridebook.co.uk – a free wedding planning app – who has revealed his top seven tips for cutting the cost of your wedding.
1. Set a budget
Shephard explained: “Our number one tip for saving is to set your budget from the beginning. Not just a rough figure, but actually taking the time to sit down together and evaluate what you can each afford and confirming how much other family members might be able to contribute.
“Once you’ve given yourself a concrete number it’ll be much easier to stick to it. Even better is to then take that number and split it out according to each part of the wedding.”
He suggested using Bridebook’s budgeting tool to help know what you can spend your money on as a whopping 39 per cent of couples often go over-budget when it comes to wedding spending.
2. Don’t have your wedding on a Saturday
While Saturdays have long been the traditional day to get hitched, think about swapping it to a Sunday or even a Friday for a long wedding weekend.
Shephard said: “The day and location is easily the biggest cost factor [of a wedding]. A lot of couples have already clued into this, with 47 per cent of weddings in 2017 happening on a day besides the traditional and popular Saturday. “
3. Consider a winter wedding
Winter doesn’t have to mean bleak and miserable, it can mean cosy, warm and rustic – and just think of the gorgeous long-sleeved dresses.
“You can save over £3,000 in an instant by simply deciding to have a winter wedding on a weekday,” Shephard advised.
4. Have your wedding outside of London
While many couples call London home, getting married in the city can be quite pricey, so consider a country or seaside wedding.
“You can save considerably more if you decide to get married outside of London (as demonstrated by the fact that only 4 per cent of couples who live in London get married in the capital).
“Not only do you save on the venue, but you will also likely save on all of your suppliers as they are often happy to provide reduced rates on days that they might not normally be booked.”
5. Buy your champagne during the Christmas sales
Store them away until your big day to save hundreds on booze.
6. Have the wedding cake as a dessert
Take a course off the menu and let your guests indulge in your wedding cake for dessert – or wedding cheese if that’s more your fancy.
7. Have a family member or friend bake the wedding cake
Wedding cakes can be pricey, so if you have a skilled friend or family member get them to make the cake like 38 per cent of other couples.