It’s the biggest day of your life, so it’s only right that you want to celebrate in style. But hosting a wedding comes with a price tag and a wedding today is said to cost over £30,000 but let’s be honest with inspiration in abundance, your Pinterest wedding is probably going to amount to hundreds of thousands, so how do you control your wedding spending to match that of your budget?

At Wedinspire, our idea to help stick to a wedding budget is the ‘splurge and save theory’. Whether your budget is £5,000 our £100,000 this theory will certainly help to keep to your desired spend.

Splurge and Save to optimise your Wedding budget

The splurge and save theory quite simply means splurge on the areas or items that mean the most to you and save on the others. For example if you’re a shoe fanatic splurge on a set of designer heels that will make your heart flutter, if you are both foodies splurge on a cuisine that is going to tickle your taste buds. By creating a list of your top priorities you can both understand and stick to where you can splurge.

Then comes the save element and this is where we can help, you can still have luxury when working to your budget but it requires creativity, thinking outside the box and possibly a touch of compromise. So here’s our tips on how to plan your luxury wedding on a budget;

1. Tricks for saving on wedding venues 

Believe it or not, the most expensive part of any wedding day is the venue. This typically accounts for a huge chunk of your budget, use our wedding budget calculator to help being your planning.

Compromising on your choice of venue is not advisable but you can be savvy. First of all plan ahead, more availability means more options. Also consider getting married out of season. September usually falls just outside of most wedding venue’s highest priced season, so take advantage.

Midweek weddings are becoming more and more popular, and due to demand 2021 will see an abundance. Traditionally weddings were held on a Saturday and the demand has kept price tags higher across the weekend but the shift is growing whereby weekends have become part of a typical work week for many and guests will not be appalled to take time out for your special occasion.

If it comes to the compromise of not being able to have the wedding venue of your dreams compared to getting married on a Thursday compared to a Saturday, I know which one I would choose!

2. Venues with a ready-made backdrop

On the note of venues, think carefully about how much decoration your chosen location will need, to minimise the need for lavish amounts of decor opt for a wedding venue that has plenty of character and a prize worthy ceremony backdrop.

Photo by Phosart Photography Cinematography at Aenaon Villas

For instance, a vineyard, botanical garden or even a zoo! These already come with the perfect backdrop, meaning you have to do very little in dressing them up. We love a blank canvas wedding venue but make sure you have the budget to dress the space, you don’t want your guests to walk in and see the blank canvas!

3. Wedding dress solutions

A typical bride spends nearly £1,400 on her wedding dress. If this is your splurge purchase you can easily exceed this amount and plenty but if you want to hold tight to your budget we have a few tips for you;

It may sound obvious but look for offers, be it sample sales from your favourite designers, end of season collections or dresses on display. Don’t be shy, ask bridal boutiques if they do offers or sales and when it comes to negotiation if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

And, then there’s the high street which offer some incredible dresses which styled correctly will look every bit luxurious. Our short-listed high street favourites are; Whistles, Ghost, Asos and Monsoon

There’s one big piece of advice we give when it comes to your wedding dress and that is to factor in alteration costs, if you are one of the very very lucky ones to find a dress that fits like a glove, well done you, I mean really well done you! Most dresses will need a slight adjustment here or there and you will need a good seamstress.

4. Simple yet stylish decor

Rather than copious amounts of intricate decoration and elaborate floral displays choose minimalistic elegant pieces that shout sophistication. Think classic white candles with fresh lillies strategically placed. Flower heads floating in water vases or just simple placed foliage can create a spectacular effect.

Contemporary minimalist decor when done right can result in cutting down on the hefty price tag of  high volume decorative items.

Photo by Millie Stone UK in Your guide to wedding day stationery

5. Light up the room

Clever lighting can fill a room like you would never believe, building an atmosphere for the space in which you can celebrate. Up-lighting can give the impression of grandeur and really transform a space. Speak to your venue they are likely to have lots of creative ideas to light up your day that are included and you won’t need to spend a penny.

6. Family style grazing

Replace starters with finger food, delicate amuse-bouche bites and canape style nibbles always look chic. Offer these to guests in place of a starter. The same goes for desserts – ask your chef to make miniature trifles and eclairs, a far more economical approach without losing any impact.

Scaled back dining is very in vogue these days, so you can get away with a buffet-style breakfast, over a four-course meal. It’s a much cheaper way of catering to the masses. Carvery style meats are always a popular choice, and you can pad it out with salads and crudités, giving the impression of a lavish banquet.

7. Something borrowed…

Purchasing lavish accessories can quickly deplete your wedding budget, instead you could ask your relatives if they have any heirlooms they’re willing to lend you for the day that will also double up as ‘something borrowed’.

Chances are that their vintage necklace or bracelet will look far grander than anything your budget would allow for and in fact the sentiment will offer you so much more enjoyment.

8. Utilise your friends and familys skill set

It may sound obvious but your friends and family are likely to be honoured to assist in your big day. Your Aunty that owns a bakery and specialises in cakes, could they make your wedding cake? Your jewellery designer friend could they help with your wedding rings?

Wedding planning requires products and skills from an array of industries and sometimes it’s who you know not what you know when it comes to getting the best deal or receiving a cheeky discount!

9. VIP extra touches

Add a touch of luxury by simple cost effective extras. These will have your guests admiring your work and your budget will still be in tact.

  • Never underestimate ribbon. Napkins, wedding menus, favours; all can be upgraded with a simple hand-tied ribbon.
  • Double the impact with the use of mirrors, place flowers in front of mirrors in your reception to maximise their appearance without doubling the bill.
  • Use Flower Cubes to Juje up the drinks. Fill ice cubes with edible flowers or slices of strawberry and add to welcome cocktails.

10. Swap champagne for prosecco

Wedding swap-outs are a great way to keep the luxury feel, with a few minor tweaks. Prosecco is often half the cost of champagne, and most guests may not notice the difference when enjoying the ambience of your big day. It’s a smart choice for all those toasts and speeches throughout the day.

Your wedding can be the wedding of your dreams with the clever use of your budget, splurge on the areas which really mean the most to you both and save in creative ways to bring your vision to reality.