Cutting Wedding Costs
Written by chameleonfridays on July 11th, 2008Weddings are big business in the UK, but with a few tips and tricks you can save some money to make your big day even bigger.
- The dress can be a huge expense. See Wedding Dress Savings and High Street Brides.
- It is not cheap for the guests either, with the average cost of travel, accommodation, gift and new outfit totting up to about £300. Be considerate by and help out by agreeing discounts on the reception accommodation for your party and providing coaches etc. You’ll have more guests attend, and that means more presents for you!
- The venues for receptions are often more expensive than at weekends, try going midweek (make sure you give guests plenty of time to book the day off of work).
- Catering is a major cost, so limit the official reception to a few people and then have a party in the evening for the others.
- Firms which hire out chauffeur-driven limousines usually charge much more if they know they are being booked for a wedding. First agree a fee and then let them know it’s for a wedding.
- If you are planning a cross-Channel trip to buy the wine or champagne for your reception don’t forget that many venues charge ‘corkage’ for allowing you to bring your own booze.
- Consider choosing dresses that the bridesmaids can wear again at other formal occasions; which would give better value.
- Hire a photographer just for the formal photographs. Let your guests do all the photography work for you at the reception.
If you have managed to keep the bills low enough, it could be worth spending a little extra on wedding insurance. There are real risks of ruined dresses, damaged suits, cars that turn up late, lost photographs and even, dare we say it, cancellation. Full article
