Tight Budget - Wedding Forum

catherine_tav · #1 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 12:50 AM

Anyone has any comments to share on how you are going to or did save some money on your wedding? I am on a limited budget. All comments appreciated!

Cat

http://www.matt-n-catherine.150m.com

Teresa · #2 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 03:56 AM

I was on a limited budget too. My hubby and I sat down and discussed what was important to us for our day and worked out what to spend the money on and where we could cut back. For example, we got married in the church that was at the end of my parents road and I walked to the church with my parents and bridesmaids. Then my uncle who has a nice car took my and hubby to the reception.

I made all the stationary and saved a fortune. I think it cost about £70 altogether instead of the quotes for about £300 that we were getting. My mum has a friend who owns a cake shop and she kindly made our cake for us as a wedding present otherwise we were going to use the ones from M&S.

We asked friends to video our day for us and then one of them who is a bit of a dab had with it all, edited it for us and put it on a dvd.

There is lots you can do to save money such as not having a dvd and making your own invites. Ask friends and family to help with things like the invites. Places like Monsoon, Debenhams and BHS all do lovely wedding and bridesmaid dresses and they are a lot cheaper than some in the bridal shops so that is definataly worth a look.

Perhaps think about having your wedding later in the afternoon and then just having a buffet for everyone. This cuts down on the time you hire the venue for and is cheaper than a sit down meal followed by a buffet for the evening.

TNSwissy · #3 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 04:27 AM

Hi there Cathrine and welcome to the board!

We're on a tight budget as well and doing a lot of thing ourselves as well. I made my own invites and my bm's are helping me with the table decorations for the evening-do (little decorated tea lights that serve as favours for the guest too). One of the ladies from my church is a florist and she makes the most amazing floral decoration thingies which she designs so we can use them for both the church ceremony and as center pieces for our dinner tables later in the day. My h2b and I are also making the rest of the decoration at the evening venue ourselves (h2b's making this huge poster of photos of us from our childhood up to the day we met

). For a guest book I bought a very simple photo album that I'm designing a cover for now to match the rest of the stationary of which I made all myself (invites, menucards, tablecards). My brothers are going to make a dvd for us (lil brother has all the tools and software thingies to do that). My matron of honour's friend is a prof photographer and is going to be with us the whole day/night and all he wants is ...dinner! lol ... Make up I'm doing myself...so saving some money there. Our evening venue is a cosy lil restaurant/hotel on the country side here in Switzerland which is cheaper than the one's in the city... There's lots you can do! Hope you'll get some good ideas from this forum! I certainly have

btw... nice pics!

caline · #4 (**permalink**) 11-02-2006, 05:35 AM

I have saved ££ by printing my own invites. All my invitations, RSVPs, thank you cards, place cards, ceremony booklets, and more have cost me under £100!! And I think they look great.

Mine were ordered from USA as I wanted a particular print with calla lilys on (to go with my theme)! But you can get all sorts.

Also, I am probably going to go for an M&S cake, just plain white iced, then get my florist t do a small simple decoration with fresh flowers to put on it. Cake to feed 60 is £50!

Ummmm, what else? I think like the others have said, just decide what is important to you, and go with that. We are having sparkling wine for the toasts, as neither Steve or I like champagne. And Pimms for reception drinks too! I must admit, we are concentrating a lot of ££ into the photographer and videographer, as it is important, I feel, to have a record of the day. Oh, and also a string quartet!!!

Caline

Kezzer · #5 (**permalink**) 11-02-2006, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teresa

I was on a limited budget too. My hubby and I sat down and discussed what was important to us for our day and worked out what to spend the money on and where we could cut back

That's probably the best piece of advice your gonna get

Don't listen to people about how you should do stuff, or what you have to do becuse it's traditional. We weren't gonna spend hundreds on a cake just because it's traditional when it just wasn't important to us. In the end a family memeber made us one. Speak to all your family and friends with skills to see if they'd want to be a part of your day - most people are over the moon to be able to help.

A friend of mine says that one of the best wedding she went to was where a dozen people paid £15 for a meal in a local restaurant after a registry office wedding.

Your wedding day is about what it means to you and your partner & the vows & promises you're making, not how much money you throw at it

bron · #6 (**permalink**) 11-02-2006, 07:31 AM

and can I just say the pic of him proposing is lovely

mrs_cupotea · #7 (**permalink**) 11-02-2006, 07:41 AM

We are also on a tight budget and I have found that freinds and family are the biggest help when it comes to saving money - my parents are paying for the meal as a wedding present, my brother and his wife are paying for the cars (also as a wedding present), my aunt is making my dress and the three bridesmaids dresses, my sister and I are making the cakes, a freind is doing the photography and another freind is doing all the invites for the cost of materials only.