The Venue

Wedding venues can take up a considerable portion of your wedding budget, so are a great place to start if you are looking to scale back with your wedding plans. Smaller hotels, pubs and restaurants often have space that they also use for wedding receptions, offering a fantastic option for your wedding day. Not only will they likely come with space for parking, but they are normally central, making it easier for out of town guests to get back to a hotel. Furthermore, you can often have them cater for you, meaning you can tick two things off your checklist!

Dates

Consider dates outside the usual wedding dates people aim for. Off-season dates such as weekdays in the Spring/Summer months, or any dates during the Autumn/Winter months are usually in less demand, meaning they will often come in slightly cheaper. If you want to incorporate a date that gives your guests some time off work, you could look at a date that falls on a bank holiday weekend during the off-season.

FOR MORE PLANNING TIPS, INCLUDING PICKING THE PERFECT DATE SEE
PLANNING YOUR 2022 WEDDING AND BEYOND

Decor

To make the most of your wedding decor it can be a great option to spend your money on one or two statement pieces, and work a theme around them. Another approach to take is to borrow decor from friends and family, rent decor, or only buy decor that you will re-use or re-purpose after the wedding. A fun route to go down is to DIY your decor, getting your friends and family together to help you can be a wonderful way to cathc up with everyone (just be careful not to spend more on supplie than it would have cost to buy!).

Attire

A lot of brides are turning more and more to a high street option when it comes to their wedding outfit. By picking an outfit that you will be able to re-wear you not only cut back on costs, but you are making a more sustainable choice for your wedding day. This mindset can also reflect on the groom’s choice of clothing for your wedding day. When looking for your bridesmaid’s outfits, stick to something they can re-wear, or ask your bridesmaid’s to wear an outfit they already own in a set colour or shape/style.

SEE OUR 10 WAYS TO THINK ETHICALLY ABOUT YOUR WEDDING ATTIRE

Cake

Whilst cakes are still the top choice for weddings, more and more couples are turning to dessert tables, cupcakes, cookies or even doughnuts! Not only can you be creative with how you display them, doubling them as a decor statement piece, but you can choose the exact amount you need, cutting back on leftover food.

Let us know your top tips for keeping your wedding planning to your budget in the comments.

Photo Credits: Natalie J Weddings