Organising a wedding budget can be one of the most difficult steps in your wedding planning, so we’ve put together some of our best wedding budget tips to help out. Working out what you’d like to spend on your big day, what you can afford to spend and how much things cost can be a minefield. In 2017, the average spend on a wedding was £27000 – but you can have a perfect day for much less.

We’ve put together a rough guide to your wedding budget, along with some money saving tips!

For the Ceremony

Registrar/Church – £500
Photography – £1495
Videography – £1300
Cars – £500
Invitations – £200
Flowers – £300

Ceremony Saving Tips

The registrar/church fees vary slightly depending on your area. These are non-negotiable, so make sure you find out what they are and budget for them as soon as you can. Without these, you’ll not be legally married.

Make sure that your photography and videography includes everything you want in the initial price. Some companies look like they’re giving you a great deal but then add on tonnes of extras. Before you know it you’ve paid double the original price. For help choosing your perfect wedding photographer, take a look at our wedding tips.

Think about who you need to transport to your wedding venue, and how many cars you’ll need. Can one car make more than one trip? Does your car company offer discounts for hiring multiple vehicles? Do you know anyone with a nice car who would take you for free?

Before you buy flowers for your room decoration, check that you need them. Most churches have a flower rota so it is beautifully decorated all year around. Civil ceremonies can be held in some beautiful rooms that may not need any additional decoration.

For the Reception

Venue hire – £6000
Food – £2000
Drink – £1000
Entertainment – £500
Wedding Cake – £300
Favours – £200

Reception Saving Tips

A lot of venues have packages that include food, drinks and entertainment. If your venue offers this, make sure you look at the whole package and make sure you’re catering for everyone. Some venues don’t offer an all-inclusive package so make sure you take every cost into consideration before booking – it can be more expensive than you think.

If you’re looking to save some extra cash, see if there’s anything you can cut from the packages. A good place to start is the welcome drinks. I’ve photographed a few weddings where no welcome drinks package was bought and nobody even noticed.

The same goes for wedding favours. It’s always lovely to have them, but they don’t make or break your wedding day. Your guests are there to celebrate your day, not for the wedding favour. If you want to do want to give favours, look at where your money is going. Some companies charge almost double the price to have sweets etc. personalised. While it’s a nice touch the sweets don’t taste any different without the personalisation. If you’d like to do something different there are lots of charities that now offer a wedding favour service too.

What to wear

Wedding Dress – £1500
Bridesmaids – £300
Grooms suit – £200
Makeup & Hair – £100
Wedding rings – £900
Other jewellery – £100
Brides shoes – £200
Grooms shoes – £100

Outfit saving tips

The biggest problem people have when it comes to their outfits is sticking to their budget. Make sure you make a realistic budget for yourself and then stick to it. This means going to bridal boutiques who stock dresses within your price range and not looking at dresses that are over budget. Falling in love with something you can’t afford is a huge risk that isn’t worth taking.

Think about your something old, new, borrowed and blue. Is there a necklace you can borrow? Did your Grandmother have a beautiful veil you can have? Do your shoes have to be white (and are you more likely to wear blue ones again)? The same goes for the Grooms – if you have things you can use, use them!

Your bridesmaids also need to stick to their dress budget. Tell them what their individual budget is to start with so they can look at dresses within that. If they want to go for something more expensive be very clear it’s them who’ll be picking up the extra. These ladies are some of your best friends and family so being open and honest about their budget shouldn’t cause any problems.
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Just remember

These wedding budget tips are a rough guide. Everyone has different ideas of what’s important to them. Your wedding day is about you and your partner celebrating your love for each other through marriage. After that, everything is extra. As long as you surround yourselves with the people you love and care for you’ll have an amazing day.

Next we’re talking to you about the big question: How do you wear a buttonhole?