IT’S supposed to be one of the best days of your life – so it’s not surprising some brides feel pressure to spend tens of thousands to try and make their wedding day ‘perfect’.
According to a recent survey, couples spend an average of £7.6k on venue hire alone, and the dress typically costs an eye-watering £1.3k.
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But thankfully, your big day doesn’t have to break the bank, as saving-savvy bride Catherine Earp proves.
She met her husband Gary in uni and they got engaged in May 2021, marrying just six months later on their 10 year anniversary.
Here, Catherine shares the money-saving tips which enabled them to celebrate their big day for a modest £1.5k – and still afford fun ‘extras’ like a DJ and a photo-booth.
Saving on snaps
Any married couple can tell you, wedding photography is not cheap – and quotes can go up into the thousands.
However, Catherine managed to capture her big day for a fraction of the usual cost – by looking on Bark.com.
She paid just £150 to hire a talented photographer for a couple of hours.
She says: “Photography was a big one for us but we didn’t want to spend thousands.
“We looked online for photographers that could be hired by the hour and found an experienced photographer with great reviews on Bark.com.
“The venue is next to a nice wooded parkland area, so we hired a photographer and had some pictures taken there which came out great with all the autumnal colours, even if I did have to hike through the mud in my heels.
“We hired him for two hours and he took pictures of our ceremony and spent an hour afterwards taking pictures outdoors.
“We had about 200 at the end of it so don’t feel we missed out on anything doing it this way.
“We then had our families and close friends arrive at the party slightly earlier and had a friend take some nice pictures of us all together.”
Photo fun and lasting memories
While some costs, like a venue and food, are a necessity, there are other more frivolous costs that, if you’re careful, you can cover in your budget.
For Catherine, she knew the venue for her 100 guests was top priority, then she had her heart set on a DJ and also a photo booth, which cost £200.
Catherine says: “We decided we didn’t want a traditional wedding, all we wanted to do was get married and have a party with everyone we love.
“We hired a photo-booth, so we had pictures of our guests.
“The company we went with, MAD Inflatable, put all the pictures in a guestbook that people signed.
“The guests all got a picture to take home, and we got a physical copy of each picture and them all on USB.
“We are so glad we got photos of everyone having a brilliant time rather than having to stand around posing, and the guest book has been a great memento.”
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Supermarket saving
For their party, the couple opted for a function room which had a reasonably priced bar and took a very laidback approach to food, while ensuring everyone was well-fed.
They spent £200 in total to feed 100 guests, and Catherine says: “We ordered from Morrisons, and had sandwich platters and snacks.
“Everyone was happy with the food and there was plenty of options for everyone.
“My sister bought us a wedding cake as a gift which doubled as the dessert.”
Catherine’s £1.5k budget – A break down
Here’s how Catherine managed to keep to her £1.5k budget…
- Registry office for a Thursday – £200
- Photographer for ceremony – £150
Say yes to the (high-street) dress
You also don’t have to spent thousands on your outfit to look – and feel – a million dollars either.
Catherine says: “My wedding dress cost £95 in total. I bought a £30 dress from ASOS during the sale because I loved the top of it and the sleeves, but the skirt wasn’t right for a wedding.
“I found another dress on Shein (also £30) with a skirt I liked but the wrong top.
“I then took both dresses to my local dry cleaner, and he charged me £25 to put them together and I got a dress I really loved that was unique.
“I bought a veil in Primark – it was supposed to be for a hen-do but I took the material off the headband and instead attached it to a hair clip for the look I wanted, which cost £3 in total.
“I also made my bouquet myself by buying a collection of artificial flowers I liked from craft shops and my local market and tying it with a ribbon.
“I think it cost me about £15 and I got plenty of compliments.
“For the party, we both wore different outfits we again found in online sales.”
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It’s a date
To keep costs down, the day you choose can also help.
Catherine says: “The most important thing to us was the date – we wanted to marry on our 10 year anniversary which happened to be a Thursday.
“It was also a bonus that this meant it was cheaper to hire the registry office.
“We had a small ceremony in Brentwood Town Hall with just our parents. I got ready at home and took an Uber there.”
Deciding on decor
Decor was kept very simple but to Catherine and Gary’s taste, which is a bit alternative.
Catherine says: “Chairs and tables were included with the venue, and we spent an extra £80 hiring chair covers and silver sashes, and I bought disposable tablecloths in the same colour from Ebay.
“Once all the chairs and tables were covered and matching, it made a big difference to the room.
“We also had some photos from our relationship that we arranged on one wall that proved popular, and we bought some banners to hang.”
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Top tips
Ultimately, you need to remember it’s your big day.
Catherine advises: “Don’t do anything you don’t want.
“People try and pressure you to do certain things just because ‘it’s a wedding’.
“Many people told me I should have my make-up done professionally, however I have never been happy with the results of someone else doing it, so did it myself.
“Only you will remember the small details. For example, we both wore shoes we already owned, as it felt a waste to buy new shoes just for the day when no one would notice, or care.
“Also, don’t just look at wedding venues. Function rooms are often cheaper and are just as experienced at throwing big events.”
Catherine has no regrets, saying: “It was exactly the way we wanted to do it.
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“Not just for the cost, but we didn’t really have much stress either and genuinely got to enjoy all the aspects, from the planning to the wedding.
“If we had to go back and do it again, we’d do it all the same way.”
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