The average cost of a wedding in 2022 has skyrocketed to more than £35,000. If you’re engaged and ready to tie the knot, spending such a fortune on your big day can fill you with dread and anxiety, rather than happiness and joy.
In some areas of the UK, this sum of money can be used as a deposit for a home or be put towards retirement. While some couples are happy to splash the cash on their big day, others believe that their cash can be put to better use. To help you plan your perfect big day and avoid getting into debt, here is a rundown of the areas that make up the bulk of a wedding budget, and what strategies you can take to save money.
Depending on where you house your wedding, the average cost of your venue can range between £4,000 – £8,000. Your wedding venue is the most crucial area of your planning, so it’s important that you sort out your location first before moving on. Venuefinder is a great place to start looking. You can use online budget guides to help you along the way to ensure you meet your wedding budget. For Better For Worse cover every aspect of a wedding and have useful tips and guidance on how to plan and throw the ultimate wedding.
It’s important that you pick a wedding dress that makes you look and feel amazing. The cost of a wedding dress will vary according to your preferences and style, so if you’re a lover of encrusted diamonds, be prepared to pay in the thousands for your garment. Many brides-to-be decide to purchase a pre-loved dress which is a fraction of its original cost with no impact on quality. When it comes to your wedding rings have a look online rather than your traditional jewellery shops. Jeulia have lovely engagement rings as well as wedding rings and even couple rings.
The cost of your catering will depend on how many guests are coming, but expect the total to be in the thousands. Whether you plan an intimate affair or an extravagant do, your guests will need to be kept well fed throughout the day and night, so it’s important that you tackle catering next. To save money, you may prefer to do your own catering and ask family and friends to help out. If you decide to hire a catering company, or the venue you pick already has an in-house team, make sure that you keep communication lines open from start to finish.
Once your wedding day is over, it’s only natural that you will want to have tons of photos that you can look back on with fondness. If you choose to hire a wedding photographer to capture your special day, expect to pay up to £2,000 for the service. There are thousands of specialist wedding photographers out there, each with their own unique approach and style, so it’s important that you look at their past work to help make up your mind. Thanks to technology, camera phones can be just as good quality, so you may prefer to use a friend of a friend who may offer their services at a reduced rate.
Whether you’re after a low-key arrival, or planning on making a grand entrance, make sure that you don’t overlook your wedding transport. Getting you and your guests from A to B can be costly, so it’s important that you pick suitable transport. While there are lots of companies who have old fashioned cars, tandem bikes and trucks to help you arrive in style, you may have a family member or friend who is willing to lend their super cool vehicle to whisk you to the church. Wedding transport can reach into the thousands if you have lots of guests, so asking someone you know to help out can save you cash.
If you’re planning a themed wedding, there are tons of decorations that you will need to splash out on to set the scene. No matter what your preferences are, many wedding venues require you to hire any furniture needs at an additional cost, so whether you’re having your big day inside or outside, you need to take this into account. If you’re a lover of arts and crafts and want to save money, you may prefer to make your own decorations.
Choosing suitable wedding entertainment for your special day is key. Whether you want a traditional wedding or something a bit quirky, the entertainment and music you provide for guests should tie in nicely with the style of your wedding. The average cost of a wedding DJ can be up to £1,000 for the night, so if you would prefer to take control of the playlist, you can do so without worrying about diving into your wedding budget.
Saying ‘I do’ to the one you love surrounded by family and friends should be a magical experience and one you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Drawing up a wedding budget, using the advice above and keeping within your means will all help you plan your perfect day without financial worries at the end.