How to Get Married on a Budget (UK)
Choose your wedding destination., Keep three words in your mind at all times: simplicity, simplicity, simplicity., Choose your date carefully., Understand that stationery can be expensive in department stores and specialist shops, but honestly, who...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose your wedding destination.
Churches, synagogues, and even your own home or future spouse's home is less expensive than most other venues. -
Step 2: Keep three words in your mind at all times: simplicity
Lots of weddings are overly-complicated which makes them a logistical nightmare and expensive.
Keep things as simple as possible and you will have more cash to splash on the important things and less stress leading up to and on the day. , Of course, the perfect English wedding is in June, July and August when the British summer is at its blue-skied peak, or perhaps at Christmas or Easter.
The trouble is, is that at these times, lots of people want to get married and you are having to compete to get good venues and photographers.
Get married out of season
- venues are cheap, you can have your pick of them and the roads are empty! If you get married in Summer and it rains everyone says "Oh what a pity!" However, if you get married in February, and it doesn't rain it's a bonus! , Shop around and order online
- W.H.
Smith do an excellent range! , People drink far less at lunchtime anyway, but if you put a bottle of red and a bottle of white on each table and provide a glass of bubbly (good Cava is often better than cheap champagne!) on arrival and one for the toasts, that is more than enough.
Lunch time receptions lend themselves to buffets
- so much more sociable than a sit down meal as people get up and mingle! , Bands, DJs and Orchestras can be very expensive. , You can rent wedding dresses or do the eBay thing if the big white frock is what you want.
Have a good look around the department stores and on the high street though and consider wearing something a bit less traditional.
It is also cheaper than you might think to have clothes made! , Who do you know who can bake a cake, decorate a cake, arrange flowers? Do not turn down offers of help! This is how a wedding should be
- a family affair with everyone pitching in. , Keep it to immediate family and closest friends
- you can always have more people at the reception later to include all the people you couldn't invite to the wedding ceremony.
Whittle it down to 50 for the reception.
You can pack the church or synagogue
- it won't cost you a penny! 50 will feel like a lot of people when you have them all together in one place and you have to talk to them all, but the point is that you CAN talk to 50 people. , Lots of people will have put time and effort on your big day.
Say thank you by turning a few of your photos into postcards.
It is easy to get this done and people will love it.
A few choice sentences on the back and everyone will feel special. -
Step 3: simplicity
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Step 4: simplicity.
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Step 5: Choose your date carefully.
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Step 6: Understand that stationery can be expensive in department stores and specialist shops
-
Step 7: but honestly
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Step 8: who remembers what the invitation looked like?
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Step 9: Have a morning wedding and a lunchtime reception.
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Step 10: Provide your own music.
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Step 11: Remember to figure in the cost of a dress.
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Step 12: Get people involved.
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Step 13: Set limits on your guest list.
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Step 14: Say thank you nicely!
Detailed Guide
Churches, synagogues, and even your own home or future spouse's home is less expensive than most other venues.
Lots of weddings are overly-complicated which makes them a logistical nightmare and expensive.
Keep things as simple as possible and you will have more cash to splash on the important things and less stress leading up to and on the day. , Of course, the perfect English wedding is in June, July and August when the British summer is at its blue-skied peak, or perhaps at Christmas or Easter.
The trouble is, is that at these times, lots of people want to get married and you are having to compete to get good venues and photographers.
Get married out of season
- venues are cheap, you can have your pick of them and the roads are empty! If you get married in Summer and it rains everyone says "Oh what a pity!" However, if you get married in February, and it doesn't rain it's a bonus! , Shop around and order online
- W.H.
Smith do an excellent range! , People drink far less at lunchtime anyway, but if you put a bottle of red and a bottle of white on each table and provide a glass of bubbly (good Cava is often better than cheap champagne!) on arrival and one for the toasts, that is more than enough.
Lunch time receptions lend themselves to buffets
- so much more sociable than a sit down meal as people get up and mingle! , Bands, DJs and Orchestras can be very expensive. , You can rent wedding dresses or do the eBay thing if the big white frock is what you want.
Have a good look around the department stores and on the high street though and consider wearing something a bit less traditional.
It is also cheaper than you might think to have clothes made! , Who do you know who can bake a cake, decorate a cake, arrange flowers? Do not turn down offers of help! This is how a wedding should be
- a family affair with everyone pitching in. , Keep it to immediate family and closest friends
- you can always have more people at the reception later to include all the people you couldn't invite to the wedding ceremony.
Whittle it down to 50 for the reception.
You can pack the church or synagogue
- it won't cost you a penny! 50 will feel like a lot of people when you have them all together in one place and you have to talk to them all, but the point is that you CAN talk to 50 people. , Lots of people will have put time and effort on your big day.
Say thank you by turning a few of your photos into postcards.
It is easy to get this done and people will love it.
A few choice sentences on the back and everyone will feel special.
About the Author
Sharon Cole
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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