We all know weddings can come with a hefty price tag. In fact, the average wedding in 2021 came in at £17,300 – which you have to admit, is rather a lot. So, how does a wedding really cost? To give you a better idea of how much you might want to save for your wedding, here’s a breakdown of what the average couple spent to tie the knot in the UK last year.
- Venue: £7,600
- Wedding dress: £1,300
- Photography: £1,200
- Groom’s suit: £500
- Catering per head: £65
- Bridal hair: £80
- Bridal makeup: £70
Not got a spare £17,300 for your wedding? Don’t worry. It doesn’t mean your wedding won’t be every bit as magical. But, if you do need to save a bit of money, there are a few sneaky ways you can cut some of the costs. To give you a few ideas, we’ve rounded up our top five ways to save money on your wedding.
1. Consider dates in spring and autumn
With the most popular wedding dates being in mid-summer and the run up to Christmas, you’ll probably find that having an early spring or autumn wedding will save you a lot of money. What’s more, with the fresh spring colours or the autumn hues at your disposal, you’re probably find they’re just as beautiful too.
2. Fake your cake
Got a five tier extravaganza in mind? Well, you might be able to save a bit of cash by opting for a couple of fake tiers made out of polystyrene blocks. Iced to match the rest of your cake, your guests will be none the wiser on the day.
Another option is to have a smaller wedding cake and buy a couple of cheaper sheet cakes to feed your guests. A great money saver, you’ll save on decoration costs while still having enough cake to go around.
3. Email your ‘save the dates’
Although you might want to send out paper invitations, you can save on stationary and postage costs by emailing out your save the dates. There are plenty of free online templates out there, so have a hunt to see if you can find one that’s right for you.
4. Call in favours
Know a graphic designer who can whip up your invites or a budding florist who can help with your flowers? If so, you’ll probably be able to yourself some cash by utilising your friends’ skillsets.
5. Seek out no corkage venues
Think your wedding will get a little boozy? Many venues offer no corkage, meaning you can buy in your own booze and dodge the big mark up prices.
From going digital to calling in a few favours, there are plenty of ways to cut the cost of your big day. Hungry for more? Check out our blog, How to save money on your wedding.
Not sure you can pay for your wedding upfront? Well, an unsecured personal wedding loan might be an option for you. You can easily compare wedding loans by filling out our quick online form. It only takes two minutes and checking your wedding loan options with us won’t harm your credit score.
Figures based on the National Wedding Survey 2021 complied by Hitched and You and Your Wedding.
