Low Cost Wedding Ideas – Planning Your Wedding Online
How to plan a low cost wedding and save time by doing it online from your computer
When my boyfriend of 4 years finally proposed to me, the excitement lasted about 5 minutes before I realized how much work I suddenly had to do. I considered hiring a wedding coordinator but I simply couldn’t afford it. My work schedule is hectic and keeps me abroad for most of the week. My fiancé, Tyrone, also spends a lot of time working abroad. I decided that I would have to arrange everything I need online, from my dress to the wedding invitations. When I found out that the average cost of weddings in the UK was £16,000 I knew that ours had to be much cheaper.
Low Cost Wedding Dress Ideas – Online
There are many online websites that offer discount prices on new and used bridal gowns. I must say that I wasn’t completely comfortable purchasing a dress without trying it on first. But I figured I can always take it to be altered and it would still be considered a low cost wedding expense. Just remember it’s easier to alter a dress that is too big rather than too small. I was lucky to find my beautiful wedding dress on eBay for only £75, Tyrone bought his full tuxedo with dress shirt and vest online for £150. Tyrone borrowed his brothers wedding shoes, and I wore my “sporty ballerina” slipper shoes, because comfort comes first!
Low Cost Wedding Dress Ideas – On land
- Second hand stores offer great vintage dresses and tuxedos that you can alter as needed
- Wedding exhibitions are a great place for ideas and deals if you have the time to go
- Search for a tuxedo or wedding dress style that you like online or in magazines and have it made by a local dress maker. If you omit the fact that it’s your wedding dress, you may get a lower price
- Renting your tuxedo and dress can reduce costs
- I know a girl who bought a £25 silk nightdress on sale which she accessorized and wore as her wedding gown
Online Low Cost Wedding Flowers
We decided that since the garden was so fragrant and beautiful that all we needed were bouquets for me and my bridesmaid along with buttonholes for Tyron and his best man. We bought a rather large bouquet of assorted spring flowers which cost £25 and divided it into 2 smaller bouquets and 2 buttonholes. This was the only thing I was ready to do myself. We took some white ribbon, tied each bouquet and that was that. We had our bouquets within 10 minutes.
If you do want to integrate flowers into your décor, here are some low cost ideas:
- Flowers can cost a lot depending on the type you want and the season in which they grow.
- Planning to use seasonal flowers instead of having them flown in will reduce your costs significantly.
- Get creative with your flowers; come up with your own arrangements.
Low Cost Online Wedding Stationery Ideas
When my sister told me to make my own stationery, I nearly fainted. Was I supposed to spend days gluing, sparkling, or whatever people do to make the paper pretty? Homemade anything isn’t really my forte, besides my lack of patience and talent would probably end up costing me more in supplies. So I decided there had to be a better solution. This is when I found a low cost online printing company that delivered straight to my flat.Since their offices are online, the prices are really low and the quality is so good, that people thought I spent much more than I did. They really saved me a lot of time and money. Since everything is done online, they charge much less than my local printer. I could always reach their customer service representatives with any questions, concerns. I ordered 100 invitations,100 RSVP cards with ,matching envelopes, plus 100 thank you cards with envelopes for a grand total of £106.81 this includes shipping and VAT!
Why waste time making your own when you can order high quality low cost wedding invitations, RSVP cards, thank you cards and any other card you might need? Cheap Venue and Decoration Ideas
Initially I wanted to have the wedding at one of the Approved Ceremony Venues in Hertfordshire. I really wanted the ceremony and reception to take place at the same venue. Reducing transportation costs and all round more convenient. But, it was impossible to get price quotes online, which was a major inconvenience for me due to my hectic work schedule. They sent me brochures by post which to this day I haven’t opened.
In the end we went to the registry office to be legally married the morning of the reception. We were accompanied by our parents, best man and maid of honour. We had our reception at my Grandparents’ recreational farm in Hertfordshire. Their beautiful garden by the large pond was in bloom. At the reception we each read vows in front of all our guests. We hired a marquee, tables and chairs from a local party supplier. They came and set everything up as per my Grams requests. We also hired from them tableware, linens and Champaign flutes. As a thank you gift we gave out beautiful glass candle holders with rose tea lights. We even bought some extra and used them to decorate the tables. They only cost £0.76 each when you purchase 100+.
Low Cost Wedding Food Ideas Online
I ordered a great wedding cake online for £295. It was a delicious white chocolate and raspberry jam filled vanilla sponge cake. It looked so beautiful and really added to the ambiance. We hired a magnificent caterer. She not only makes delicious food with fresh combinations, but she also arranges it all so beautifully. She created beautiful, edible, table centerpieces from fruit and sweets. I was amazed by her creativity and grateful for not having to deal with sorting out table decorations. Our reception party started from 2:00 in the afternoon. At our Garden party style wedding we served a variety of cakes, scones, delicious sandwiches, quiches, salads, fruit, veggies and lots of sweets. We bought lots of Champaign (we bought it in France) and a variety desert wines. Of course we also offered juices, water, coffee, and tea.
- Transforming food into décor, is a “2 birds with 1 stone” cost and time saver. But if you aren’t careful it could wind up looking cheap. “Be smart not stingy”, as my Mum always says.
- I know that some people have their family members and some friends help to cater the event which considerably cuts costs
- Serving snack foods, cocktail foods, or just 1 meal also helps keep food costs low. To succeed in doing this, it is best to arrange the ceremony and reception at the same place.
Ideas for Low Cost Wedding Photography
I found that most of the photographers in the area had wonderful websites with online portfolios and most of them had packages which are convenient for planning on a budget. Tyrone and I decided that we wanted a professional to photograph for us. We found a great photographer for £399 he made us a personalised wedding album, and digital prints of all the shots he took. This is so we can reprint our choice pictures, ourselves, anytime. Alfie, Tyrone’s brother, videotaped the entire event for us as a gift.
- When hiring photographers, remember, you can get a good deal by cutting down the hours in which they are there. Have them come by for the important parts, where the quality pictures are taken.
- ALWAYS ask for the digital images on CD or DVD so that you don’t have to pay the photographer for reprints. We are living in a digital world and you should take advantage of it.
Cheap Wedding Music Ideas
The online classifieds is where I found Chriss a student at the Uni who DJs part time. He sent me samples via e-mail of his mixes and emailed me music lists from previous events. He owns all of the equipment and offered his services at a very low cost. Thankfully, we were not disappointed.
- If you want a band without all the costs, I suggest finding a group of local students who are itching to play for an audience. This may be quite time consuming with respect to auditioning them and finding them, but it will be entertaining and cheap.
- Today through your pocket PC, I pod, or laptop, music is an easy expense to eliminate.
Another Low Cost Wedding Story
My friend Anna met her husband James at a pub in Hertfordshire. They loved this pub and since their first meeting, they only ever go there. James also proposed to Anna at that pub. So when it was time to decide on where to have the reception, they immediately asked the pub owner if they could have it there. The owner was thrilled said he wouldn’t charge them for the place and he even offered to cater the event at a very low cost. He also created edible table decorations for the tables by setting down plates filled with colourful veggies and dips. The ceremony took place at one of the Ware register offices in Hertfordshire. Only their parents, maid of honour and best man attended the ceremony. The best man managed to network his digital camcorder to the big screen TV back at the pub (don’t ask me how). So everyone at the reception could be there, without being there. When the ceremony was over the newly weds headed to the pub in the best man’s well decorated Mini Cooper, followed by the parents’ Land Rover. The reason I brought this up is because I think that this wedding is a beautiful example of a simple, low cost, and very memorable event. And remember to always tip your barman! It doesn’t matter where you wish to marry, in the city or in the country. There are always ways to keep the costs low. I wasn’t ready to do anything myself, but I wasn’t willing to compromise on the quality of the day. In total, my low cost wedding came to less than £4000 – 12,000 less than the average.
Tyrone was pleased with the cost and we could afford to take a luxurious honeymoon in Greece!!
My Wedding Budget
Type of Expense
| Expense
| Cost
| Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | Ceremony – Registry Office | £40.00 |
|
| Notice of marriage | £60.00 |
||
| Marriage Certificates | £7.00 |
||
| Rings | |||
| His Wedding Band | £69.99 |
We both got the exact same ring, diff sizes, on sale | |
| Her Wedding band | £69.99 |
||
| Stationery | http://www.optimalprint.co.uk | ||
| 100 Invitations | £14.49 |
||
| 100 RSVP Cards | £14.49 |
||
| 200 Envelopes | £20.98 |
||
| 100 Thank You Cards | £14.49 |
||
| Postage | £28.00 |
||
| Clothes | |||
| Grooms Clothes | £150.00 |
||
| Brides Dress | £75.00 |
||
| Veil & Headpiece | £0.00 |
Something borrowed from friend | |
| Shoes | £0.00 |
Tyrone borrowed and it was my something old | |
| Lingerie | £24.00 |
Something new | |
| Venue | |||
| Place | £0.00 |
Gram's house | |
| Tables, chairs, marquee, table wear | £450.00 |
||
| Table Centerpiece | £0.00 |
included in the catering price, she made a beautiful arrangement of fruit and sweets for the table centers | |
| Wedding Cake | £295.00 |
||
| Catering | £500.00 |
||
| Drinks | £700.00 |
including lots of Champaign | |
| DJ | £150.00 |
We found a student who was quite good, accommodating and CHEAP | |
| Guest book | £0.00 |
gift from friend | |
| Wedding favor/thank you gift | £86.64 |
114 Glass Candle Holder With Rose Tea Light | |
| Photographer | £399.00 |
||
| Staff and Cleanup crew | £300.00 |
||
| Flowers | |||
| Decorative Flowers | £0.00 |
||
| Bridal Bouquet | £25.00 |
1 Large bouquet | |
| Bridesmaid Bouquet | £0.00 |
from bouquet above | |
| Groomsmen Boutonniere | £0.00 |
from bouquet above | |
| Groom Boutonniere | £0.00 |
from bouquet above | |
| Subtotal | £3,494.07 |
||
| 10% for Unexpected Costs | £349.41 |
||
| Total Cost | £3,843.48 |
Download an Excel version of this wedding budget spreadsheet. Save money with free online wedding invitation designs
