Tips for planning a wedding on a budget

Posted on: 19/01/2024

In the UK, weddings can be notoriously expensive. According to a survey, the average cost of a wedding was £18,400 in 2022. These figures have risen significantly since the pandemic when the average cost of weddings, not surprisingly, dropped. So, it's no wonder that weddings on a budget are a popular topic of conversation.

When you add the cost of living crisis, it's understandable that many couples might choose to prolong their engagement or forgo a wedding altogether. However, if you'd love a wedding and could do with a little guidance on how to keep costs down, we have you covered. There are lots of steps you can take beyond having a smaller guest list, which has cropped up as one of the emerging wedding trends for 2024.

With these handy tips in place, plan a wedding on a budget and still guarantee a magical day. 

Go out of season

Peak wedding season in the UK usually runs from May to October, which means that planning a wedding for this time of year can be much more expensive. By compromising on the time of year, you could land your dream venue for a price that sits within your budget. You could even try being flexible on the time of day bimagey looking into so-called 'twilight weddings'. A budget wedding is all about compromise.

If you configure your day into one that embraces the season, guests are bound to remember it. We're talking cosy fires and vibrant autumnal colour schemes. A wedding on a budget can prompt you to go for something less conventional and therefore be more creative.

Go handmade

Often, doing something yourself for a budget wedding means you can cut out the middleman and save money while adding a more personal touch to proceedings. How far you embrace handmade elements is up to you. Simply making your own invites can save more than you might expect.

Suggestions include making your own decorations, chair dressings and signs to give the venue a new lease of life. This way, you won't have to hire a professional to decorate the space for you. Others might get help from friends and family to compile their bouquets, while some dedicated brides may even make their own wedding dresses!

Go for reasonably priced jewellery

Something else to consider for weddings on a budget? Don't splurge on jewellery. You’ll no doubt already have a stunning engagement ring ahead of the big day, but what about the rest of your jewellery? So long as you have an idea of the type of jewellery you'd love to wear, you don't have to spend a fortune.

You can get beautiful jewellery from high street jewellery shops, as well as from vintage shops and fairs. While it may be tempting to blow a significant portion of your budget on some stunning pieces, the reality is that that money is best spent elsewhere for your budget wedding.  

Go second-hand

A wedding on a budget means you can take 'something borrowed' to a new level and ask friends and family to help you out. The likelihood is that people have items they can lend or that they no longer need to help bring your wedding day together.

You could borrow a cake stand, a pair of shoes, a suit, a bunting set and much more. You'd be surprised at how willing people are to help. Don't forget to check out second-hand selling platforms and charity shops – you can find a vast array of gems out there for budget weddings if you look hard enough. 

Go for an unconventional venue

From extravagant hotels to vast country houses, we're inundated with picture-perfect venues that can skew our perceptions of what to expect. This feels more real than ever when planning a wedding on a budget. Frustratingly, venues are one of the most expensive parts of a wedding, so cutting down costs in this area can make a huge difference. However, that doesn't mean you have to compromise on booking somewhere special.

You could go all out with decorations and transform a more cost-effective venue yourself, such as a community centre or even a hospitality venue. More cost-effective hotels and even pubs often have function rooms that could work for your big day. You could always stick with the registry office and go for food somewhere if your party is small enough. It's a no-brainer for weddings on a budget.

Get help from F.Hinds

Wedding ideas on a budget is one thing but knowing what type of jewellery you plan to wear is another thing altogether. That's where the team at F.Hinds can help. You can browse our selection online or head in-store to get help and advice from our friendly experts. We can point you in the direction of more budget-friendly pieces if that's what you're looking for. 

As we're members of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), you can have confidence in the fact that our jewellery meets ethical and social standards within the industry. We have further accreditations to showcase the standards we meet within the industry.