£5000 budget - is it possible?

[TwittleBee]

Hello,

We have just come into unexpected financial difficulty (won't go into details) and shall have to cut our £10k budget in half if we want to meet our date in 2020.

How have people managed to be so savvy? I have already purchased my dress so that doesn't need to be accounted for but things we still need to purchase include:

Venue
Registrar fees
food
drink
flowers
bridesmaid dresses x 3
groomsmen suits x 5
rings
invites
photographer
MUA & hair stylist
Decorations / favours

The venue we have already fallen in love with and were planning on booking this weekend comes to £3500 including food & drinks! Leaving us only with £1500 left which was originally our budget for the photographer!

Shall we just give up? I mean, my family have already expressed how shit our wedding was going to be on a £10k budget, so maybe we should just wait 5 years before we marry (wanted to tie the knot before DS started school though)

Fair enough, I'm glad you've got it all sorted.
Perhaps your friends or family will buy a round of bubbles for a toast in the evening. Don't take out a loan.

I hope you have a lovely day, I'm sure it will be smashing.

£2.5k for a two week trip between san franscisco and los angeles.

Stopping at vegas. 600 dollars for wedding, wedding photographer, flowers etc.

When brother got married family members paid for parts of wedding as the gift.
Mum bought tesco iced celebration cake & added flowers & ribbons.
I dressed the flower girl & 2 page boys. BHS wedding range in the sale.
Wedding dress & 2 bridesmaid dresses from oxfam shop. Specialist wedding section. It's surprising how much they get donated.
A friend did 3 course sit down at cost price. Other friends were waiters.
Local taxi company with newish cars added ribbons.
Bought favours & invites over the year run up so didn't notice the costs.
Photographer was a friend of a friend.
Local hall free hire decorated day before.
They made income from bar.
Overall came in under £3K.
IT can be done & we had a lovely day.
& no one was in debt after it.

Ive spent-

£112 on my dress
£210 for the register office ( it's a beautiful listed building in gorgeous grounds)
£20 on bridesmaid and Paige boy outfits (my 2 DC)
£100 on DPs suit
£100 in Costco for sandwiches, cake and nibbles
We had rings from a religious ceremony 2 years ago so using them

All down the pub afterwards no charge

Although I've never wanted a big wedding so this is perfect for me!

Mine cost about that:
Venue: Registry office followed by pub. It was a very beautiful period gastro pub but they were happy enough to give us the backroom and half the bar for £150. They also did the buffet for 7.50 a head.
Bridesmaids: 4. They bought their own dresses and in return I let them choose what to wear around a vague colour scheme. It actually looked pretty good as they all brought their individual style.
Rings: £90 each. 6 carat. Hatton Garden.
Cake: Hired a cake stand, bought 3 gateaux in different sizes
Make up: I just let my most girly bridesmaid loose on my face.
We had 30 guests to the registry office, searches and buffet. And practically everyone I've ever met to the evening do.

It's 10 years since I got married but there's things that def I think could have saved on. I did my own bouquet, hand tied bouquet not actually that tricky! Mum did the rest of table centres / button holes. Spent about £200 on flowers (from flower market) rather than the £1000+ we were quoted . Friends mum made my bridesmaids dresses, just paid for the material. Mum made cake (back up plan was M&S. no one really cares or remembers your cake 😂 sad but true).

Favours we did personalised tea light holders (eBay) cost £20 for 100.... but most left theirs behind so again, not sure I'd bother !!

They had some gorgeous wedding stuff in Sainsbury's today. Decorative stuff...wooden table numbers, seating boards, boxes guests can write messages on wooden hearts in. All really reasonable too. Well worth a look.

Can you ask close family for some of these as gifts? So maybe mum buys the bridesmaid dresses, or pays for hair?

Ours was about £4500 with 60 people, (we both have massive families so had to be really stingy with invites and only include a few close friends)

Photographer was £150 and they just dropboxed the photos and we had them printed later. Look at student photographers! So much cheaper and I thought they put a lot of effort and care into the job.

Flowers was a gift from DM

No favours, did have some games for the kids. no cake.

No open bar just enough wine for everyone and a soft drinks tab.

I did my own makeup. DSis paid for us to have our hair done at a local salon.

We had no bridesmaids or ushers, as realised this would be way to expensive.

Dress was under £250

Although it was small and cheap-ish, we had an amazing time, a really relaxed and fun atmosphere and everyone loved it!

I forgot to say our rings were £300! We had them made rather than buying from the high street, it was far cheaper!

My wedding budget is 6k.
We’re having a bbq for food - no sit down meal is much cheaper
We’re getting married later in the day - only feed people once
I’m making all my own decorations - Pinterest is great for ideas
My friend does floristry so that’s being done for £150
My other friend is a baker, wedding cake is £100
We found a photography deal with an up and coming photographer for £200 for getting ready, ceremony, and group shots including prints
We aren’t having cars - I’m putting a ribbon on my aunties (reasonable) car
My bridesmaids dresses are from ASOS in the January sales - cost me £25 each
Our ceremony is in a castle and our reception is in a quirky beach cafe.
I made our invites myself

It’s doable.

So our wedding was less than 5k for 220 guests with honeymoon thrown in. It was 8 years ago though. We bought flower girl dresses online on sale. Borrowed the bridesmaid dresses. Only hired a suit for hubs and rest just wore plain black suit. We bought ties to match the bridesmaids dresses to tie in. Only had flowers for top table and bouquets and found an independent florist. Had balloons for decorations everywhere else. Bought veil off eBay. Hired a hall and did Bought food and did a posh buffet with jacket potato’s from local pub. Got family with nice cars to drive us and bridesmaids. Shopped around like mad online. Step mum did hair and friend makeup. Photographer we bought a proof book and rights to the others and then printed off our own.
It’s doable but you need to prioritise what it is important to you. I would have like other stuff but it wasn’t essential. Any
Go get what others say. It’s your day. X

Thought I would post an update.
We have decided to get married this year on a £500 budget with just us 2 and our 2 witnesses (our best friends). Break down now:
Town Hall - £200
Outfits - £120
Breakfast - £60
Afternoon Tea in fancy place - £120
We won't bother telling our family about it, just hold off for a Big Do in a few years time when we can afford it and if we want one

That sounds lovely. I hope it goes wonderfully for you. Enjoy your day.

Sounds great! My parents did this, it was exciting like eloping and still talked about 40 years later

I think that's sounds like a great solution. A completely different plan will make you feel better than half hearted compromise.

I also think you get bragging rights over the expensive do. It is after all about the marriage rather than the wedding day. And all that lovely saved dosh to spend on a killer honeymoon!

Thank you

It is all booked, getting married next month! Notice to marry this month! Feels very exciting and real now haha.

Not sure whether to get rings or not... and not sure whether to keep secret from family. If they found out they would be pissed but if we told them they would want to come and we just want it to be us 4 as it is just to get the same names and the bit of paper. We want the proper big day later on and fear if everyone knew we were getting married now then they wouldn't see the point of the big party in a few years

Was just going to say I get married in June it's cost about 5.5k, we are getting our rings from etsy, good luck hope all goes well for you xx

I was going to comment with my break down, 6k, including cars, photographer, MUA, hair, 1k dress, 50 for meal, 100 total in evening, several drinks, etc

But I see you changed your mind! Tbh I actually really wish we had done what you are doing. We scrimped and saved for that 6k and I wish he had used it for a holiday, towards a house deposit, etc.

Rings, DH got his from Warren James (I think that’s what it’s called) and his was about £16. Mine was a bridal set from QVC for £30.

For make up book a lesson at a MAC counter. It’s £50 and you can redeem that against products, I got a good foundation, blushes and eyeshadow. Get some proper brushes and practice. Good luck.

drink - ask the venue if you can supply your own and then approach your local wholesaler or brewery.
flowers - mine cost £300 including bouquets for me and three bridesmaids, plus centrepieces and button holes. Give your florist a budget and ask which flowers are seasonal.
bridesmaid dresses x 3 - got ours for £70 each from monsoon
groomsmen suits x 5 - hire them or ask if any of them own a black suit, then hire the waistcoat and cravat
invites - make your own, lots of websites sell craft kits. Print inserts at the local library and handwrite each name in.
photographer - ours was £300 including a discif prints. It covered the ceremony and reception, not evening do. Consider if you really need them for getting ready etc.
MUA & hair stylist - I did my own makeup, went to a local salon for hair up. Bridesmaids did their own but I didn't stipulate style.
Decorations / favours - you don't need favours but you can get some great ideas for homemade ones on Pinterest.

Basically if you do a lot yourself, it's doable. My grandmother made the cake, my uncle borrowed his friends DJ equipment, I made the seating chart out of card, ribbon and dried flowers. My brother in law drove us to the reception in his fancy car. Ask around, see what favours you can get as a wedding present.

I bought artificial flowers for my bouquet and my two bridesmaids, they cost £28 and looked beautiful.

I made my favours, but scrap them they are quite pointless. I made my own table plan and invites.

Wedding shoes from next £30

men’s suits for £50 each from suits direct.

Bridesmaid dresses from Debenhams, quite cheap.

You will be able to find a photographer cheaper than your original budget, people that are starting out etc. Remember as long as there are 4-5 good shots it’s fine, how many weddding pictures do people actually display?

Rings from HSamuel they do those deals online where you get a discount if you load up a rewards card.

I also did my own makeup, go to a makeup counter and get them to try some stuff on you, you can get samples etc.

One thing not to scrimp on imo is the wedding ring long after the last bit of cake has been eaten and the thunder of getting married is gone that's what you will have left. 4 years on and still in love with mine. I didn't however provide alcohol for guests, if they wanted the alcohol to go with the expensive meal I provided they could happily go to the bar for it,

We got married for £3.000, we had a civil ceremony at a local pub with a hog roast. DH daughter was our only bridesmaid and we let her choose an outfit, we had a casual/biker theme so it cut down on a lot of the expense. I did my own makeup but a friend did my hair as her gifts, invites we ordered from online during a sale (postcard style) as for favours I got a some treat size chocolates to go in the tables.

Just remember the day is about you and your DP

Im having a cheap(ish) wedding and intend to do it as follows:

Late afternoon wedding in church
Onto local social club / working mans club / football club which includes table cloths chair covers and sashes.
Tea time buffet with additional brought out later on.
Toast drinks only.
No photographer.
Balloons rather than centre pieces
Foam flowers if i have them (undecided)
Disco and karaoke
Probably a band.
3 bridesmaids 2 flowers girls with asos dresses ebay for the little ones.
Best man usher and 2 dads suits
My dad will pay for dress (looking at 500 budget) and maybe the church. Id hope to do the rest for under 3k.

Not having a cake or photographer.

Twittlebee I was going to suggest that. Soooo pleased for you. Have a fabulous day