How to Plan a Wedding for Under £5000

*This is a collaborative post 

Your wedding day is often considered as the most important event that you will ever plan and attend in your life, and so it is hardly surprising that we are all willing to splash the cash in order to make the day special. However, being money conscious whilst planning a wedding can actually be the sensible option as you can save you money and put it aside for other worthwhile investments. These investments, like house deposits, are a better use of your money, rather than blowing a lump sum for a one-day event! That is not to say that your wedding won’t be special if you stick to a budget, as there are a multitude of ways that you can create your perfect day – just at the perfect price!

Find Cheap Wedding Outfits

Starting with perhaps the most important part of a wedding – the outfits for the groom, bride, and bridesmaids. These outfits can cost well over £5000 themselves, with the bride’s dress often being twice this amount! This is an area of the wedding where the costs can really stack up, so saving money on outfits for the bridal party will really save you a lot of money in the entire scheme of things and keep you within that £5000 budget.

The most obvious way of saving money on outfits is to search and scour charity shops to find old wedding dresses, second-hand suits, and used dresses. However, this can be extremely time consuming, and you might not find what you’re looking for. There are a range of budget wedding dresses online and on the high street, listed by For Better For Worse, ranging from simple to extravagant, to suit all styles, budgets, and sizes. These are all within a sensible price point to ensure that you stick to that £5000 budget. 

Make Your Own Decorations

Here is where you need to tap into your creative side, to find innovative ways of repurposing and upcycling what you (or friends and family) already own, before purchasing new or second-hand items. Saving old jam jars can be a great way to sort the lighting for your wedding tables, by adding small battery-operated fairy lights or a candle inside each glass jar. Alternatively, these jars can be used as vases for flower arrangements, with the flowers being wild and picked locally from your garden or in the countryside. 

Next, once you have tapped into your creative outlets, consider looking at online marketplaces and auctions for wedding decorations or accessories. Many recent brides are looking to make back some of the money they forked out for their weddings, and so are selling off the furnishing they used for their own weddings – but at a much lower price.

Choosing to adopt a simple and minimalistic decor can actually make your wedding just as special and memorable as a wedding that is lavish, plush, and decorated to the max. Simpler weddings can still have themes such as rustic country chic, or sleek Scandinavian vibes, which can be just as effective as diamonds, chandeliers, and castles! 

Find Catering Alternatives

Instead of paying through the nose for a large three-course banquet meal or buffet, you could opt for a relaxed barbeque or hog roast where there will be minimal wastage and everyone can be served if they should wish for food. You can hire this direct, and avoid the ‘middleman’ by bypassing event caterers and waiters. 

If you do want a sit-down meal, you can actually rent glasses and silverware from supermarkets, as well as tables or seats from local village halls. Think about the talent and creative skills that exist in your family and friend network, to find out whether there is anyone willing to help you cook and prepare for the wedding guests. If you’re really daring and brave, you could just opt to serve cheese and meat boards, alongside desserts and cakes at your wedding. This would simplify the entire process, and save money! Besides, who’d complain?

Consider building your own bar out of wooden pallets and crates, stocking it with alcohol bought at a wholesale store. Again, this will avoid the ‘middleman’ as you purchase the alcohol yourself. If you feel you need a bartender, you can just hire these hands as opposed to an event drinks company itself where you pay in excess for alcohol and bar furnishings. 

If you’re motivated enough and are willing to dedicate more time into searching for the perfect pieces for your wedding, there is no reason that you cannot stick to the £5000 budget. There is plenty more inspiration to be found online, and there are many other brides and grooms who have organised their weddings at much lower prices in order to save their money for their future plans together!