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UKbride Member Request 16 Jul 2017

My budget is ridiculously small as me and partner are get married in the...

My budget is ridiculously small as me and partner are get married in the spare of the moment! this September and I'm only just planning now! I've found a venue £2300 but it's not really for me and I can't find anything else! I'm devastated to say the least. Anyone know of cancelled weddings? Or late wedding discounts? I want a perfect day! But I don't have much money. We've just had a baby and he's in the army so he's due away for a long time in September, so we wanted to wed the beginning week... if anyone knows of anything that could help please comment x

46 Comments
UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Groupon or wowcher sometimes have wedding deals on have a look

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

where are you based and how many guests? what's your total budget? :) x

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Cancellations normally hire venue out at lower fee. I'd suggest maybe having a late wedding, marry at 4ish and then just have a buffet around 7? Maybe have a welcome drink and try and fit the speeches in there and then drop the sit down meal (which is a big expense). Invites don't send save the dates just send your invites in plenty of time. Ask bridesmaids/groomsmen to either pay for or put money towards outfits. Any talented friends, my friend made our cake, one did my morning photography and one DJ'd all for free you don't really need favours, or if you want them you can get mega cheap but cute things on eBay. Same with table decor/venue dressing, eBay is a godsend! Flowers, artificial are cheaper and again can buy on eBay or have a girls night making your own. Hope some of this helps!!! Xx

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Registry office and bowling club. No need for fancy venue

Sharon Allen
Sharon Allen 16 Jul 2017

My reception is at the golf club and it's free only have to pay for the buffet which is £7 a head and we are getting married at the registry office. Our total cost of our wedding is £1000. Our DJ is £175, we only sent invites not save the date cards, the wedding car is £270 for 3 hours. I recommend using a site called bark as that is what we used and we got the cost down by £2000. It's worth a look.

Sarah Pollard
Sarah Pollard 16 Jul 2017

My friend did registers office followed by tables booked in a pub ... Summer sales both in shops & online & you hopefully locate your dress & bridesmaid bargain ... You can find them @ £30 or less
Try # lindybop #elsies attic
# chi chi clothing

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Have you looked on Groupon? They do some fantastic wedding packages x

Adam Ibbetson
Adam Ibbetson 16 Jul 2017

How small is small? A venue for 2300
Is A lot? After cut backs our whole wedding is 3700!

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

I would go and speak to all the local pubs & see what they can do - i had a pub do a deal for a carvery & dessert & toast for £8ph - meaning it was 1k all in. I had 110ppl there!
Miracles can be done!
Or maybe a local church will hire out the hall for you - if they have tables & stuff? Maybe do a pot luck dinner?

Rebecca Jones
Rebecca Jones 16 Jul 2017

We had a lady with a small budget approach us at our pub and I think she did everything for £2500 and we made it look stunning for her (she had a marquee put up in the beer garden and had 120 guests

A member uploaded image

Rebecca Jones
Rebecca Jones 16 Jul 2017

A member uploaded image

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Gretna green? My sister was married there it was absalutley beautiful so chilled out scenery was lovely food was amazing 12 of us went all together and it was the best wedding iv ever been too They do packages for couples and guests if u were to decode on there u have to make the application to their registrar a month before the date xx

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Katie Belle Laura Greenwood

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

We offer a completely free mobile bar, as long as our minimum spend is met.
We can also provide your arrival, toast and table drinks from only £12pp.
Very handy if you're watching the pennies!

Www.facebook.com/starbarsuk

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Village hall

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

My OH and I are kinda getting married spur of the moment. It's our tenth anniversary in October so we decided to book the wedding. We've booked the ceremony suite for our local town hall for under £200! I've got a dress for £100! Reception is in a local champagne bar which is free as long as guests spend a certain amount. I know someone who can DJ and I have a photographer friend who's just finished her degree so she's doing a discount. I've only got rings, transport, cake and catering to sort. My oh is also getting his suit sorted soon. All together it shouldn't be much more than £1200! Xx

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

The Mill Forge at Gretna Green is hard to beat.

Christine Daly
Christine Daly 16 Jul 2017

We looked at hotels which were really expensive and not really what we wanted.
We've got a pub & marquee with buffet & hog roast for 1/3 of hotel prices.
Got dresses in sales for bridesmaids.
Going to attempt decorations myself!

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Have a look on Groupon, I got a fantastic package on there.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

How's your garden? I recently saw some friends had the reception at home, got a marquee (in case of rain)and stuck bbq on, so relaxed

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

We booked ours in may 2015 and was married 12 weeks later, we too were looking round at venues but we had a lot going on at the time and realised we didn't t care how or where we got married and planned it all in 12 weeks and we didn't have a big budget either.
Don't stress, no matter what you do your day will be perfect no matter what x

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

We hired a local pub/ hotel for our venue and only paid £42. We paid a decorator who supplied all the decorations meaning we had no clearing up to do afterwards. We had 140 guests 40 of which were children. Married in a church and my daughters christening the same day. We hired suits I had 11 bridesmaids thier dresses were from eBay less than £30 each and 3 were custom made. I made the favours. My sister and sister in law did wedding cake/ christening cake we spent less than £4000. Our photographer was a wedding present. Our biggest expense was entertainment we had a rodeo camel, a photo booth, a disco dome, a face painter and a caricaturist. We did all this in 10 weeks from picking the date to saying "I do" xx

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Doing during the week can bring the cost down. Making your own centre pieces and having a buffet rather than 3 course meal has massively helped us. And you can make your own playlist. You don't have to have a Dj. And put save the dates (if you want them) in with invites. And hand deliver invites. Saves a fortune on stamps! X

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Look on Groupon they do wedding packages on there x

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Not ideal but can you leave booking until nearer the time? You might get somewhere cheaper because it's better for a venue to have some money than none at all as it's not being used.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Try group on they do weddings from lovely hotel's x

Naomi Chappel
Naomi Chappel 16 Jul 2017

An elation and late weddings will do you a deal but it depends on your total budget. You could get married at a registry office and then have a meal/buffet somewhere like a golf course or cricket club. Good luck x

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

We are getting married abroad, but when we get back to UK our reception place is only £85. It's huge as well DJ is 150 for 6 hours and have 150 people coming and a good friend is doing my buffet for free maybe if you ask family or friends if they could help out, it would keep the costs down.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

We got married 3 weeks ago... blacksmiths followed by a beautiful reception @ smiths gretna green.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Check on Groupon they usually have deals on wedding venue etc

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

My reception venue only cost £100 to hire and they allow outside catering, my photographer only cost £575 and i have loads included in that price. It is possible to do things very cheap, you just have to let go of the big perfect princess wedding fantasy.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

I paid around 3000 for my wedding this august

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

A registry office would be cheaper? Some look really lovely too for photos etc

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Which area of the country are you looking for? We're in Newcastle Upon Tyne & maybe able to help you. Beamish Park Hotel.....

Megan Chaplen
Megan Chaplen 16 Jul 2017

Best western hotels do a £1999 package for last minute dates. Availability might not be great and it probably depends on location but we're getting married at aston hall hotel in Sheffield, it's absolutely beautiful, and they do it there. Includes wedding breakfast and evening buffet and you can have ceremony there too so saves on travel cost

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

See if you can
Hire a church hall, pub room or working men's clubs they're normally reasonable in price, the room I hired was £200 x

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Where abouts are you? I know a couple of lovely venues that will do everything for a around 3000 for a last minute wedding xx

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

As it's been suggested try your local pubs that have function rooms that can be made to look amazing and u can decorate it yourself on a budget....

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Have you looked at cricket/bowling/rugby clubs as they often have large function rooms. Or google function rooms in your local area. If he is in the army, maybe contact your local veterans clubs or your nearest legion club as they may get you a good deal.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Guildhall Lichfield £35 a hour xxx

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

I have heard of some places doing a discount on last minute weddings, such as Dunston Hall in Norfolk where me and my partner were originally meant to be getting married last month. Our venue was only around 2,000

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

You dont need money to have a perfect day. We got married 1st July, paid £200 to hire the village hall and another £100 for material and paper lanterns.. this is how our reception looked....
Our day was so relaxed and we had my brothers who are very musical play some songs, a dj and then my husbands band also played some songs followed by dj again. Whole wedding cost us around £3000 and so many guests said it was genuinely one of the best weddings they have been to x

A member uploaded image

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Look at local village halls...some of them are so beautiful and won't break the bank.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

Check groupon....they sometimes do wedding packages for responable prices :)

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 16 Jul 2017

We have the same issue :-( fiancé is in the Army and last minute wedding planning is a nightmare

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 18 Jul 2017

Village hall like others have mentioned, rather than guests giving gifts, have an afternoon tea and people bring cakes...sandwiches etc (needs someone on it to organise this), you will need to pay staff to serve so factor that in otherwise it'll be a nightmare. Or pot luck....I've been to a wedding where it was a pub/restaurant and guests paid for their own set meal, once again instead of expecting a gift, if you're straight up with people and make it clear then they can decide.

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