Hi All!
I am new to the site (and a new bride2b!!) so firstly I would like to say hello!!

I am realistically only going to be able to have my wedding on a very small budget (£6k or less) and was wondering how to do it!!

I have an idea that I would like my reception in a marquee on a friends farm which may keep the costs down, but does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how they are keeping the costs down on theirs? And suppliers you have found to be cheap?

Thanks Ladies!
Sam
xoxo

It is do able hun best thing to do is google & use ebay

Welcome to the site & congratulations xxx

oh yeah welcome and congrats

having the wedding on a weekday can save you money with lots of suppliers as weekdays are classed by most as 'offpeak' and generally have cheaper rates x

ps welcome :)

I'm glad that seems a reasonable budget that was my first worry! Especially when you read that the average wedding is 20k :o !!
I will definitely look out for things on ebay and auction thanks!
How many guests are you inviting for the wedding on that kind of budget? x

if you make things yourself use your friends and family's skills and you may even be able to bring the price down to less.
which is good

Welcome Sammys and congratulations - have fun planning x

hi and welcome

Congrats on your engagement!

Its definitely a good budget to work with. Most of your budget gets eaten up by venues so the farm idea sounds like you could save a fortune. If you can get someone to help you out and do the buffet for you that would be even better but make sure that they can store it all at the correct temperature to avoid any unwanted food poisoning etc. Depending on what time you have the wedding depends on what ideas you do for food. If you have a late wedding then you can just do an evening buffet or maybe a picnic in the park (weather depending) for an early wedding.

If you want a live band or musician then ring around local colleges as many students are amazingly talented and charge a lot less than if you search through the interent. Tables don't have to be fancy. Choosing a simple design can be elegant and sophisticated and doesn't break the bank. Ikea are great for candles and vases at very cheap prices.

Use the high street. BHS, Next, Monsoon,Barrats etc are great for picking up items especially this time of year when the sales are on. I've also got a wedding factory near me (Google wedding dress factory outlet Hinckley) that do designer dresses from £99-£299. Many are new dresses but are reduced as the stores closed down or discontinued a line. Either that or don't be afraid to ask friends and family if you can borrow items.

I always thought I wouldn't like fake flowers but I've found some foam roses that look so real I just had to get them and they were over half the price of real flowers including extras like diamonties and butterflies. I got them from Ebay so its well worth a look on there.

Ebay is great for picking up veils, tiaras, shoes and any other accessories you need. I even got a flower girl dress from next for £5.00! If your budget is looking tight ask your bridesmaids if they can pay for their own shoes and dresses etc.


If you know anyone that can make a cake then ask them to do it for you. Icing them is not hard if you do something simple like an iced cake and decrate it with flowers. I'm doing mine in advance using fake bases to decorate and then serving up sheet cakes which are a fraction of the price.

Ask for discounts. Even more so when you are buying things like your wedding rings. Its amazing what they can do if you tell them its above your budget! Its always worth trying. You can always go back later and say aunty mable gave you the extra you needed.

Church weddings always look stunning and are pretty cheap. Even with the bells, choir, organ and legal side you are only looking at about £750 which is well cheaper than most venues.

If your having a marquee you need to think about electrics etc and I would get extra insurance. You could always light it up with fairy lights brought in the January sales.

Think about what is important to you and your H2B before you start spending any money and work out what you can't live without and what you can compromise on. It might be an idea if your having the venue on a farm that you ask the friend to clean the tractor and put ribbons and bows on or use a trailer with hay bails on it for something more unusual. This will not only save you in wedding cars but also fits in with the day. Be creative and have fun with it. Its your day so do what you want to do not what you think others think you should be doing. x x x

Hiya hun. Many congratulations on your engagement and welcome to the site :) You're budget is definitely do-able and you'll have a stunning day. You're wedding is what you make it hun no matter how much you spend. As the girls say shop around and use the internet :) xxx

Welcome your budget is the same as mine and i didnt think i could do it.but if your shop around you can, Stick to your budget if that is what you have to spend then dont go over. Make your own invites, cheaper and they are going to be one of a kind, if you know anyone that bakes get them to do your cake. Buy your wedding flower in season works out cheap or buy fake ones (lots of us girls are going to) Set a budget for your dress and bridesmaid dresses and stick to it. I was going to pay 175 for one bridesmaid dress then i found cheaper nicer ones.

Try to go on some supermarket shops ad type in wedding you will be gad you did. WINK M&S WINK

Wecome and congrats

hi sammy and welcome oh and congrats i think the advice the other b2b's have given is gr8 always look around for things in sales etc i still have 33 months to go till my wedding but i already have my confetti cones, favour boxes, bridesmaids jewellery, my shoes, scatter crystals, petals, confetti canons, flower girl jewellery and activity books i have stored them in my loft in boxes for now as these things were on offer so i made the most of getting them x

welcome to the site babe, just wanted to say thar as i think the girls have preety much covered everything lol :-)

xjox brilliant post babe :-)

wow thank you girls i did not expect to get such a response!! xjox your advise is top notch and the tractor is actually exactly something I had in mind as my h2b has a tractor!!! I will stick to all the advise! The main problem is numbers of people... we have a large family and thats the most important part that they are there (100 people for wedding and breakfast). Has anyone had this amount of people on this budget? It seems mad because the more people you invite the bigger the marquee etc and it gets pricey but 100 people is our absolute minimum :/ !!! xx

my budget was 3,000 and we have done it! yay! you should do it no problem with 6k hun xx

my budget is also 6000. my reception is doing a deal for mid week wedding for up to 100 guests for 1000. we are also getting married in the hotel at no extra cost. i only need a car to take us to the hotel then thats it.
found balloons, stationery etc in e of bay.
cake im getting in m&s and decorating it myself.
the band is also included in the hotel price.

my advice is look around hotels and check out their prices for week days. we are getting married on a sunday (day before bank holiday monday) that way everyone should be off work the next day. so no excuses for people to leave early which i was scared of. plus its late night hours at the bar not sunday hours.

then try e of bay for everything else. takes time but well worth it

hope this helpsxx

Ok I couldn't post it to your wall so I have posted it on mine if anyone wants to take a look

yeah a marquee are generally a little more expensive 6000 is a good budget and you are well able to have a very lovely wedding for that budget my budget is 6000 and it looks like ill be within it. you do a bit of reserch and youll be surprised how cheap things can be if you put in the time to look about always get at least a few quotes for things gives you a good idea then chic. congrats and welcome btw x x