Do you want the actual average wedding cost? coz the average is about £15,000 xxxx I started making a list of all the things that need to be done and sorted and the cost of each item and it added up to £9,000 but have made loads of cut-backs and savings and looking at about £4,000-£5,000 xxx

It depends how hard u want to work how much u want to make urself shop around and haggle etc! I would say its a how long is a piece of string question! I've known people spend a few hundred £'s and I've known others spend £20,000!! I would say to write a list with ur h2b and work out what's important to u both who is a must have to attend, what ur day must consisit of. For some people its all about the massive party for everyone u've ever met and for others its a special family day. I hope that's some help?

Thank you, we have an idea of what we would like to spend, and just wanted to get an idea of other people's price range to see if it was realistic, by all your comments our budget makes it seem very able, In fact we will probably be able to spend a fair amount less! :-) we are going for a venue where we can have it all in the same place, so will not need the transport costs etc, although both have fairly large family's, so I'm sure we will make up in costs with that! Xx

Was just about to make a comment about family size! We are not having a very extravagant wedding with regards to what we're having to eat, where it's going to be, dresses, etc etc, but we are from huge families, so the vast, vast majority of our money is going on paying for our guests to come. We're also spending a fair bit on rings, as they're the thing we will have forever to remember the day by. That's just our choice, and I think you'll find from most ladies and gents on here that everybody is prepared to compromise in a different direction. If you and your h2b choose the areas you don't mind cutting back on, it leaves you breathing space around those things that matter most to you :)

Honeymoon is something that won't be happening for a few years, we have two small children so will hold off to take our honeymoon until there a little older. Your right, the family's will cost a good part of what we are spending , but I'm happy knowing if we are in a venue for the day, there will b no extra costs once we are all payed up to be fed!! Haha! I just don't want my ideas/costs to spiral out of control... Also, when your arranging your packages with the venue, can you negotiate with them on costs? If there's things there offering, you don't have to take them up on every service do you? ( we are back in on Wednesday to do the planning with he coordinator) so don't want to sound cheeky if I say I don't want some things, after all, it is our day :-) x

we are 3.5k...but have pulled in a few favours. ie. dress made for just cost of material, friend doing pics...
All invites, place setting and tables decorstions we are doing ourselfs.

Good point Kim - get diy-ing and ask family/friends to help out as much as possible!! We're also making our own stationery, and although I think I'll scream if I ever see ivory card again, it definitely saves a huge amount of money.

Budget varies massively; ours is quite big, and we don't have many guests, but it's because we live in an expensive part of the country, and are spending a lot on things like the photographer and rings.

I would decide on a budget by working out how much you can realistically save, and then write a list of the things you want, possibly splitting it into two section: 'essential' and 'desirable'. Eg essential costs would be things like the rings, the registry office/registrar fees, clothing (dress/suits etc), and some form of food eg a buffet. Desirable things might be cars/transport, fancier rings, and a sit-down meal. Work out what your essentials are likely to cost, and take this from your budget, and then you'll see what you have left for your 'desirable' items.

In terms of cost-saving, probably the biggest ways to save are:

Calling in favours. If you know someone who's a great baker, see if they can do a cake/cup-cakes as your present (maybe offer to pay for ingredients). If you know a photographer, see if they'll take photos for free or for a reduced rate. If you know musicians, see if they can offer a discount. Etc.

Getting a DJ instead of a band, or, hook your MP3 player up to your venues PA system.

Have a later ceremony and skip the sit-down meal, going straight to the evening reception.

Be ruthless with your guest-list. Not seen someone for a year, and never speak to them? Don't invite them, or invite them to the evening only.

DIY as much as possible. I'm making all our own stationary ie save the dates, invites, place cards, table plan, etc. This can save a fortune; I'm having mine printed professionally, then decorating them myself with lace, ribbon, and a diamante buckle. This design would cost about £4 per save the date or £6 per invite if I went through a company; making my own is costing about £1-1.50, saving a LOT of money.

Check out high street stores, sample sales, and second-hand stores/websites for your dress. I bought mine at a sample sale, and got a £2500 dress for £1280 inc alterations and cleaning.

If you aren't fussed about your bridesmaids matching, ask them to wear something like a black dress, which most people have; this could save you £100+ per bridesmaid.

Candles and mirrors make really beautiful and effective but reasonably priced table centres; a basic fresh-flower table centre will start at £25 on average, a big pillar candle, round mirror and scatter crystals will set you back around £5, saving £20 per table.


£10k is a generous budget though :-)

We have created a general budget, but we were very cautious when we made it and estimated everything as the maximum that it would be. Everything we now buy, we try to get money off, and me being the sad person I am, have a spreadsheet where I record it all and can keep track of how much we have saved! I would say make a cautious budget but be driven to get bargains on everything!

Penguin, thanks for that, gives me a good idea of what people are spending on what.. I can't stop looking at things now we have decided a time, I feel it my take over my life some what! Haha!! Xx

My budget is looking at around £4,000 in total and that includes rings my h2b designed for £1032.96!
my dress was £695
I have done the flowers myself for £10 (4xbutton holes, 2 single stems for bridesmaids & my bouquet not a huge fan of flowers so dont want anymore than this)
stationery £20 diy
post box diy £3
h2b's name change (we double-barelling) £30 roughly?
notices £70
ceremony £43.50
tiara £4.50
BM's outfits (shoes, hair accessories, dresses) £24 each (they are helping with some of this)
my shoes £14
PB's outfits £22 (they will wear school uniform shirts & Trousers so just shoes for youngest and suit jackets from tesco for both)
Cake £250 (possibly covered by grandparents)
Venue £125- £160 dependant on how many bar stewards are required
food approx £360
Honeymoon £1000

so just under £300 for entertainment & photographer (asking the local college for photographer and student band)

I did a rough list last week and our budget is spiralling out of control, we were hoping for it to be about £15,000 plus the honey moon (so 20 in total) and the way ive worked it out its at £20,850

I'm hoping Ive grossly over estimated.

and ive just noticed Ive not included invites and save the dates on there so i better hope DIYing them doesnt cost me any more money lol.

Actually, theres no wedding stationary included on my budget

Ffffffffffffffffffff!!!!

It's ok... Im creative. It shouldn't cost much

I hope

/bangs head against desk

Im not cut out for this organising a wedding lark, it's getting out of control. Arghhhhh

Budgets are a very personal thing and can differ HUGELY!

Have a look at the official budget thread (Ive bumped so you can see) and maybe get an idea from there!

My best advice work out how much a month you can save without going without struggling. See f anyone is contributing and then add it all together to get your budget!

To work out ours we worked out what we could save each month, then what we wanted for the day (ie entertainment what venue etc etc) and how much it would cost and then we worked out a date from there. Which is why our wedding is so far away as we are doing everything ourselves!

Velcro: If you work out that diy-ing it costs more than about £20 £land do some nice invites and place cards, they also do thankyou cards all in the same design. they look quite nice and if it wasnt for the fact that i designed our invites before £land came to town then i probably would have gone for the £land ones myself. However i designed my own and my invites have worked out about £12 for the card, £2 for the heart shaped gems, £4 for enough rolls of double sided tape & £2 for stickers that say "wedding invitation", "RSVP" & "Order of Service" i already had a g-il-o-tine (not sure how to spell that) and the left over card from AROUND the invites is enough to do the RSVP's and the excess sheets of card will be able to do the Order of services.

seating plans are usually displayed in a picture frame on an eisel or something of the like

i have set us a 2k budget, but my OH isnt bothered how much i spend, belongs the bills are paid lol