Wedding Forum - Our £899 (so far) Wedding budget...

Well originally we thought it would cost about £1000 for the cheapest wedding we could do, but we have since cut it down to £899, and even then have got some things for less than we worked it out.

We used an online planner that split the costs between each category by percentage. Some areas we will be spending more on, and some less.

We have gone for the small room at our local registry office, so that makes it £67 for notices of intent, and £43.50 for ceremony fee, with 30 guests allowed.

Rings we are going to get from argos, we dont want anything expensive, and have seen some silver ones we like for £19.99 each. IF we can aford more nearer the time then we will look at white gold as thats what our engagement rings are.

THe flowers a family member has made for a gift (So lovely of her as we were going to cut flowers out to save costs, but I am so happy we have some now)

I got a dolly bag from a well known auction site for £1.39 to put all my bits in i need. ( I HAVE to carry 2 antihistamine, 4 steroids, glucose tablets, and my blood monitoring kit EVERYWHERE i go)

No photographer budgeted for at this point, we are relying on friends and family to share thier photo's

MIL 2B is making our invitations and cake as a wedding gift.

Our thank you cards we got in the poundshop, with some business sized ones from vista. ANd we are going to make a dvd of all the music played in the ceremony, and a few photo slideshows on.

Our dreses cost £13.99 each from the bay of e, and bridesmaids dresse £11.99 each, we got white cocktai dresses for them, and are going to jazz them up with satin ribbon round the waist.

Shoes we got plims for £3 a pair in primark (Couldnt find converse we could afford) and MIL is going to help us attach baby pink hot jems and use organza ribbon for laces.
Bridesmaids will have same shoes.

got waistcoats for £4.99 each from the bay of e.
asking male attendants to wear own black trousers and shoes (well everyman has those dont they?)

got headbands with crystal butterflies on for bridesmaids £5 for three, and one for flower girl for £1 thats a single row of crystal looking gems.

my veil i plan to make, 2.99 a meter for pink glittery material, so figure it will cost me under a tenner, and attach it to a glittery butterfy hair comb that costs £6.99

Cravats are 1.99 each on the bay,
doing our own hair and make up.

making fower girls dress, total cost of that £8
using taxis for the transport, costing £18
the reception site is free as they have a bar, dj £95
allowing £100 for decorations
candy bar £30

then it's just gifts for people,

and as it runs at the moment we are £178 UNDER budget! Who knows at this rate we may afford a cheap photographer after all!

wow u coulda saved me like £20k and planned my wedding for me lol x

Well done!
If you have everything already now - is there a special reason why the wedding is 18 months away?

What about food? Or did I overread this?

Good luck with your job hunt.

I also found it pretty easy to keep the costs down with everything BUT the food. We still found a reasonably priced venue but it's still the biggest chunk of money. I at first wanted to do a pot luck combined with pot luck but my family totally vetoed this and then offered to contribute.

But well done - I think it's great to show that you don't have to buy all that stuff the wedding industry tells you to.

Agree!

I'm amazed x

it is a struggle and I literally spend hours and hours trawling the net and shops looking for ideas and bargains. but it is worth it when we look at what we are saving.

I am sneaky though and am planning to see if i can afford a better dress nearer the time and use the one i have for my evening dress

great planniung and budgeting well done

WOW! That's amazing, good on you! Just goes to show that you don't need all the pomp and extravagance and as you rightly say, it's the two of you and your guests that are the most important things xx

sounds lovely janie x

it doesnt fit me, it's 5 sizes smaller than i am !!!! lol
plus is now at my MIL's, but i'll get some next week when i am over. she tried it on for me and it's lush

yeah, am due for gastric bypass this year :)

wow, thats amazing. It just goes to show that you can have a fantastic day without having to spend loads of money. xx

well done! Looking forward to seeing the pics of your dress!!! I do hope you can get a photographer, have you thought of asking local colleges for students who wnat to add to their portfolios?

am sorry janie, but i wud never advise any1 to have a bypass, too many health issues after! ure best gettin on weight watchers diet trust me!

Janie by Cousin in Law is having a bypass this year too. Good for you i hope everything goes well and the dress fits your beautifully :)

sorry janie i have had it, i have persoally experience, i am also a nurse that works wiv a lot of patients and my mates has had it... she wasnt on any meds b4 it now less than 2 years later shes on 4

Just a quick question - you said you'd paid the registry office fees, £67 for notices of intent, and £43.50 for ceremony fee - but have you included the cost of the marriage certificate(s) in that? I think it cost us somewhere around £10 each (we ordered extra so we had them to send off when I changed my name).

I thought the cost of the certificates was included in the prices we were quoted, but I will check that out in case I got it mixed up, thanks.

Leciesters a bit far for us happychic, neither of us can drive, but i'll take a look anyway, always love looking at dresses etc

janie u havin a veil?

plans are going well still. Seem to be getting lots done lately. cantwait till we can book the venue's/ there is also a possibility of me going into business with a friend, but that's not certain yet. IF it happens i am having that lighthouse, helicopter, and big evening bash, with pink limo, photographers and all sorts :)

we're managing to stick to it at the moment. Always seeing little bits and bobs i want to get, but w2b keeps me in check and says we dont need it lol.
Not easy though, i'm the same, always seeing things i must get !

ok, something else i jsut realised i didnt mention on here earlier....chair sashes 99p off the bay, they make FAB ties round a bridesmaids waist and are also big enough to use as tbale runners, fraction of the cost!

it may help, i dont know!
Do you have any family or friends that are good at making things, or photoraghy etc? We're using our family and friends to do things or make things for us instead of getting gifts

I am LOVING the white plimsole idea!!! I'm absolutely useless in heels and can't see me managing that all day! Plus, who's gonna see!!! Janie, where are you from?

My own wedding is being taken over a little by my inlaws, I've no say in the places they deem 'not good enough' for their only son to marry but they've offered to help with costs so I can't complain too much, it's just a feeling of detatchment, we're marrying in Norwich when we live in London... Tricky!