— Top 10 Money-Saving Hacks for your Wedding —

How to Stretch Your Wedding Budget (Without Sacrificing Style)

 After the excitement of getting engaged and sharing the news with your family and friends – next comes the exciting (but sometimes daunting) task of planning your wedding. 

Weddings are expensive, but you don’t have to go full DIY or skimp on everything to have a beautiful day. If you’ve got a reasonable budget and want to make the most of it, these strategies will help you get value without cutting corners on what matters.

With the average wedding in the UK costing anywhere between £18,000 to £35,000 according to various surveys, raising the finances to celebrate your special day can be challenging. But don’t worry – these insider tips should help you on your way.

Top 10 money-saving hacks for your wedding

1. Choose off-peak timing — it really pays

Winter and early spring are typically cheaper months for venues and suppliers. Many venues run “off-peak” rates from January through March (or October–December), which can slash your base venue costs by as much as 30%.

Choosing a mid-week wedding will often come with a discount too. With only a limited number of peak weekend dates available, venues and suppliers tend to charge a premium for Saturdays.

Booking well in advance helps — you’ll snag better supplier availability and pricing (and avoid rush charges). Plus, you’ll have the time to choose the supplier who really gets what you’re trying to achieve. 18 months to 2 years in advance is the sweet spot- any more than that and you’ll find some suppliers won’t have fixed their prices yet.

2. Trim the guest list

Most wedding venues charge a cost per person for food, drinks and service, so slimming down your guest list is one of the biggest ways to save a significant amount on your wedding day. Don’t feel pressured to invite people to your wedding just because they invited you to theirs, or because you’ll feel guilty if you don’t. It can be tough to create a budget-friendly guestlist without hurting anyone’s feelings – but just remember that it’s your day and your decision. A smaller list lets you allocate more to photography, florals, or food quality.

3. Prioritise and allocate your budget

There’s an overwhelming amount of options when it comes to planning a wedding. It’s easy to get swept away by novelties like doughnut stands and saxophone players, that, let’s be honest – you could probably do without. We recommend that you make a list of all the things that you definitely want to include on your wedding day, and start by organising those things first. 

That way, if you do have some spare funds to spend or room for movement in the wedding budget – you can include some of the things that you want, but don’t need.

Decide your top 3 “must-have” elements (venue, food, photos? entertainment?), and let less important areas be more modest. You don’t need to compromise everything — just pick where to splurge.

4. Pick a venue that includes extras

Look for venues that provide tables, chairs, linens, staff, lighting or built-in décor. That way, you spend less on renting the basics (plus, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress!). Sometimes a “less pretty” but functional space with inclusions is better value than a gorgeous blank canvas that requires everything brought in.

5. Be smart with catering & drinks

Whilst the catering is a key element to most wedding celebrations, it’s one that can easily start to bust the budget if you aren’t careful! Whilst we don’t recommend skimping on this – the worst thing in the world would be your guests remembering your wedding for all the wrong reasons- there are things you can do to keep the costs within budget:

• Opt for two courses and serve cake as your dessert. You’re probably going to spend a lot of money on a wedding cake- so make the most of it and ask your caterers to serve it as dessert alongside the tea and coffee.
• A full open bar generally isn’t expected (in the UK at least)- but a welcome drink or two is usual. This doesn’t need to be complicated cocktails- a glass of wine or beer will be gratefully received. Guests can then go to a cash bar if they want something different.
• Choose cava or cremant over champagne for your speeches. Champagne may be traditional but bubbles don’t have to be expensive; a good bottle of cava (Spanish sparkling wine ) or cremant (French sparkling wine, just not from the Champagne region) can be had for a fraction of the price.

6. Shop sample sales, preloved and clearance for your wedding outfits- or consider hiring

Many wedding boutiques discount last-season dresses and suits in trunk sales. You could also ask if there are sample gowns — the savings can be substantial. Alternatively, there are many websites where you can buy a preloved outfit, and you can grab yourself a bargain. Whichever option you go for, allow plenty of time for alterations- if these need to be done at short notice, there will be a premium to pay.

For a very on-trend alternative, hiring your wedding dress is now becoming much more popular. Sites such as Something Borrowed or By Rotation offer an online service, but most major cities have bridal boutiques offering a similar service where you can try also on the dresses before making your choice.

7. Use low-cost décor with high impact

With everyone looking to Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration, the trend in 2025 was for the big wow when it came to florals and decoration. However, these can come with big bills too! Here’s some ideas to stretch the budget and get the same effect:

• When it comes to florals, you’ll probably be looking at decorating your ceremony space and your reception tables- so if you’re lucky enough to have two separate spaces, make the most of it by moving the decorations rather than paying twice. Vases of flowers down the aisle can be easily moved for the tables, and a large decoration at the end of the aisle can often be reused for a top table.
• Use seasonal flowers and greenery, rather than imported flowers- they’ll be fresher as well as cheaper. See our blog Seasonal Flowers for a guide to what flowers are best for each season.
• Lighting can really transform a space as a low cost- using fairy lights or uplighters can make all the difference. Check with your venue as to what is allowed.
• Remember ‘something borrowed, something blue’? as a wedding tradition? Borrowing items from friends weddings can be a great way to keep the cost down- if they are amenable, of course! Vases, tealight holders and other décor for tables can be used without looking too similar to their wedding. Alternatively, many couples sell their décor on sites like Facebook Marketplace and Ebay.

A key note here- don’t over-decorate! Use your venue’s architecture to your advantage.

8. Curate your supplier team

Even the simplest wedding will need a few different suppliers to make everything run smoothly. Luckily there are some top tips when it comes to stretching the budget!

• Ask your venue- they will know who works well at their venue and make suggestions. A good venue will have a range of suppliers at different price points.
• Look at people who are new to the industry and want to build a reputation. Photographers for example often switch between industries and may be willing to work at a reduce cost to build up their reputation
• Negotiate a custom package. Don’t feel you always need to take the ‘all singing, all dancing’ option, or that a supplier will only work to 3 different packages. They will often tailor something for you.
• Book your suppliers as far in advance as possible. We’d recommend at least a year if you can.
• Some wedding suppliers offer more than one service- e.g. wedding floristry and styling, or photographer and videographer- and this can work out cheaper than booking two separate suppliers.

9. Digitise where possible

Whilst it’s very exciting to send out thick invitations on embossed card, those envelopes can certainly start to get expensive once all the add-ins are included. So these days most couples incorporate digital options in some or all of their wedding communications. You can send digital “save the dates” or invitations through websites like Greenvelope or Pure Invitation.  These also come with an online RSVP tool to reduce postage and printing costs.

When it comes to letting everyone have timetables, menus and so on creating a digital wedding website can cut down on sending out wedding inserts. Plus they will often have tools to manage all your guest information too! Try Say I Do or Bridebook for wedding website builders.

10. Be clever with the extras

There are lots of little extras at weddings that you’ll see pop up on social media, and many couples spend the last few weeks before their wedding splashing out on them. But, there’s really no need to spend a fortune! Wedding favours are something that make a lovely touch but can add £££ to your budget- but if you miss them out, we promise you hardly anyone will notice. That also goes for wedding flip-flops, personalised hangover kits, custom temporary tattoos or any of the many, many things the algorithms will feed you! These things are lovely and can give your wedding a personal touch- but they really won’t make or break your celebration.

If you really want to add an extra or two- go for something that will create memories- a photobooth is great fun, or a wedding magician can really get people talking.

2026 Additions & Trends to Watch

• Sustainability & second-hand: More couples are reusing décor, renting gowns, or sticking to local florals to cut both cost and waste.
• Intimate weddings with fewer guests let you invest more in the experience per guest.
• Experiential elements (e.g. photo booths, immersive lighting) now compete with traditional floral budgets.
• Digital invitations and wedding websites- once considered a bit niche, they’re now mainstream

FAQ — Smart Budget Wedding Questions

Q: How much can I realistically save by going off-peak or midweek?
A: It depends on your area, but many venues offer 10–30 % discounts for non-Saturday dates or off-peak seasons. Plus, venues and suppliers often have lower minimum spends or guest numbers, or special rate packages.

Q: Will guests be unhappy if we invite them midweek?
A: Not necessarily — just give plenty of notice. Many guests are happy to travel for a special event, especially if the destination or day is unique. Check out our blog Pros and cons of a midweek wedding for more on this.

Q: If I cut guest numbers, will the celebration feel empty?
A: Not if you plan wisely. Fewer guests let you upgrade elements: better food, more entertainment, or a more luxurious ambiance. You can make it feel cosy and more conscientious rather than scaled down.

Q: Can I skip a DJ or band and just use a playlist?
A: This one depends on when you during the day you’ll be using the playlist. For background music during the signing of the register or the drinks reception, fine. If it’s for dancing in the evening, you’ll need a really good sound system which will need to be PAT tested and insured. So unless you know a DJ, we really wouldn’t advise it (and many venues will refuse you permission anyway).

Q: Is DIY décor really worth it, given my time and effort?
A: Only partially. You’ll save on labour cost, but buying materials, transportation, and time add up. Use DIY strategically (centrepieces, favours) but avoid getting overwhelmed. The goal is smart DIY, not “everything DIY.”  Not only will this reduce your spending, but it can also add a nice personal touch to your day. One of our favourite examples of this is drying out flowers in advance to use as confetti. Some other DIY wedding hacks that we love include crafting your own table numbers, signage, seating plans and centrepieces to match your overarching wedding theme.

Q: How far in advance should I book vendors?
A: Ideally 12–18 months for popular venues, and at least 12 months for other wedding suppliers (photographer, florist, dress). The earlier you commit, the more leverage you have with pricing.

Q: Will vendors be open to negotiating or custom packages?
A: Yes — many are flexible if your budget is realistic and your vision is clear. Vendors prefer working on weddings they feel excited about, so show them examples of your style and be open to alternatives.