Calling all brides who did it for under £1000! Need your help!

kr15snw

Was talking to my brothers fianc! yesterday after we announced we were getting married in Australia now. She admitted it sounded nice to gt married like that and how her and my brother have agreed they just want to be married, fed up with waiting.

Spoke to her about it for a while and she said they couldn't go away as she really wants the service in her local church. She did say they could probably scrape together £1000 but no more. When I said she could do it for this she didn't believe me, so I need your help!!

Can those of you who have done it please give a run down on your costs so I can show her?

She's already been quoted £400 for the church and she wouldn't need stationary as I've offered to do them as a gift (I'm a desigber and make them for a living). Plus mum has said she would happily make their cake

she has said she would like a meal (for about 25 people) and then a party in the evening for about 120.

I'm sure this can be done!!

Saint_Chris

Hi

Anything is achievable is you put your mind to it.

It is all about bargains, the searching them out, but your in good hands on this site.

My sugestion for a meal for 25, would be to maybe look at a pub meal, for my daughters wedding we chose a restaurant the didn't open during the day, but they did for us on the saturday.

when i got married a long time ago, we went to a pub on the friday afternoon, the landlady put some tables together, and she did a soup for starters, but for the main everyone, chose of the pub menu.

for the evening, try a local labour club, most are happy to rent a room out for £20, you don't need a dj now a days just someone with a mic and a computer.

good luck on your journey

Maydot

Our total cost will be slightly over £1000 but it can certainly be done. We are paying just over £700 for a cream tea and drinks reception for 40 and an evening buffet and disco for 50. We are using a small hotel not far from the church and we love it, very informal but the owners are fantastic, they are very flexible and were prepared to do exactly what we wanted. That price also includes a room for us for the night and a room will be available for daytime guests to use so they can "freshen up"/change before the evening do.

Wedding and bridesmaid dresses off ebay, the bm and ushers are buying their own suits...Matalan has some good deals on and the suits don't look cheap. I'm making my own flowers, not bothering with dressing the venue and the cake will be from M&S, tesco or asda. We are having one car (borrowed and driven by one of the bm's friends) and making our own invites. Not having a photographer, just asking guests to take lots of photos.

We have had a lot of fun looking for bargains and keeping the cost low. Neither of us could stand the thought of getting into debt to pay for the wedding and I really don't enjoy very formal, lavish weddings. Tell your future SIL it can most definitely be done for under £1000 and to go for it!!

missjennipenni

Im doing it for about £1k, but couldnt afford to get married in a church as they quote about £450, and there are usually extra costs on top of that! So I have had to go for a registry office ceremony, which is actually fine by me. That comes in at £156 everything included.

Our local hotel hires out their function room for free if you have a bar open for 5 hours. DJ has cost £250, and have found a local caterer who is doing a buffet for 50 for £200 (which is amazingly cheap!!).

If she goes for a 1 or 2 course pub meal, she could probably come in at less than £15 per person. An evening do, she should only cater for about 75%, so maybe 90 guests? At about £8 a head, perhaps even cheaper.

Other extras would be outfits (ebay?), rings (you can get as cheap as £10 in Argos!), decorations (not a must!) bouquets (fake flowers are cheaper). No favours etc, as these are not needed.

Getting married on a weekday makes it all even cheaper. Im getting married on a Friday, or else the ceremony would cost £350 (£200 more). She should do her own hair/make up. Get a best man & bridesmaid who are happy to buy/hire their own outfits lol.

As I said, Im doing it for about £1k, but for that price we had to leave out meals, limit our giuests to 50, found a cheap buffet, free function room hire, in a registry office rather than church, weekday wedding and no big posh frock. Im having fake flowers, having relatives (lucky to have a hairdresser sister and make-up artist mum). Buying a Tesco wedding cake (3 tier for less than £40, adding my own ribbon & topper).

missjennipenni

Also to add, we have had to go without cars & a photographer to keep costs down.

kr15snw

Thanks for the replies I have suggested the following to her to keep costs down:

I do the stationary for free
our uncle has offered to drive her to the church in his jag for free
mum had offered to make the cakes for free
nan and mum said they would pay for the flowers at their wedding gift, so free
my partner has offered to take photos for free but have also reccomended a student photographer friend of mine who would charge £100
ask family and friends to help with the evening buffet, I would have no complaints (and I highly doubt our aunties would either) providing a plate of sandwhiches or a cake or something. We do it at a family party and it works great!

The church isn't a choice for her as she goes there most weeks so as you can imagine she has to have that church. Lol.

Thanks so far ladies, I think she could easily do this just need to show her!

kaleys

i am doing mine verry cheap so far i have done

registar office 100

my reseption 25.00 and get it bk end of nite if all clean but it is a w.m.c n is big
dj 150 all day and nite has own lites its a matter of asking friends of friends you will know some one

dress 80.00

tiara 7.50

vail 30.00

my cake my mum making for me too so that a benfit heheh

flowers you can get cheap off ebay if you look most tings r cheap but nice i am doing mine on budget and doing raily well so far you can do it hun x