My £4000 budget - is this entirely do able?

looktothefuture

Hi everyone, I have a total budget of £4000 for our wedding in April next year - we are planning on saving (paying out deposits to the value of) £340 per month to do it!

so here's the budget!

Ceremony (Church): £320.00 (8%)
Clothing (his/hers/BM): £520 (13%)
Reception (Including food, decorations, drink etc): £2000 (50%)
Rings: £160 (4%)
Flowers (bouquets, centre pieces): £200 (5%)
Photography: £440 (11%)
Music (DJ): £200 (5%)
Transport: Nil!
Contingency: £160 (4%)

My H2B isn't entirely sure that these are realistic - and he's made me doubt the budget!

Help!

donnap83

I reckon ours will come in at that. We're really lucky to have family helping with some stuff though:

Registrar :£390 (Paid for by in-laws)
Venue (All inclusive) £2500 (paid for by in-laws)
Wedding dress: Free (gift)
MoH dress: Free (Gift)
Rings : £600
Photographer: £300
Transport: None - Staying at the hotel the night before the wedding
Flowers: Budgeting £150 for these
Decorations: £300
Suit hire: £150 Max
Cake: £140
Invites: Have found a design that I have fallen in love with but they are £78 for 20, and i'm going to need around 25. I'll be getting Vistaprint ones for the evening guests.
This could all change though!!

MrsDrink

I can't really help because I'm not having a traditional church/reception do. (I'm having a registry office/house party do). But this is my rough guide based on searches I've been doing this week:


40 Invites & Thank you Cards (making these myself - will be appoximately 30 of each to make)
210 Registry Office (unnegotiable)
67 Notice (unnegotiable)
10 Marriage Certificate (the first is complusory one is 3.5, but I would like another - not sure how much that will be)
400 Rings (my one will be approximately 220 - flat court 3mm 18ct white gold, his will be palladium about 150.)
400 Wedding Dress (I really hope I can find 'the one' for this - although I have been looking at some very lovely dresses no idea if this is going to be realistic!)
50 My shoes (already bought for £48.99)
50 Accessories (umming and ahhing about this - I do have some lovely bits that I could wear - depends if I want something new).
100 Hair (I'll get my hair cut and coloured by my hair dresser as usual the weekend before and will then do it myself on the day(s).)
50 Makeup (again umming and ahhing about this - I could just use what I've got)
50 Flowers (I'm going to be making my own bouquet and a button hole for MrD, have sources some artificial flowers and will be able to get my bouquet flowers for £25).
200 MrDs suit (am hoping he can be limited to that!! But he's an odd shape - very tall (6ft1) and skinny (30/32 waist) but broadish shoulders and muscular upper arms so I don't know if he will be able to buy off the peg. Am thinking somewhere like Burtons - in a fairly normal colour so he can wear it again for future dos).
50 MrDs shoes (It's only fair that if I get new shoes he can too - but he isn't spending more than me lol).
300 Alcohol (I'm working on getting as cheap as possible, i.e. BOGOF offers at supermarkets lol - will have approximately 40 drinking guests at our party - have worked out on a basis of 5 'drinks' per guest = 200 drinks. I think around £1.50 per drink should be doable, plus soft drinks)
240 Catering (I am going to be making my own buffet - am working on a budget of £4 a head for 60 guests.)
60 Cake(s) (I am going to be doing individual cheesecakes - buying regular cheesecakes from supermarkets and cutting them into little squares, then putting fresh fruit slices on top. The main cost is going to be a 'cupcake' stand for around £20.
100 Decorations (I suppose I should decorate the house - I was thinking things like balloons tied in cloud 9s - I'll do it myself. Haven't really researched this cost though.)
0 Entertainment - free - cause I will be using my ipod and streaming the music around the house using our existing computer network.

Grand (MSE!) total: £2477.
I'm such a scrooge! :rotfl:
I am considering hiring chairs for our party - to give the old farts somewhere to sit - however I'm also tempted to ask everyone if they have any folding chairs they could bring. Hahahaa!

Note - we aren't having a formal photographer - I will be asking for copies of our guests photos. Will buy some CDs for them to burn them too. (Cost around £10.) Also not having any bridesmaids/grooms. No favours.

*edit*
Most of our money is being spent on the honeymoon lol. We're going to do on a diving holiday - Thailand has been mentioned. But in order for us to do that we're having to learn to dive (which we're doing this October half term, which will cost up from £1500), we'd like to buy some of our own equipment (like wetsuits, masks, snorkel, fins which I'm hoping'll be no more than £800) and then the actual honeymoon... Lol!

twirlypinky

Cor, this really looks bad!

EstimatedActualPaidBalanceTotal Expenses£3,315.00 £3,044.91 £787.47 £2,287.00 EstimatedActualApparelEngagement ringWedding rings£200.00 £300.00 £100.00 £200.00 Bridal gown£200.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 Veil/headpiece£15.00 £15.00 £15.00 Shoes£30.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 Jewelry£30.00 £30.00 £30.00 Garter£0.00 Hosiery£0.00 Groom's Suit£150.00 £0.00 £0.00 Groom's shoes£30.00 £50.00 £50.00 Other_______________________Total Apparel£655.00 £395.00 £100.00 £295.00 GiftsAttendants£50.00 £50.00 Bride and groom£0.00 Parents£150.00 £150.00 Readers/other participants£0.00 Dress Maker£50.00 £50.00 Total Gifts£0.00 £250.00 £0.00 £250.00 FlowersBouquets£30.00 £30.00 £0.00 Boutonnières£5.00 £5.00 £0.00 Corsages£5.00 £5.00 £0.00 CeremonyReceptionOther________________Total Flowers£0.00 £40.00 £40.00 £0.00 PhotographyFormalsCandidsExtra printsPhoto albums£30.00 £50.00 £5.00 £45.00 VideographyOther_________________Total Photography£30.00 £50.00 £5.00 £45.00 Church/ceremony site fee£255.00 £255.00 £255.00 £0.00 Tables and chairs£0.00 Food£900.00 £840.00 £840.00 Drinks£75.00 £75.00 Linens£0.00 CakeFavorsStaff and gratuitiesOther_________________Total Reception£1,155.00 £1,170.00 £255.00 £915.00 Stationery/PrintingInvitations£20.00 £10.00 £39.56 £0.00 Announcements£10.00 £9.91 £9.91 £0.00 Thank-You cards£10.00 £10.00 £10.00 £0.00 Personal stationery£0.00 Guest book£0.00 Info Sheets£30.00 £25.00 £25.00 Reception napkins£0.00 Matchbooks£0.00 Calligraphy£0.00 Other_________________Total Stationery/Printing£70.00 £54.91 £59.47 £25.00 Limousines/trolleysParkingTaxisBoat Trip£450.00 £450.00 £450.00 Total Transportation£450.00 £450.00 £0.00 £450.00 Other ExpensesOfficiantWedding coordinatorRehearsal dinnerEngagement partyShowersSalon appointmentsBachelor/ette partiesBrunchHotel roomsExtra Documents£95.00 £95.00 £28.00 £67.00 Legalisation Fees£240.00 £240.00 £240.00 Translation Fees£300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £0.00 Total Other Expenses£635.00 £635.00 £328.00 £307.00

losingpatience

£4000 is do-able but really depends on alot of factors, one of the main being how many guests you are going to have.

Where are you planning on having your reception? Do they have any offers on, minimum guest numbers etc?

Does the £320 for the wedding include all associated fees? We are paying £67 for our notice of marriage and the registrar fees are £375, though we aren't getting married in a church.

£200 for flowers is not alot if your wanting real flowers. Most bridal bouquets I have been told start at £70 and bridesmaids flowers start at £50. Artificial flowers are alot cheaper, or you could buy real flowers and do your own bouquets

My wedding dress is costing £675, suit hire we are getting half price but normal price is £95. Obviously you can work to your budget but from when I looked at wedding dresses if your going to a bridal shop they tend to start at around £500.

Are you doing your own hair and makeup? Do you need stationery ( invitations, place cards etc )?

twirlypinky

heres mine hopefully more readable. If you're willing to do things yourselves you can save a fortune:

mm123

My wedding is coming in at about 6k, I think there are lots of other wee costs that you dont relaise. Flowers cost so much more than i thought. Favours, postage for inviatation, thanks you pressies for bridesmaids/best man/mother/mother in law, hairdressers, make up,piper, dress alterations all add cost. My band was 600 as was my photographer i struggled to find anything cheaper. £520 seems small budget for 3 items - but im sure there are lots of bargains out there to be had. Good luck

MrsDrink

That is actually a good point -postage of invites. It might be MSE to buy books of stamps now so you aren't affected by any stamp price rises. (I'm a scrooge - most of our invites can be hand delivered - those that can't I'll send via 2nd class).

*edit*
of the guest list so far I've just calculated how many invites/thank you cards I may have to post - lol it comes to a total of 14.

looktothefuture

Well, that 4k budget saving starts from April this year! LOL! so what I'm planning on doing is getting the stamps and stationary in March with the little bit of money I have over from Feb's pay as and some small other things like BM gift/Groomsmen's gifts!

trying_2_b_good

Soooo many things I haven't thought about!

twirlypinky - can you remember what site you got your spreadsheet from??

twirlypinky

trying_2_b_good wrote: »

Soooo many things I haven't thought about!

twirlypinky - can you remember what site you got your spreadsheet from??

Afraid not, but if you give me your email address i'll send you it. I've doctored it rather a bit though...