MoneySaving Weddings Article Discussion

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  • Hi all

    We've just started planning our wedding for 1 June 2012 but we're all a bit back to front.

    For those who do have a budget for a wedding dress but can't afford 'the dream one' it can be worth asking shops whether they have a sample in your size and if so whether the sample is for sale. Make sure you check the dress in the sunlight to check for marks!!

    I've just bought my dress from a shop that was relocating and so all dresses were half price as they were samples. The dress I've chosen is silk and I would never have been able to afford it unless it had been in the sale - it is even from the 2010/11 collection. The shop has had it professionally cleaned (looks like new), and have thrown in the veil, tiara, shoes and fitting in the half price cost of the dress - I'd have never have got all of these extras if my mum hadn't asked - top tip - ask!!!

    Also if you see your dream dress it can be worth calling around a number of bridal shops to compare prices. When I was considering what dress to buy I found the difference in price could be as much as £100!!

    I'm definitely going to be looking on here for more top tips and if I discover anything more I'll be sure to post!! :)

    Thanks Moneysavingexpert for starting this. A forum I can relate to :) If there starts being a lot of advice perhaps would it be possible to start a few seperate threads?

    Good luck all!! :j
  • 123lgoldie wrote: »
    I'm going to use pebbles from the beach and write people's names on them for the seating arrangements so it's FREE!


    What a fantastic idea!! I'm getting married by a lake and I think that would be a really nice and unique touch!!

    Thanks for the tip!! :T
  • Anyone looking for a cheap wedding package/venue.Try Fareham football Club.M27 Links. Fab facilities, and you wont have to book a package, you can just hire it for an evening reception.
    Food prices are great too...hog roast/cld buffet just 6 pounds per head or you can have caterers in.
  • Daisies
    Daisies Posts: 256 Forumite
    If you're after rings don't forget to check with relatives whether there are any heirloom rings already in the family. Even if you don't like the style you can get them altered.

    We already had rings (both of his parents died several years ago, as did my Dad) so my engagement ring had been his grandmother's, my wedding ring was his Mum's and his wedding ring was my Dad's. The only cost was having my Dad's ring altered slightly, so it was a much much cheaper way of getting the rings, plus between them our parents clocked up about 60 years of very happy marriage, so it seemed like a good omen!
  • Hello, just wanted to do a little post on my super cheap wedding, we got married 6th aug this year and i would only change one thing, The bouquets! they where the most expensive thing i bought costing £250, my total wedding cost just over £1500, hard to say exactly as i was collecting things for months, it is easy to do and is great no starting married life with a debt of a one day event, so shop around it is quite easy and fun x
  • LEJC
    LEJC Posts: 9,618 Forumite
    The forum has rules that mean you are not allowed to advertise your own service...you may like to remove your post before it is removed for you by a board guide or other users hitting the Spam button
    frugal October...£41.82 of £40 food shopping spend for the 2 of us!

    2017 toiletries challenge 179 out 145 in ...£18.64 spend
  • danni2611
    danni2611 Posts: 19 Forumite
    123lgoldie wrote: »
    hey guys -

    new to the forum sites but recieve martin lewis's emails all the time and clocked that he had discussion and tips for weddings. I only got engaged 3weeks ago and we're deciding to get married abroad in Mexico as we went there for a holiday and fell in love with the place.

    our wedding for a 2week all inclusive in a 5 star hotel in cancun (flights etc all included) is costing £1300 each and then the wedding itself is £1000 (this includes blood tests as its abroad they want to make sure your not diseased, wedding co-ordinator, venue set up on beach or different area, champagne toast for 30 guests, cake and food for 30 guests, boquet and buttonhole and marraige and licence etc) so all in £3600 and we'll just make that our honeymoon! :-)

    Only downside is people who are wanting to go some can't as asking them to pay a grand for a holiday (to see the wedding) is expensive. But it will be a small intimate wedding like 5 family members from each side and a handful of friends between us.

    I'm trying to do everything so cheep as it'll be in summer 2013 and we're just saving right now eeeeeek! But I feel £3600 all in is actually reasonable after reading some tips and reviews and the average wedding costs 15k!!!!! but we dont want to start our marraige in debt or have the pressure of huge bills.

    I'm going to use pebbles from the beach and write people's names on them for the seating arrangements so it's FREE!

    I'm getting my creative head on to make up wedding favours, I'm thinking the nuetral coloured candles (ivory/white/beige/brown) scented from Ikea which are under £2 for 36 in a pack, get a few of them and get ribbon to tie round (take it out the silver tin) and print off in card our own personalised message and attach to the ribbon. I've also came across fantastic favours on Ebay like retro sweets like love hearts and they sell them as favours with personalised massages but thinking could cut costs down again to go into a cash and carry and buy them myself and either just but the personalised lables off ebay and stick them on or print them off myself.

    My cousins wedding, she had small bottles of perfumes as wedding favours (the ones out of the boots xmas girt set hugo boss, chloe, ghost etc) which was a really nice favour and she bought them in the new years sales after xmas so they were alot cheaper.

    I'm not sure yet if I'm going for the typical wedding dress or a nice beach dress probs a wedding one (but light) as it is my first and will be my only wedding ever. Been eyeing up ones from Ebay which are amazing.

    Thinking to have a party or not when we come home (for the people who couldn't make it abroad for the wedding) but the reception is the bit that costs the most rather than the wedding (in the UK) as it includes food, dj, venue, decorations etc.

    So I don't know what to do with that one.

    I can't wait (at the moment when the stress levels are ok :rotfl:)
    could i ask where you got this package from? what the website was im interested in doing something like this for my wedding but im unsure what websites to trust as its a lot of money and dont want to lose it.
    £3600 is a great price and if its not being cheeky would like to have the same or similar



    Also for brides in the uk have a look on facebook for hairdressers, nail, tans, flowers makeup cakes etc there are some great deals someone in my local are is charging £20 for a cut and styling for a wedding and they even come to your house with tans at £10 even flowers are cheap on there. there are tons of cake makers around my area that dont charge too much for a wedding cake and you can send them a picture and they'll give you a quote unusual place for searching but i supose without the overheads of shops etc they can make it cheaper.
    :j


    This exactly what where doing and for the same price. £1300 each for the holiday and £1000 for the wedding. As there is 2 Adults and 2 Children it will be just under £6000.

    Ours is through Thomsons to Playacar, Mexico October 2012.

    We had trouble finding a venue for the wedding party for family and friends when we return as most venues want ridiculous amounts of money but last week we managed to find a pretty much perfect venue for our needs with everything in under £1000.:j:j:j
  • I found my dream dress in a bridal shop who were selling it for £1200. I then went on the designers website and contacted every single supplier in the country (there were 9 pages but it was worth it). Managed to get a bridal shop to do it for £800 which was under my £1000 budget - bonus. I also found the Money Saving Bride website really helpful :j
  • Hi, sorry I don't know how to do a new one so who knows if this works!

    We've been planning a real budget wedding, and I have a couple of tips...

    Save The Date cards:

    The English stamp co does personalised stamps with your names and the date. It was £21.99 and we used luggage tags that were £1.99 for 20, then next pack half price from wh smiths. We posted in Christmas cards so saved on postage! They look really nice, and seem fairly "in" at the mo.

    Invites:

    Vista Print have loads of designs you can use, and when you order some they send lots of offers. We have one for 25% off and they change regularly. Excellent quality.

    Shoes:

    NEVER look for wedding shoes! So overpriced! I got mine (silver strappy flats) in the debenhams sale for £20

    Hair accessories:

    Amazon have nice ones, as do Turquoise Weddings online, £12 for head bands similar to ones selling at £79!

    Hope these help!
  • LEJC
    LEJC Posts: 9,618 Forumite
    more spam reported
    frugal October...£41.82 of £40 food shopping spend for the 2 of us!

    2017 toiletries challenge 179 out 145 in ...£18.64 spend
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