Average wedding cost £21,000 - let's show them how it can be MSE

winterbride_2012

ITEM.............................................. ............AV. COST........Winter
Insurance......................................... ...........£110..............£25
The Service........................................... ......£520..............£900 (Church, banns in both parishes, choir, bells, heating, lighting, use of vestor balh blah blah )
Reception (venue, food & drinks).....................£4,000...........£4500 (sit down meal for 100, drink with the toasts, room hire etc)
Evening Reception (venue, food & drinks)..........£1,700..........£300 (hot buffet for 100 people )
Entertainment..................................... .........£850............£175 (DJ and bubble machine)
Flowers........................................... ............£685............£30(foam roses for 4 bm's, bouquet for bride, buttonholes -put together myself)
Balloons & Decorations...................................£460 ............£270 (chair covers - £190, centre pieces £30 lanterns and candles £50)
The Bride’s Outfit..........................................£1 ,590........£571 (Sample dres- £450, hoop - £35, Veil - (ebay - £7, Tiara £20 shoes- £47,hair pins - £12)
Hair and Beauty............................................ £170...........£135 (me inc trial)
The Groom’s Outfit........................................£200 ............£127 (suit hire - 52 & new shoes £75)
Attendants Outfits........................................£57 5............£425 (men's suit hire - 250, 4 bridesmaids dress - £130, flower girls dress £20, page boys suit £10, page boys waistcoat and cravat £15
Photography....................................... .........£905............£475 (2 photographers, from 8 am - 11pm, 40 free prints, access to all pictures taken on 3 dvds, 3 viewable dvds to music
Videography....................................... .........£905............£0 (can't convince h2b yet - hopefully £600)
Transport......................................... ..........£480............£250
Stationery........................................ ..........£465............approx £30 (home made invites)
The Wedding Cake.......................................£370... .........£?? (MIL2b making it)
Wedding Rings............................................. £630............£262 (for both)
Gifts............................................. .............£205............£134 approx - snowflake bookmarks £8, personalised mugs x12- £25, personalised walletsx 7 £49, bridesmaids jewellery - £30, personalised page boy and flower girl bear £34
Stag & Hen Nights........................................£280 ............£0? (not counting in weddng as hopeful that will be free for us *grin*)
Honeymoon & First night hotel........................£3,400............£2,500? (a week in New york - OR travelling around USA for 2 weeks - got to decide!)

Total............................................. ............£18,500............£ 11,109 - we've done a lot of haggling in that and we don't normally count the honeymoon... eek to think I was having a low budget wedding ... I think to be honest a lot of that is being spent on presents!

ellay864

When you look at the lists people have done on here it makes you wonder where the average bride gets their stationery, flowers and decorations....they're 3 obvious things that most people seem to come out way under. I really dont get how you can end up spending close to 500 quid on invites and stuff!! Especially when there's so many other things to spend it on!

BustyB_2

Absolutely mental!


ITEM
Insurance......................................... ...........£110..............£0
The Service........................................... ......£520..............£460 (registrar, registry office & notice)
Reception (venue, food & drinks).....................£4,000...........£920 (65 guests, sit down meal - fish and chips!, free reception venue, chair & table hire)
Evening Reception (venue, food & drinks)..........£1,700..........£320 (Free venue , homemade buffet, bar hire)
Entertainment..................................... .........£850............£150 (OH's Ipod, bouncy castle, garden games)
Flowers........................................... ............£685............£20 (Noy having any! £20 for my lollipop bouquet)
Balloons & Decorations...................................£460 ............£0 (Mum is growing flowers to put in jam jars for the tables)
The Bride’s Outfit..........................................£1 ,590..........£150 (Not having a traditional dress)
Hair and Beauty............................................ £170...........£0 (I used to be a Make Up Artist so can so my make up myself, doing hair myself too. Not paying for others to have anything done)
The Groom’s Outfit........................................£200 ............£50 (Suit already owned, just need to get some new shoes etc)
Attendants Outfits........................................£57 5............£0 (Not paying for Wedding Parties outfits)
Photography....................................... .........£905............£ 700
Videography....................................... .........£905............£0 (Guest)
Transport......................................... ..........£480............£30 (Taxi)
Stationery........................................ ..........£465............£50 (OH is doing them)
The Wedding Cake.......................................£370... .........£0 (Mum)
Wedding Rings............................................. £630............£100
Gifts............................................. .............£205............£0
Stag & Hen Nights........................................£280 ............£200
Honeymoon & First night hotel........................£3,400...........£0 (nothing booked, will see how much we have after the Wedding)

Total............................................. ............£18,500............£3,150

double_mummy

ITEM
Insurance......................................... ...........£110..............£50
The Service........................................... ......£520..............£480
Reception (venue, food & drinks).....................£4,000...........£4500 (65 guests, sit down meal - fish and chips!, free reception venue, chair & table hire)
Evening Reception (venue, food & drinks)..........£1,700..........0 all at one place
Entertainment..................................... .........£850............0
Flowers........................................... ............£685............£60
Balloons & Decorations...................................£460 ............£0 come in with the venue
The Bride’s Outfit..........................................£1 ,590..........£300
Hair and Beauty............................................ £170...........£50 students
The Groom’s Outfit........................................£200 ............£100 being generous
Attendants Outfits........................................£57 5............£250
Photography....................................... .........£905............£ 800
Videography....................................... .........£905............£0
Transport......................................... ..........£480............£0 my dad (he doesnt know yet hehehehehe)
Stationery........................................ ..........£465............£not sure yet 30-50
The Wedding Cake.......................................£370... .........£30 - ingredients as sister is training to be a chef and is doing some extra cake decorating courses for me (they are for free but was gunna pay when we didnt know)
Wedding Rings............................................. £630............£100
Gifts............................................. .............£205............BMs having their outfits same as groosmen probs 100 for MIL and dad
Stag & Hen Nights........................................£280 ............400
Honeymoon & First night hotel........................£3,400...........1000 (first night included in venue then big holiday not sure where to yet)

Total............................................. ............£18,500............8120

am sure it will be more than this tho as i know what im like!!!!!

also helping out with some families travel and accomodation otherwise they wouldnt be able to come

littleoldme_2

ITEM
Insurance......................................... ...........£110..............£26
The Service........................................... ......£520..............£1025 (humanist, castle hire)
Reception (venue, food & drinks).....................£4,000...........£500 (60 guests, sit down meal, free reception venue, dad bought the wine for the tables)
Evening Reception (venue, food & drinks)..........£1,700..........£150(Free venue ,buffet for 80 )
Entertainment..................................... .........£850............£0(dad paid for the dj)
Flowers........................................... ............£685............£25(had foam which i made myself)
Balloons & Decorations...................................£460 ............£100
The Bride’s Outfit..........................................£1,590..........£750 (650 , sample dress . 50 petti , 40 shoes and 5 hair band 5 bracelet)
Hair and Beauty............................................ £170...........£85 (and that was only cos i got extentions )
The Groom’s Outfit........................................£200 ............£75 (hired kilt)
Attendants Outfits........................................£575............£190 (sons kilt hire, 2 bridesmaid dresses and a flower girls whole outfit)
Photography....................................... .........£905............£ 500
Videography....................................... .........£905............£0
Transport......................................... ..........£480............£300 (got limo for me and hire coach for all the guests)
Stationery........................................ ..........£465............£50 ( did them myself)
The Wedding Cake.......................................£370... .........£25 (mil made cake and i also bought cupcakes from tesco )
Wedding Rings............................................. £630............£300
Gifts............................................. .............£205............£0
Stag & Hen Nights........................................£280 ............£0( didnt have 1)
Honeymoon & First night hotel........................£3,400...........£0 (we are just using our summer holiday , might do something special one night)
other ...................................................................................£200 (cant think what i spent it on , only know what the total we spent was )

Total............................................. ............£18,500............£4300


its so easy to spend money when planning a wedding , i wanted so much shiney stuff , didnt get it as i knew it wasnt need but still money goes so easely

sweetsounding

ITEM
Insurance......................................... ...........£110..............£0
The Service........................................... ......£520..............£289
Reception (venue, food & drinks).....................£4,000...........£175 (venue + chairs/tables) + £200 (food & wine!)
Evening Reception (venue, food & drinks)..........£1,700..........£0
Entertainment..................................... .........£850............£0 (ipod)
Flowers........................................... ............£685............£20 (daisys for centerpieces, single calla lilly bouquet)
Balloons & Decorations...................................£460 ............£30 (Sainsburys basics bean cans (minus beans and labels) as centerpieces ontop of books, 30 ballons and a canister of helium)
The Bride’s Outfit..........................................£1 ,590..........£70
Hair and Beauty............................................ £170...........£0
The Groom’s Outfit........................................£200 ............£70
Attendants Outfits........................................£57 5............£0
Photography....................................... .........£905............£80 (friend)
Videography....................................... .........£905............£0
Transport......................................... ..........£480............£2.60 single on train
Stationery........................................ ..........£465............£30
The Wedding Cake.......................................£370... .........£28 (cupcakes making ourselves, £8 for wrappers)
Wedding Rings............................................. £630............£300
Gifts............................................. .............£205............£24 (mini honey pots)
Stag & Hen Nights........................................£280 ............£0
Honeymoon & First night hotel........................£3,400...........£2500 (NYC 3 nights, DC 3 Nights train to San Fran (2 nights) and 3 nights in SF)

Total............................................. ............£18,500............£3,808.60 (£1308.60 for wedding day)

shellsuit

Insurance......................................£20

The Service...................................£180 (£60 notice & £120 on the day)

Reception ....................................£1000 (2 course meal and wine on the tables for 37 people)

Evening!Reception..........................£1500 (hot food buffet for 100)

Entertainment................................£200 (DJ)

Balloons & Decorations.....................£100 (topiary trees, tea lights and tea light holders etc, all bargains from eBay)

The Bride’s Outfit............................£300 (Dress £180, Tiara, £98, shoes £20)

Bridesmaids outfit...........................£130 (Coast dress £70, bolero, £30, shoes and accessories £30)

Children's suits...............................£150 (suits, shirts, ties)

Flowers.........................................£150 (2 x handmade bouquets @ £70 and buttonholes)

Hair and Beauty..............................£100 (hair cut week before, hair styled on day and make up done)

The Groom’s Outfit..........................£150 (suit, shirt and tie)

Photography...................................£0 (my Mum paid for that as a gift)

Transport......................................£270 (Cream Daimler)

Stationery.....................................£50 (Clinton's invites for day and evening, bought as job lot from eBay!)

The Wedding Cake...........................£0 (4 tier made by a friend as a gift)

Wedding Rings.................................£400 (hubbys £300, mine £100)

Stag & Hen Nights............................£150 (hubby £100 day and night on the lash, me £50 meal in italian restaurant)

Honeymoon (inc spends) ..................£1500 (honeymooon £500, £1000 spends)

= £5900

clearing_out_my_pockets

ITEM.............................................. ............AV. COST.......COMP
Insurance......................................... ...........£110..............£20
The Service........................................... ......£520..............£567
Reception (venue, food & drinks).....................£4,000...........£2,564
Evening Reception (venue, food & drinks)..........£1,700..........£2,218
Entertainment..................................... .........£850............£225
Flowers........................................... ............£685............£252
Balloons & Decorations...................................£460 ............£418
Bride's Outfit................................................£1,590...........£1,096
Hair and Beauty............................................ £170...........£155
The Groom’s Outfit........................................£200 ............£90
Attendants Outfits........................................£57 5............£702
Photography....................................... .........£905............£550
Videography....................................... .........£905............£0
Transport......................................... ..........£480............£660
Stationery........................................ ..........£465............£134
The Wedding Cake.......................................£370... .........£336
Wedding Rings............................................. £630............£155
Gifts............................................. .............£205............£35
Stag & Hen Nights........................................£280 ............£0
Honeymoon & First night hotel........................£3,400............£2,195
Total............................................. ............£18,500............£12,372

BUT this included a coach down from London for my mum's family, and a free bar at the evening reception. I also had two wedding dresses.