Wedding costs...

trampyblonde

Hi Guys,

I know that at some point in the future (very distant future if OH has his own way!!) that i'll get married. Now....thinking ahead....what does a wedding cost these days? I know it varies as you can get married in so many different ways.

Id be interested to know everyones experiences i.e. what did your wedding cost (if you dont mind me asking..even the lavish ones!), did you save/get given the money...etc etc!

My SIL got married 5 years ago and her wedding cost around 20k :eek:

I'm just interested in how much people pay these days for the big day!

MYLITTLESISTERLOLA

Got married in Jamaica 2 months ago cost £2750 to go for 2 weeks ( me, OH & 4 year old son ) all inclusive included wedding ( 6 other guests came too, all paid for themselves ) got brand new dress off ebay rrp £800 cost me £35, also got handmade flowers & garter of ebay cost £35 & £3, tiara ebay £6, shoes ebay £5, sons suit £35 adams sale, OH & best mans suits there own from brothers wedding 4 months before, hair & makeup $70 - £35, spending money £1500, pictures £600
All in all cost about £6000 including 2 weeks all inclusive honeymoon with friends in paradise
And I think your agree from the link below we didn't look too shabby
If I had to do it all again I would do everything exactly the same
No need to get in massive debt for 1 day out of your life you can do it different money saving ways !!!

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/28896799

Philippa36

Ours is going to cost just over £10K for everything including a 3 week honeymoon. We're paying for it ourselves with savings. We've got exactly what we wanted. (Reasonably small wedding with 50 people, evening reception for 80, with a 3 course wedding breakfast and evening buffet)

You can get married very cheaply if you want to, or you can spend a fortune - check out some of the wedding forums to see how extravagant some people are!

honeypop

Obviously it would all depend on what type of wedding and reception you want and how many guests, and also how many 'extras' you have on top of what is absolutely necessary.


Ours is on track to come in just under £8000 and this includes:

Church Wedding,
Flowers,
Photographer for 4 hours (inc copyright of all photos and some prints),
All stationery (save the dates, invites, order of service, place cards etc),
Reception at a hotel - inc welcome drinks, sit down meal, wine, fizz for toasts for 80 people, buffet and disco for 150 people,
Decoration for the reception venue,
Cake,
Entertainment (harpist) while eating at sit down meal,
Wedding dress, 2 bridesmaids dresses, 2 mens suit hire, and all accessories for 5 people,
Hair and make-up for 3 people,
Accommodation the night before and night of the wedding,
Honeymoon 2 weeks all inclusive to Morocco,
(sure I've forgotten things, will add more when I remember)

Some people wouldn't have a few things off that list, so it would be cheaper anyway.

Can add a break down of costs later if you want more detail!

MsChazzer

Here's our costs so far:

Daytime venue - £250 + VAT
Evening venue - £300 + VAT (could save if we didn't do this but they are able to provide a bar where as the other venue can't, it's also cheaper to do it this way than have the whole thing at this venue, plus it's underground so a bit crap if it's a lovely day, where as the other one has a garden, I'll stop wittering on now...)
Celebrant - £250
Photographer - £150 - check on your local Gumtree site, that's where we found her. She had linked to her site so we were able to see the standard of work, some other similarly priced people weren't as good.

My mum has very kindly offered to pay for my dress (and my sisters bridesmaids dresses) but I don't want an expensive one, will be looking out in next year's January sales (we get married on 23rd May 2009). My dad has very kindly offered to pay for the food and then the drink for the daytime, we will probably get elderflower sparkling wine from a winery in Perthshire plus some cases of fairtrade/organic wine from Waitrose and then beer from OH's favourite brewery, whichever that happens to be at the time, currently it's one in the Highlands. Plus soft drinks. Food will be barbecue in afternoon and evening buffet.

Not having cars and not really bothered about favours although OH keeps having ideas for them. One of my sisters and I will make some bunting. Not decided on cake, but it may involve a Tunnocks teacake pyramid. I also saw a pile of chocolate brownies on a wedding photographers site that I thought looked good, we'll see.

Hope that helps!

paddingtondoo

Ours is roughly £11k but nearly half of that is going on a fabulous honeymoon in a water villa in the Maldives.

It also includes £850 for getting married in a Georgian Hall and £750 for a free bar so the actual wedding hasn't cost all that much really!

toniwoty2009

ours is due to come in just under 10K. doesn't include our honeymoon but that is our gift list so hopefully we will have enough for something nice!

the 10k includes:
Rings
Registrar
Toastmaster
Venue (incl. ceremony, 3 course meal, buffet and DJ)
Flowers
Videographer
Photographer
Stationery
Gifts for our attendants
Dress etc
Groom and page boy suit hire
Hair for me and 2 bmaids
Make up for me, 2 bmaids and mum
Wedding insurance

Things we have saved money on:
Transport - dad is a chauffeur so is arranging this thru one of his friends
Gifts - our attendants are all getting a thorntons choc slab with our wedding date written on then a nice framed print from the day
Ushers and b/maids - all very close friends or family so happy to pay for their own, b/maids will be keeping their dresses and i'm going for knee length prom style so they can wear them again
Flowers - my florist has only started out in the last year so shes substantially cheaper but her portfolio is still excellent and shes lovely (and so creative!)
Photos - were intending to have disposables on tables in the evening as our photographer is only up to dinner but managed to nab a free online album for people to upload digital pints (highly recommend it www.weddingoftheyear.com )

HTH