THE WEDDING BUDGET - PART ONE

You are now happily engaged and what a feeling it is!!!

Writing this blog topic has defiantly be a challenge as there is so much you can cover, so I have decided the best way forward is to cover this subject is in three parts.  This blog will cover the venue, photographer, florist, brides dress, and bridesmaid’s dresses and suits budget. Remember your budget is never set in stone it is just a guide. Don't get too hung up and stress yourself out if you spend over what you wanted for a service/item you require, remember their always corners you can cut further down the road. The biggest mistake couples make is not being realistic on how much things cost, which in turns means you booking your wedding to early, just not giving yourselves enough time to save up.

​So how do you pay for your dream wedding?
This all dependent on your circumstances and what finances you already have going out.  I would always suggest using savings as your first option with maybe a little help from family, but I know this is not always realistic, so as a last resort you could use finance in the way of a loan or credit cards, but remember you could be still paying for your wedding after you are married. 
Venue Budget
Depending on where you want to get married, as this will make a big impact on your budget. If you are on a really tight budget then look at places which may do Free Function Hire, but remember if you take this route the venue may have a stipulation that they provide the food and drink, but this can work out a big saving.  Then there are the venues which offer everything under one roof, ceremony and reception.  These places I would have to say are the most popular, and 75% of venues will offer a package which could include ceremony, food, drink package, decorations and even a DJ, these are defiantly more appealing  to couples, but remember this method will see most of your budget used, but covers a lot of the big out goings.  The most expensive method is dry hire only, then you source out all your suppliers, but this is defiantly a more bespoke wedding and a choice.

Brides dress, bridesmaids dresses and suits
Every bride wants their ideal wedding dress and some bride do have expensive taste even without knowing.  If you are on a tight budget, consider purchasing a second hand dress or even hiring one.  For you brides who have a healthier  budget and can afford a high street wedding dress shop, remember you could still save, by having your wedding dress made, which would be a bespoke dress made just for you and can cost half  the price of a high street dress.  Defiantly shop around for your bridesmaids dresses; you could suggest to your bridesmaid that they may want to purchase their own dresses keeping to a certain style, colour and length.  With the men's suits sometimes it is cheaper to hire and again you could always ask if the groom's men could pay or at least contribute towards the suits. If you are paying for everything then consider shopping around or reduce your bridesmaids and groom's men. 
 
Photographer
Majority of couples require some kind of photos taken, they want to remember their special day for years to come. Some couples will want the full works, from pre-ceremony to first dance. Some couples may only one from the ceremony to the first dance; this is all dependent on the individual couple and what their budget allows.  Photographers are not cheap; it is another item which can be expensive. On average price for a photographer in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire or Leicestershire for pre-ceremony photo's up to first dance can range from £800.00-£1200.00. There are photographers who can do this cheaper, but a good photographer has invested a lot of money and time in to their equipment and profession. There is defiantly a difference in the quality of work produced by a cheaper photographer .If you are on a tight budget then consider approaching the university's they will have students who need to do assignments which would usually cover some king of social gathering.  You could just have photo's starting with the ceremony up to first dance which is usually cheaper, I good idea is to get a hand full of disposable cameras and place them on the reception tables for everyone to take pictures. 
 
Wedding Flowers
Wedding flowers are important, especially for the bride. They can make a wedding extra special; they are a key component for any wedding adding extra colour, texture, smell and style, setting the mood for your special day. Remember flowers can make a statement and reflect on who you are.  Brexit is lingering in back of everyone's minds at the moment and yes flowers have increased since Brexit was announced, florists have  experienced an increase of up to 25% on certain flowers, but saying this I do feel that fresh flowers if your budget allows is a must.  Prices from a florist can vary, depending on the florists experience, remember you not just paying for the flowers it their time as well, to create the perfect wedding flowers just for you, in your flower choice, colour and style.  
Example of estimates for fresh flowers, this would of course depend on what flowers you have and colour.
Brides Bouquet estimate from £100
​Bridesmaids Bouquets estimate from £55
Single Buttonholes estimate from £6.50
Double Buttonholes estimate from £8.50
Ceremony/Top Table Arrangement estimate from £100
Centerpieces estimate from £35 
Maybe your budget does not stretch to fresh, so alternatively you could consider having artificial flowers, there are artificial flowers now which look quite realistic, don't give of a smell but by considering having artificial flowers you could reduce your flower budget by up to 25%.

In my Wedding Budget -Part Two bog I will be covering: Wedding Decorations, Entertainment and Wedding Cakes.  Make sure to look out for it!
 


 
Are you needing a little help, just got engaged, I would love to here from you, message me today.