5 wedding money saving tips no one will notice

We all know the main reason for getting married isn’t the flowers or the cake or a fabulous helicopter ride to the venue. It’s about celebrating the start of something special that will hopefully last a lifetime. However… that doesn’t mean we can’t care about cupcakes, photo booths and a stunning outfit that makes us ridiculously happy! What is important though is sticking to your budget, whatever that may be, so you start married life happy, hopeful and with some cash left in the bank. Which is where our wedding money saving tips come in...

We hear from our brilliant real life brides every day of the week. And they all have plenty of tips to share on what matters and doesn’t matter on the big day. So, we’ve put together some wedding money saving tips for things that you can subtly tweak without anyone really noticing. We promise, your secret is safe with us….

1: The wedding cake

If budget is no object, then a magnificent three- or four-tier cake, decorated with everything from beautiful iced flowers to icing versions of your pets, is a great addition to the big day. However, with the average wedding cake costing between £400 to £500 this is something you can easily save pennies on.

Guests will care about the meal (a great party needs great food) but the cake is often just a nice extra. Also, a plain two-tier wedding cake for approx 70 people can cost less than £200. Simply decorate it with fresh flowers and a simple cake topper and you’re good to go. If you'd prefer a towering three tiers ask your baker about adding a fake tier in the middle too.

2: The favours

Favours are another wedding tradition that, like a massive cake, are fun but absolutely non-essential. No guest ever left a wedding complaining that they didn’t get a good enough favour! You can skip them altogether or choose a cheap and simple option to stay on budget. Personally we think a small donation to a favourite charity, in lieu of a favour, is something guests will really appreciate.

3: Your dress

We’re not for a minute suggesting guests won’t notice your dress or that you should choose something less than fabulous. Of course not! However, choose a dress from wed2b and your guests will think you’ve spent far more than you actually have, we promise.

The average wedding dress costs £1,300* but an equivalent dress at wed2b costs between £599 to £899. So, you get the same quality and luxury for about 40% less. What’s more, you can also add some of our super affordable accessories, for maximum sparkle and style. Then you’re guaranteed to look and feel like a million dollars without having spent anywhere near that much! Check out our beautiful dresses here and you’ll see what we mean…

4: The flowers 

You may have your heart set on hydrangeas but shipping them across the world at Christmas is obviously going to be costly. The easiest way to save money on flowers is to choose in season and as local as possible. However, if you are marrying in winter, consider skipping the flowers altogether in favour of holly, ivy and other winter staples. You can also look for dried or faux flower bouquets, or crafty options such as paper or button versions. Whatever the time of year, speak to your florist about clever tricks such as rows of small vases with single blooms. Or pots of blooming daffodils in the centre of a table, instead of expensive cut flowers. Clouds of soft gypsophila are a pretty and great value option too, or go for plenty of greenery for a contemporary look that also happens to be great value.  

5: The Order of Service and guest book

Orders of Service make a lovely keepsake but if you’re looking to trim your costs a little they’re not essential. Why not write the order of service on a large board where guest enter and save yourself a few pennies?

An expensive, leather-bound guest book isn't really required either. There are so many clever ways for guests to leave you a message these days, and many of them are fairly inexpensive. Why not leave out a large canvas for guests to write/draw on or a large photo of the happy couple for guests to sign around? They can even leave recorded message on a vintage telephone, no drawing or writing required! If you prefer a classic guest book, make it an inexpensive scrapbook that guests can stick photos and mementos in and have some fun with. 

Lastly, 5 more sneaky wedding money saving tips…

• Have cupcakes or doughnuts instead of a lavish iced cake.
• Write your menu on one or two large blackboards rather than printed out menus on the tables.
• Serve Prosecco instead of champagne.
• Give your maids a chic single flower to hold instead of a bouquet.
• Book a free makeup trial at a department store and look for online makeup tutorials, then do your own big day makeup.

We hope our brides’ wedding money saving tips have helped trim your budget a little. There are some key things that your guests will care about, such as the music, the food and the drinks. But the most important thing they want to see is you and your new husband having the time of your lives. Everything else is just a lovely bonus!

Click here for lots more wedding money saving tips from our brilliant real life brides. Also, for more inspiration, check out our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok accounts.

*Hitched.com 2021 survey