How to plan a wedding on a budget

Before planning your wedding, look at your budget and savings, and work out what you can afford to spend. (If you don’t have a budget, you can create one using our top tips and handy budget worksheet.).

No day is worth spending beyond your means for, and if you’re spending on a credit card, it’s important to know how to pay off the debt and plan how you will do it before you spend the money. If you don’t have as much money saved as you’d like, why not take on a money saving challenge to reach your goal over the coming months?

Things like giving notice, ceremony costs and a marriage licence all cost money, and are legally required if you want to get married. Factor these into your wedding budget before considering anything else.

Decide on a venue for the ceremony and book it before giving notice. Giving notice costs around £35-£45 per person, or around £45-£60 if one or both of you is not a British citizen. There can also be other fees if you’ve previously been divorced outside of the UK, as well as late appointment and consultation fees, so it’s worth checking out what your local council’s policies are, and asking your local registry office for the exact fees they charge.

A registrar must be present at your wedding ceremony. If you’re booking your wedding at a religious venue, there may be someone authorised to sign the marriage document at that venue, which they’ll factor into the costs of the venue itself. A registrar costs £104 at a religious venue in the UK, or £56 at a register office (note: getting married at a register office means you won’t be allowed any religious elements in the service). The cost of a registrar at other venues may vary.

A marriage licence costs £150. This will be included in the ceremony costs if you’re having a civil ceremony.

Don’t forget to factor in any additional fees you could come up against in the lead up to the ceremony. These might vary depending on your situation, so have a little bit set aside in case of any unexpected costs.

Pick a venue that doesn’t blow your wedding budget. If you’ve got a smaller guest list, pubs and hotels often offer rooms at good prices that often have a charm of their own without the need for expensive wedding decor.

You can also ​‘dry hiring’ venues, where they hire out the space to you without services like catering or decor. This gives you the freedom to find cheaper alternatives, rather than being committed to a package.

It might feel like you have to invite everyone and their cousin’s cousin to your wedding day, but it’s your day and you should only invite the people you really want there.

Less people means less space and food are needed, both of which could save a lot of money. You could also limit the number of people at the wedding breakfast, then invite more to join in the evening.

Reducing the wedding party size is another way to cut costs. There are so many ways your loved ones can be involved that they don’t need to be a bridesmaid or groomsman for, such as serving drinks, arranging flowers or making a speech.

Pick a venue that doesn’t need much decor. And if you do want to spruce the place up, get your crafty friends and family involved – this could even be a fun hen do activity! Borrow candles, bunting or fairy lights to make the place look extra special.

Note: it’s not always cheaper doing decor yourself, as buying the materials can cost a lot, too.

If choosing between decor at the wedding or the reception, prioritise the reception, as this is where you’ll be spending most of the day.

Instead of expensive arrangements, you can buy flowers in bulk from a wholesaler or make your own bouquet using supermarket flowers. Foliage (the leafy bits) is generally cheaper than flowers, so bulk out your bouquet then focus on a couple of lovely blooms.

Wedding outfits are one of the most important parts of the day to many people. You want to feel comfortable and beautiful, but how do you do that without it costing the Earth?

Browse the sales at the end of the wedding season, and look at high street options rather than high-end boutiques. See if it’s cheaper to rent an outfit, or wear something you already own and feel great in – it doesn’t have to be a dress and suit at all!

You could ask your wedding party if they’d consider buying their own outfits. Make sure you approach the idea sensitively, as everyone’s financial situation will be different. Encourage your wedding party to sell their outfits afterwards, to get some money back.

Alternatively, why not see if your wedding party has anything in their wardrobe that fits your colour scheme? Or choose something they can wear again, so they’re not buying it for one occasion.

With so many tutorials online, one way to cut costs on your wedding budget is to do your own hair and make up. It might take practice, but it’s a good excuse for a bridal party get-together ahead of the wedding, and you can keep the makeup to use in the future.

If you’d feel more confident with someone professional doing your hair and make up, why not just pay for your own, and let the bridal party decide if they want to do it themselves or pay to get theirs done?

One way to save money on your wedding is to create digital invitations. There are lots of websites and apps that offer ready-to-use designs for free, and you can save and send these out by email or WhatsApp. This saves on printing and postage – and they’re easy to re-send if there are any errors! Or for a personal touch, you could write your invitations by hand, and deliver them yourself.

Every wedding breakfast (the main meal, usually served to close family and friends) is different, and you can choose whatever works best for your budget.

Feeding a large amount of people comes at a cost – it’s often one of the most expensive parts of a wedding. Cut costs by keeping things simple.

Cut back on the canapes and snacks, order less alcohol per table or opt for soft drinks only – and skip the post-meal teas and coffees. Depending on the venue’s rules you could ask people to bring their own bottles of alcohol or other drinks along.

Instead of a three-course sit-down meal that costs £50 per person, why not pick one key meal – for example, pizzas – or a buffet style menu? You could have an early wedding followed by ​‘picky bits’, or tea and cake, or ask people to bring dishes or desserts to share. Or have a later ceremony and make your wedding breakfast the evening meal.

Go for a simple cake from a supermarket and decorate it yourself (or get someone else to), or offer someone a small fee to bake your wedding cake for you. You don’t need three tiers, and you could opt for cupcakes or other sweet snacks instead.

Although favours are a lovely way to add a personal touch to your big day, they’re totally optional. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s fine to go without, hand out your wedding cake as favours, or handwrite personalised letters to your guests.

It’s likely you’ll want some special photos of your day to keep forever. Hiring a photographer isn’t cheap, and there are a few ways to cut costs if your budget is tight.

Firstly, ask photographers if they’ll offer a half-day rate, and take key photos after the ceremony. Asking for a set of less photos may also lower the cost, or hiring a trainee photographer.

To make sure all the magic of your day is captured, ask family and friends to take photos throughout the evening – they might not be professional photographers, but they’ll certainly capture the fun!

When booking your wedding, the time of year can make a big difference in price. Typically, it’s cheaper to book in the off-season – usually the colder, winter months – and you might find more caterers, florists, DJs and photographers are available at this time too. There’s no guarantee of a dry, warm day even in summer, so why not book for a cheaper time?

What day of the week you get married on will impact the cost too. The cheapest days seem to be Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and if you need a weekend wedding, avoid Saturdays – these are the most popular, and therefore the most expensive.

Because weddings are a big celebration, most people will be happy to help. Who do you know that has a skill they’d love to put to good use? Is someone an avid baker who could bring dessert? Does anyone have a fancy car you could borrow for the day? Think outside the box – a little teamwork goes a long way.

You might be looking for a DJ or band, but if it’s beyond your budget, you can get by just fine without. Instead, put together a playlist of your favourite songs that runs for several hours. Get your friends to add songs to a shared playlist and everyone can enjoy their top tunes.

A honeymoon is another big cost attached to getting married. There’s a lot of pressure to book a ​‘once in a lifetime’ holiday, but you can still have a lovely time on a budget. The key is finding somewhere you can relax and enjoy. You don’t have to tick off your bucket list destination.

One option is to pick somewhere closer to home or go for a shorter time – a honeymoon is just a chance to slow down after the wedding and start your married life together.

If you can handle waiting until just before your wedding, it could be worth looking for last-minute holiday deals. Another option is to book your honeymoon for a few months after the wedding, for a cheaper time of year, as something to look forward to.

You could opt for a cheap and cheerful little break, or honeymoon from home, enjoying some day trips locally, then save up for a bigger anniversary trip to go somewhere special together in a few years’ time.

You don’t need to have it all for your wedding day to be the perfect day. It doesn’t have to be the most aesthetically pleasing, instagram-able wedding – you won’t remember the tiny details in years to come. What you’ll remember most is how it felt to spend your wedding day with your spouse and those who matter most to you, with a couple of personal touches that made it really special.

Remember, the only non-optional costs are the legal ones. It’s up to you to take a realistic look at your budget and decide which little touches of sparkle you’d really like to add, and which things you’re happy to go without.

One thing is for certain: no wedding is worth getting into debt or financial difficulty for, just to have an extravagant day. Marriage is far more than just a day, and you’ll make plenty more happy memories together, long after your wedding is over.

Want to better understand your money habits and get personalised tips to help you reach your financial goals? Take our money personality quiz today.

Want to take control of your finances? Created from over 25 years’ experience, CAP’s free money coaching is designed to empower you with the confidence to better manage your money, whether you’re a seasoned budgeting expert or struggle to get to grips with your spending.