16 Brilliant Ways To Cut Your Wedding Costs

Because we know weddings can be stressful. The Halifax is here to make taking care of your money so much easier.

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1. Take your time.

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Having a two-year engagement saved us a lot of money. We booked our venue and caterer very early, so the prices wouldn't go up. By taking our time, we didn't feel pressured to go ahead with the first vendors we found, and could properly shop around.

—Mark E. and Will J.

2. Don't feel like you need to DIY everything.

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Add up the costs of everything before deciding to DIY something. Often, getting all the materials yourself and spending time on projects costs you more than hiring someone else to do it or just buying the product. DIY doesn't always mean saving money.

—Emily S. and Mike P.

3. Know what you don't need.

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You can always skip centrepieces because they're usually really ostentatious. My sister bought £3 photo frames and printed out nicely designed thank-you notes to put into them. Tables were named after people they thanked for helping with the wedding, and the thank you notes (aka centrepieces) were really lovely to read.

—Ryan H.

4. Have it during the winter months.

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Not only do many places offer discounts between December and March, but you'll have your first choice of vendors since no one is booked, allowing you to be picky about cost and services.

—Kimberly F.

5. Cut your guest list.

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Almost everything is done per person. From the venue, to food, drinks, chairs, tables, etc. A wedding is special and intimate; don't feel like you need to invite your neighbour's cousin to your day.

—Ryan H.

6. Hit the sales.

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I bought all my bridesmaids dresses around Christmas. They were sale dresses, rather than bridesmaids dresses, and were a lot cheaper.

—Paula M.

7. Use seasonal items to your advantage.

Personal Creations (CC BY 2.0) / Via flic.kr

I chose my wedding colours based on the season directly preceding my wedding (Easter) and shopped around for reduced price decorations. I also bought our alcohol just before Christmas – when the supermarkets do the best sales.

—Mary K.

8. Get smart when it comes to wedding decorations.

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https://flic.kr/p/fHmkXt

Work with the decoration that is already there. Don't try to transform the venue – if you have to do that, then it may be the wrong place. Also consider getting married in December, when a lot of venues will be decorated for Christmas.

—Eileen C.

9. Make your own flower arrangements.

John Hope (CC BY 2.0) / Via flic.kr

My friend called a few local florists and wholesalers, and ordered cut flowers herself. A few bridesmaids made simple flower arrangements using them: we looked up how to make flower arrangements and used photos as reference.

- Kimberly F.

10. Utilise supermarket basic ranges and pound shops.

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It's cheaper to buy jars of supermarket value pasta sauce and empty them than to buy jam or mason jars. It's also cheaper to buy supermarket basic wine glasses than rent them. Plus, you can sell them after.

—Naomi H. and Ann-Lee Y.

11. The internet is loaded with freebies.

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Freecycle, Freebies, and Preloved are brilliant for free stuff. Set up alerts so you get instant notifications on when stuff becomes available. Just before Christmas/January is the best time to look, because it's when people are having clear-outs to make space for new things.

—Nicky W. and Dave P.

12. Consider using online invitations.

Nancy Hann (CC BY 2.0) / Via flic.kr

We hosted our save the dates and invites online rather than physically sending anything out. They looked really fancy, we had all our RSVPs in one place, and it saved us a lot of money.

—Chris T. and Kel A.

13. Look into vendors who are just starting out.

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I used a couple of vendors that were just starting out. They worked as assistants in their field so they had experience, but they were still building a portfolio so were much cheaper.

—Eileen C.

14. Be a savvy shopper.

Josh Rodriguez (CC BY-SA 2.0) / Via flic.kr

Don't be fooled into thinking only a bridal shop can get you the perfect dress. I had two dresses, and I definitely preferred the one I got off the rack, which was a fifth of the price.

—Hannah C.

15. Hold back information when you can.

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Don't tell venues that it's your wedding. Say it's for a 30th birthday when you're viewing, and get the price then. Later, you contractually have to admit that it's for a wedding, but you have your first price to barter with.

—Emily S. and Mike P.

16. Figure out what's important to you.

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You can't make £2,000 look like £15,000. If you're on a budget, stick to it, and figure out where your priorities are.

—Naomi H. and Ann-Lee Y.

Cutting costs doesn't have to be difficult.

The Halifax knows how stressful budgeting can be, so that's why they're here to make taking care of your money easier. Find out more about easy banking with the Halifax here.