5 Tips to save thousands on your wedding

Below, gifting expert Rob Crump from Printster advises 5 tips to consider helping shave £1000s off the cost of your wedding.

Unsurprisingly, weddings are a costly affair, with the average UK couple spending around £32,000 for their big day, but this cost is likely to be more if your wedding was scheduled during any of the lockdowns and had to be postponed. Rob Crump explains however that modern couples are now shunning outdated and old-fashioned traditions and saving money in the process. Crump advises 5 traditions to change up and explains how they can save money, without impacting your day.

The average cost of a three-tier wedding cake is typically around £550-£650, although this is dependent on the level of decoration. Crump explains “tiered wedding cakes have been a traditional wedding staple for centuries, with its roots deriving way back from Ancient Rome. The traditional UK wedding cake is a rich fruit cake, which does tend to divide opinion.”

Instead of sticking to the traditional tiered wedding cake, get creative with a “treat table.” Include cookies, doughnuts, or even go savoury with cheese twists or pastries, and give your guests more choice while saving £100s. Most local bakeries will sell mass goods for cheaper than an entire cake.

Although Saturday weddings may seem like the most convenient time to have your big day, most wedding venues and suppliers will charge you extra for this. “By getting married on Monday-Thursday, and even sometimes on Fridays, you can save upwards of £5,000, with the average saving being around £3,000,” Crump explains.

Not only will you save money, but your guests also can save. “Accommodation and travel are often much cheaper on a weekday than the peak weekend days,” Crump notes. “However, if you do opt for a weekday weekend then ensure you let people know your proposed date in enough time before, so your loved ones have plenty of time to make arrangements for work and travel.”

The cost of a bridesmaid, including hair and makeup and their outfits for the day, is around £200 on average, but this is an outdated tradition and one which many modern couples are turning away from. “Instead of choosing between friends and risking unnecessary conflict (wedding planning can be stressful enough!), many modern brides are forgoing this tradition and instead of giving their close friends the freedom to be part of the wedding without having to adhere to ‘rules,’” Crump advises. “Although having a bridal team on hand to offer advice, not having a bridal party can result in less stress and fewer people to need to make happy. The point of a wedding is to celebrate a couple.”

A traditional wedding has a sit-down, often three-course meal, alongside wedding cake and numerous drinks. While this is a nice routine, it is unnecessary and there are cheaper options available that will still satisfy and, most importantly, line your guests’ stomachs. “Consider hiring a food van or even a BBQ team for outdoor spaces for an alternative way to serve your guests. Food vans will provide cutlery and crockery for you and take care of cleaning, which is one less thing for couples to worry about.”

“Skipping a plated dinner and opting for a buffet instead can save hundreds and allows guests to choose their portion sizes,” Crump advises. “With an estimated 10% of food wasted at weddings, an amount which equates to up to £500, offering a buffet service and reducing the amount is not only a good money saver but also can reduce the waste accumulated from your wedding.”

Wedding favours are often given to show the appreciation that guests have taken time out to celebrate your big day. While a lovely token of gratitude, the cost can add up and normally the gifts tend to go unused or forgotten about, resulting in a big chunk of your budget effectively being wasted. Crump, however, advises there are ways to share useable favours on a budget. “For close friends and family, photo mugs or message mugs, labelled with the wedding date, make for a usable present which will always remind the guests of the special day,” Crump advises. “Otherwise, wedding favours for all other guests are unnecessary and no longer an expected part of the day. Instead, work out whether you are offering favours for the sake of it rather than a genuine reason, and use the money you save on making the experience more fun for the guests.”