How to be a bride on a budget

The cost of weddings has gone through the roof – but you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a truly special big day

THE average cost of a UK wedding has soared to more than £30,000 for the first time – 12 per cent more than last year. So can you have a show-stopping big day without the big price tag?

Nothing but perfection will do for most brides. From the dress and the venue to the cake and the cars, experts say the modern couple’s desire for a bespoke wedding is driving prices up.

And with pressure from social media, brides are increasingly willing to break the bank.

Wedding planner Kate Appleby said: “Celebrity culture and social media creates pressure. People like to do something that will be remembered. Budgets now go on extras like doughnut walls and caricaturists.”

Kate, who runs Alterkate alternative wedding planners, has worked with budgets of more than £100,000 – but she organised her own wedding for just £2000.

Here are her tips. THE DRESS A handmade, bespoke dress can run into thousands but there is a trend for upcycling gowns.

Kate said: “A few brides have worn their mother’s or grandmother’s dress. One wore her husband’s great-grandmother’s gown. It was Victorian and full of lace so the dressmaker could make something really beautiful from it.”

Others turn to second-hand sites including eBay and Preloved to find a cheaper dress.

Kate said there are some great budget dresses on the high street. She added: “If you go somewhere like House of Fraser, you can pick up a really beautiful off-the-rack dress for just a few hundred pounds.” TRY A SKILL SWAP Couples are using the skills they have to negotiate discounts.

“If you are a social media manager, you could approach the venue and say you could run their social media,” Kate said. “Or if you are a website designer, you could offer to overhaul their site. I would say 25 per cent of my wedding couples at the minute are using skill swaps.”

Another alternative is to try your local college. Kate said the beauty department may provide students to do hair and make-up, the music department might provide a band, or the catering department will do the food for a fraction of the cost. USE YOUR FRIENDS If you know someone who is a good baker, ask if they could make your wedding cake as a gift. If someone has a nice car, ask to borrow it.

But she added: “If your aunt has made your cake, you can’t just say you don’t like it without offending them. You have to make sure you trust them implicitly.” THE FOOD You don’t always have to use the caterers provided by the venue – always ask if you can use your own or even do your own buffet.

Kate said: “We asked guests to bring a dessert – it was a great way of dealing with people’s dietary requirements and meant everyone’s tastes were represented on our menu.” THE FLOWERS Flowers can be one of the biggest expenses, with everything from pew arrangements to bouquets, button holes, table decorations and even Kardashian-style flower walls that can cost an eye-watering £2000.

Kate said brides are looking outside the box to reduce costs. She went on: “Prince Harry hand-picked flowers from Kensington Palace for Meghan’s bouquet. This is a romantic personal gesture but is also a good way of reducing costs.” Brides are looking at

Some brides are looking at alternatives like bouquets made from brooches or bridesmaids carrying lanterns

alternatives such as fake flowers or bouquets made from brooches. Some ask bridesmaids to carry lanterns instead of flowers.

Kate fashioned her flowers from some fake ones from a discarded Next window display.

She said: “Some brides are doing flower-arranging courses with their bridesmaids as part of the hen party.” THE VENUE You can transform any room using a bit of creativity.

Kate said: “Lots of places are renting out rooms, such as nature reserves, pubs and even office buildings. There is a lot of choice.

“You can make a room look beautiful with a bit of imagination. People sell their wedding decor on eBay and you can pick up cheap fairy lights in the Christmas sales.” ENTERTAINMENT Kate said: “People often ask guests to include a song on their RSVP so they can create a playlist, meaning they don’t need a band or a DJ.

“I had one couple who ditched the music in favour of live theatre. Among the guests they had actors from an amateur dramatics group who performed a murder mystery.” ■■For info, visit alterkate.co.uk