SAVE (ON) THE DATE!

Your wedding day is a day of romance, love, friends and family and all things optimistic and beautiful. But, as almost all couples can testify, although wedding prep is full of fun stuff, weddings are expensive and there’s still no getting away from the nittygritty of the wedding budget. While the main objective is to have a day that reflects you and your partner, it can be hard to juggle all the different costs to make it happen.

Our top tip? Prioritise what you really want, and what is most important for you and your partner. Are you total foodies? Splurge on the catering. Music more your thing? Make sure to secure a fab band and DJ. Or are you all about the style? Then the dress and décor is your big spending point.

Spend on what is important to you, and cut costs on things you don’t mind too much about. We’ve put our thinking caps on and put together some tips to help you get the most for your money...

HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR WEDDING VENUE

OFF-PEAK BARGAINS — CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING DATE WISELY Some venues offer deals for midweek weddings, as well as offseason dates (November, early December, January and February). Contact any possible wedding venue choices and ask about their different options.

PICK A VENUE THAT REFLECTS YOUR STYLE

Think ahead, and save yourself money and Pinterest heartache by picking a venue with interesting décor you love and that suits the kind of wedding you would like. The less you have to do to ‘decorate’, the more you will save on the little bits and pieces. A chic restaurant is a great option for this.

CUT THE GUEST LIST

Not the most politically fun thing to do, but if you’re serious about saving, the number one thing you can do is cut the number of guests you’re having. The reception (venue, food, drink) is going to be about 50% of your budget so if you want to cut costs, cut the head count. You can always invite people to a get-together in the pub, or the afters if you would like to include them. The good news is that, these days, people are more accepting of small guest lists than they were years ago.

SOME TIPS FOR SAVING ON WEDDING STATIONERY

PRINTABLES: THE EASY WAY TO GORGEOUS INVITATIONS

For super cheap and easy décor and stationery, look to printables. We recommend going to a professional wedding stationer for your invitations, but you can find free or cheap printable options for lower-priority stationery items like save the dates, ceremony booklets, menus, table plans, table numbers, signage, ‘be my bridesmaid’ cards, or other small items.

SCRIBE YOUR OWN

If you’re artistically inclined, you could always go full old-school and get out your prettiest pens. Selfscribed stationery is time-consuming for sure, but the results can be really cute and personal. Again, we recommend this option for low

priority stationery items like wedding signage, AKA the kind of items that won’t be hugely missed if you run out of time.

EMAIL THE INVITATIONS

A controversial one, especially with parents and older guests, but if you’re on a tight budget, you have to look for simple savings, and cutting down on printing and postage will save you a few hundred euro. Opt for one of the many cute printable designs online – some wedding stationers offer a bespoke digital stationery design service – and set up a specific wedding email account for sending them out.

DITCH THE RSVP CARDS

Adding RSVP cards and stamped envelopes to the wedding invitations is adding extra cost, and if you just include a phone number and email address, guests likely won’t notice the difference.

DON’T GO (TOO) CRAZY ON DéCOR

PICK & CHOOSE YOUR DIY PROJECTS WISELY

Don’t get overwhelmed by jam jars and bunting, and take on DIY if you’re not creative. Instead, pick one area of your wedding that you can DIY – whether it be your favours, ceremony booklets, escort cards or cake – and focus on doing that well. You will save on cash, stress and paper cuts.

DON’T GET CARRIED AWAY WITH THE LITTLE EXTRAS

Prioritising is important here – do you really need a sweet table, dessert bar, photo booth, individual place cards, etc? As pretty as they are, they’re often not noticed by guests.

DUMP THE WEDDING FAVOURS This is another one that surprises the more traditional parents, but wedding favours are very much an ‘extra’ these days, and at a minimum of €2 a pop (even the homemade ones) for 100 guests, that’s a couple of hundred euro you could spend elsewhere. Also, they often get left behind and if you’ve made them by hand, feelings might be hurt.

THINK OF DECOR AS AN INVESTMENT

When buying wedding décor, consider whether you will want it as a permanent fixture in your home or is it going to end up being dumped in the garden shed, or put up on eBay? If it’s something you’re going to treasure, then it’s a good idea, if it’s just clutter, then consider hiring or borrowing.

ASK YOUR FLORIST FOR DECOR

Ask your florist what decor they have hidden away that you might hire or borrow, they always have a shedload of decorative items from lanterns and vases, to bottles and

FLOWERS

REUSE & RECYCLE

Don’t be afraid to multi-task your flowers from the ceremony space right through to your reception. For example, those pew-ends or lanterns can be brought by the groomsmen (or a good friend) and reinstalled on the tables or in the entrance hall.

STICK WITH ONE FLOWER Flowers are sold in bulk, and the more types you have, the higher the cost. So opt for a bouquet and arrangements made with just one type of flower. You’ve seen the arrangements of bunches of hydrangea or lots of lavender, it’s simple, chic, and will save you a fortune compared to elaborate arrangements with 12 different blooms.

PICK FLOWERS THAT

ARE IN SEASON

Every flower has a ‘proper’ season when they should be in bloom, but nowadays many are available all year round, because they’re being grown on the other side of the world, which makes them expensive. Every florist will be able to advise the best time of year for your favourite florals. Staying within season for your bouquets will save both hassle and money – and it’s way better for the environment.

A BEAUTIFUL BUDGET BOUQUET

Baby’s breath, or to give it it’s proper name, gypsophila (above), has always been known throughout the floral world as a cheap filler but is now commonly used on its own. Foliage is another great option for chic, budgetconscious bouquets.

WEDDING CATERING: KEEPING THE BUDGET SWEET

OPT FOR A SINGLE-TIERED

WEDDING CAKE

Go for quality over quantity and have a stylish and delicious single-tiered wedding cake.

FAKE THE WEDDING CAKE

If a tall traditional work of art is your idea of a wedding cake but you don’t have the budget, then a really easy trick for creating the illusion on a smaller budget is to include some fake layers (made of styrofoam decorated as normal) to make it more impressive. You could even have a complete fake cake, and serve slices of simple iced cake instead. Talk to your wedding cake baker – they know this trick well.

OR DO IT YOURSELF

Unless you’re a professional, we don’t really encourage baking your own wedding cake, you’ve too much to do. But if a good friend or family member is a pro, and wants to contribute, then making your own cake can save substantially. Another popular option is asking a number of guests to contribute sweet treats to a DIY cake table.

SIMPLE, STORE-BOUGHT TREATS

If wedding cake isn’t a priority to you or your other half, then there are great options available to buy in shops. Good old Marks & Spencer often has a tasty selection.

STICK WITH SEASONAL

Applying the same principle as with flowers, stick with wedding food choices that are in season. This will save you time and money, and local and seasonal will taste better. Lamb in winter should be a no-go, similarly fresh berries for your desserts would work much better in summer.

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR DRINKS Instead of offering a drink for a toast, just keep the wine flowing – people won’t notice the difference at the time, and you will definitely notice the difference on the bar bill.

SAVE ON TRANSPORT

TRAVEL IN STYLE

Transport can often be a forgotten expense. If having a particular car isn’t important to you, ask a friend or family member with a fancy car to help you out on the day; you’ll save money, and they’ll provide a unique wedding gift, so everybody wins.

HOW TO SAVE ON THE HONEYMOON

HONEYMOON AT HOME

You don’t have to spend a fortune on a luxurious honeymoon away, honeymoons in Ireland or the UK are much more popular nowadays and can be just as romantic.

HAVE A MINI-MOON

Mini-moons are, as the name would suggest, a shorter break away after your wedding. European cities are particularly popular for a minimoon, and they cost far less than two weeks in the Maldives.

DELAYED GRATIFICATION Remember, you don’t have to have the honeymoon straight away. If you have your heart set on a tropical getaway, enjoy your wedding, save a little, and get a better deal at a different time of year. That way you also have something amazing to look forward to down the line.

THINK VALUE NOT COST

Ultimately, this list is just an indicator of things you could do, it’s important not to scrimp on every single thing, but to make savings in areas that are not that important to you, and keep your hard-earned cash to spend on what you will enjoy and remember forever.

e are in serious awe of how couples have gotten creative with their wedding entertainment in the past few years. Couples are thinking beyond the band and adding to their live wedding entertainment line-up with less conventional acts like magicians, drag performers, mixologists, fire breathers, Celtic drummers and more. These are our favourite, unique wedding entertainment ideas that will truly add the wow factor to your celebration and impress your guests, whatever their tastes may be.

This one is guaranteed to get some giggles from your guests.

Having a live caricature artist can transform your cocktail reception from a quiet affair to a lively party in an instant. A wedding caricaturist also adds a unique, interactive aspect to your reception, they’re fun to watch and your guests will leave with a fun keepsake of your celebration. Options include Caricatures.ie (above), Anita Caricatures and Inkwell Cartoon.

To get a wedding party going like no other, look no further than a drag performance. A drag queen will put on a dazzling live show full of glamour, cheeky banter and beloved songs that will entrance any guest at your wedding. Check out dragqueens.ie.

Shootbooth.ie, The Rhythm & Booth Co, Insta Glam Photobooth and The Picture Bus (below left).

Looking for something epic to kick things off on the dance floor before your band starts, something to keep your guests entertained during the band’s break, or a wow-factor act to end the night? A Celtic drumming group’s lively music and energetic performance will elevate the ambience of any reception, and guests from abroad will be particularly enthralled. Check out The Hit Machine (above), The Rhythm and Beats Drummers and Extreme Rhythm. dance party that’s very lively and full of fun. It doesn’t matter what age, ability or personality type a person is – everyone loves to get involved and no experience is necessary. A cèilidh is a great idea for an ice-breaker, especially if you’re bringing together guests from different places, plus it gets guests up on their feet and keeps all the action of your evening on the dance floor. Hiring a traditional band is essential as they will have an experienced caller who can explain the dances and keep everyone on track once the music has started. Check out Haste To The Wedding, Arundó and McStocker Ceilidh Band.

Looking for a musical element that differs from your traditional band or DJ? If you’re in Ireland, why not opt for something like a DJ and saxophone duo such as Sax and the City or DJandSax.ie (left), or add a vintage touch with The Gramophone Social. For something truly different we guarantee your guests won’t have seen before, check out Sing Along Social, who describe themselves as a ‘singing party for people who can’t sing’.

A firework finish is the perfect way to bring your wedding to a triumphant finale. While they aren’t the cheapest live wedding entertainment option, they are so worth it if you’re considering them for your day. There’s nothing more magical and magnificent than celebrating being newlyweds with a full-blown professional pyrotechnic display. Your guests will love it too. Make sure to double-check that your venue allows for fireworks beforehand, and cross your fingers and toes for clear skies. Check out

Rocket Pyro and Pyrotechnics.ie.