Cash how to do ‘i do’ on a budget

point The average UK wedding now costs an eye-watering £21,000 – but you can still have a beautiful day for a fraction of that cost

rom frugal flowers F to a dream dress for less, there are plenty of ways to keep wedding costs down. We asked events planner Charlotte Bass for her top tips to keep your big day sensational while keeping a lid on a tight budget.

FLOWERS

Look beyond the florist! “Try a ‘pick your own’ flower venue such as Blooming Green Flowers in Maidstone or Manor Garden in Darlington, where you pay £15 for a large container to fill with as many blooms as you can, or find flower growers nationwide at Flowersfromthefarm.co.uk,” says Charlotte.

THE DRESS

“There are more high street options than ever,” says Charlotte. “Topshop, Boohoo, Lipsy, ASOS, Dorothy Perkins, River Island and Simply Be all have bridal ranges starting from just £40.” Charlotte also recommends hiring a dress if you want to keep costs down. “Check out Tohaveandtohire. net. A Jenny Packham dress costs £700, about a third of the price of buying it,” she adds.

RING AND BLING

“Search sites like Etsy.com for everything from veils to decorations,” says Charlotte. “They’ll be cheaper and have a one-of-a-kind feel.” Ring-wise, the high street is a winner. “Find plain bands from £100, depending on the metal and width of the band: 2mm sterling silver bands from Goldsmiths are £30, while Beaverbrooks do a 9ct white-gold band for £125,” says Charlotte.

CAKE

“Contact local bakeries,” suggests Charlotte. “For instance, Kitty’s Cakes in Suffolk make a lovely twotier cake, with decorations, serving 50 for £100.” Wellknown supermarkets have good deals too. “Waitrose do a delicious range at brilliant prices,” says Charlotte. “A five-tier ‘naked’ cake for 100 people is £149. You just need to add decorative elements, like flowers.”

CATERING

“Do you have a deli or cafe you visit regularly? Why not ask them to cater your wedding? Chances are they will offer loyal customers a deal,” says Charlotte. She also suggests booking a food truck for your venue, filled with pizza, hog roast or fish and chips. Try Fishersuk.com, Pizzafedericci. co.uk and Cobblekitchen.com.

DRINK

Some venues charge corkage if you want to provide your own alcohol but, according to Charlotte, there are ways round this. “Give them with the list of drinks you want,” Charlotte explains. “They will charge you for buying the alcohol, but they can’t charge corkage so it works out cheaper.” Or go for craft drinks. “The Craft Beer Shop will load your selection of beer, wine and cider into kegs and drive to your venue, bringing a true festival atmosphere to your wedding,” she adds.