HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR WEDDING

The most popular day to get hitched is 30 August, and the average couple plans the big day for a year – so now is the time to start saving! Here are the new ways to rein it in, from real brides

BLAG A SAMPLE DRESS

“Consider getting an off-thepeg dress at a bridal store. You may need to shop around more, but you get the bridal quality for a fraction of the price. My dress was £2,300, but because I bought the sample it was £680. It wasn’t quite the right size, but I only needed to spend £150 on alterations to get it to fit perfectly.” Annabelle, from Hereford SAVING: £1,620

SELL OLD CLOTHES

“Utilise Facebook Marketplace to save up. It’s free to sell on there and I’ve made over £1,000 so far just on selling clothes that would have otherwise gone in the bin. It’s also convenient as buyers are local, so you don’t need to worry about packing up items and posting them.” Jodie, from Manchester EARNING: £1,000

MAKE IT A BAKE OFF

“I made my own wedding cake – a simple naked sponge cake – and asked my bridesmaids to bring a cake each to make up a cake table. Our guests loved how informal it was and people were eating the cake all night long.” Ceri, from Chester SAVING: £300

LEARN MAKE-UP TRICKS

“I was quoted £350 for professional make-up for myself, my mum and my maid of honour. Instead, I watched lots of wedding make-up tutorials on Youtube, spent £100 on some new beauty bits and we did our own. It saved me loads, plus I got a lovely new make-up collection. You can also have your make-up done at department store beauty counters and learn skills.” Charlotte, from London SAVING: £250

SEND INVITES ONLINE

“I would say don’t bother with posh printed invites, because people don’t tend to look at them anyway. We designed ours on the computer and emailed them out. Our guests told us they found it so much easier as they didn’t have to worry about losing the invite and forgetting the information.” Amy, from Hull SAVING: £150

FIND A TRAINEE PHOTOGRAPHER

“I asked at the local art college if any photography students would like to be our wedding photographer. So many were interested and we agreed to pay a day rate of £200. Our photographs were incredible and just as lovely as professional shots I’ve seen, plus it was great for their portfolios.”

Kelly, from Northampton

SAVING: £1,300

SEARCH FREECYCLE

“I put an ad on Freecycle.org and said I was after rustic wedding items. A lady gave me loads of lace-decorated jars from her wedding for free. So many people are looking to get rid of wedding things on there.” Lucy, from Kidderminster SAVING: £100