Tip 1: Fix your budget and stick to it!
As the day comes closer your emotions will take over and you will start wondering how you could make your wedding even more special and unique…that is when you will start calling suppliers and upgrading your packages when really you cannot afford to. So stick to your budget and create your own unique wedding within that budget.
Tip 2: Your wedding venue can save you a lot of money!
Consider getting married on a week-day or “off-peak” season, it will be much easier to negotiate prices and some venues actually offer much cheaper packages for non-Saturday weddings.
Hotels are great venues to control costs. They usually have a lot of services available in-house and they are used to catering for large groups. Most of them will offer a honeymoon suite as part of their package and discounted bedroom rates for out of town guests.
If you can get ready, have your ceremony, reception and honeymoon suite all in the same venue think of how much you will save on transport!
Tip 3: Control your guest list
A common sense money saving tip is to reduce your guest list. The more guests, the more mouths to feed and to entertain and the more money you will need to spend.
If you cannot afford to invite everyone to the wedding reception don’t feel uncomfortable inviting after-dinner guests. They will be delighted to be included!
Tip 4: Choosing your suppliers
When it comes to choosing your wedding menu make sure you choose dishes that are in season as they will be cheaper. Do you really need a dessert course and a wedding cake? Pick a different flavour for each tear of your cake and double it as your dessert. Add a few platters of fresh fruit for your guests to pick at while they dance!
Choose a photographer who will provide all of your pictures on a high resolution disk. That way you can print, re-print and create your own albums at no extra cost. As most of your guests will probably have digital cameras, include a link to an online picture uploading website on the place name or menu and invite your guests to share their pictures with you!
Look for discounts and ask for discounts. The worst that can happen is the supplier will say no, but in reality most of them do expect you to negotiate a little on the price. It is fair play!
Don’t buy “wedding things”: purchase your bridal shoes in summer when the shelves are full of lovely white and light colored shoes. Don’t go to a bridal shop for your bridesmaids dresses; high street stores will be full of elegant dresses at prom season and just after New Year. And you might even get them on sale!
Use the internet to your advantage. Researching, comparing and asking for samples online might seem time consuming but it is worth it and you can do it all in the comfort of your own home! And remember you are not searching for “wedding things” which will be more expensive than the same item not listed as a “wedding” item.
Tip 5: Homemade is cool!
Get your family and friends involved and make a party out of preparing some DIY decorations for your wedding. Browse the internet for some fabulous ideas and hit your local arts and crafts store to get all the supplies you need. You can design your own invitations or purchase simple invitations from your printer and personalize them with diamante, ribbons or anything else you might like. Remember though the simpler the invitation the less it will weight and you will save on postage costs. Have a look at our wedding gallery to get ideas on decorations you can do at home!
At Orchid Events it is crucial for us that you keep complete control of your wedding budget. That is why we have created a bespoke tool called our online planner which allows you to control your budger and guest list online wherever you are and whenever you need to!
