Ok, ok, we know budget chat isn’t the most exciting part of wedding planning BUT it makes throwing an epic party possible, so that’s good enough for us! We’ve created a super powerful budgeting tool that takes your overall budget and breaks it down into estimated costs for each supplier. But before you get to that, a little background to budgeting brilliance is helpful, so here’s our step-by-step guide.
The Couple
First up, it’s important for you and your beloved to sit down and discuss what your budget could be, without any help. Working this out means you aren’t relying on anyone else and can start looking at what you want to spend where. At this stage, we recommend you decide on the parts that are most important to you and where you want to spend a little more dosh. Once you’ve laid those out, you can see how much money is left in the pot for everything else. As the home of the UK’s #1 Wedding App, we’ve got loads of helpful tips and tricks for you to save money – so even though you can probably see a few more digits than you’d like, don’t worry.
The Families
Once you have established how much the two of you can dedicate to the wedding fund, it’s time to sit down and talk budgets with your families. Often, both families try to help the couple financially, or to cover one aspect of the wedding, like the flowers or the booze. Don’t feel shifty about it – just grab a cuppa and sit down with your parents to talk things through. It’s important to be honest and highlight the parts that are most important to you (and obviously read our guide to the awkward parent-budget conversation!) Once you establish what is being contributed, make sure to involve your family in how you will spend their cash and listen to their advice – they are sponsoring you after all!
The Bank Account
We highly recommend that you create a separate joint bank account for all your wedding money. Having it all in one account means you’ll be able to keep an eye on how much you have spent and won’t be as likely to accidentally overspend, or accidentally spend money destined for the wedding on something else. It also helps keep all your payments in one place, so if you need to double check a deposit or instalment that you’re sure you paid, you know exactly where proof will be.
The Bits and Bobs
We’d also highly recommend you take out wedding insurance – then you can relax and let the planning fun begin!
Be prepared for overspending. Either set aside 10% of your total budget for extra bits and bobs. Or just bear in mind, that you will probably need a little extra. Additionally, always remember secret wedding costs that are usually hiding in the small prints of your contracts. And try to pay for everything on debit cards so you don’t start married life in debt!
Lastly, keep a database of all the payments and instalments, alongside the specific dates. This will help to keep you organised and prepared for all the withdrawals from your wedding fund. And there you go – budget chat over. See, it wasn’t that bad, was it…?
The wedding rings you and your partner wear are a symbol of your love and commitment to one another. Not only do they have to be personal to you and your partner, but they need to complement each other and any engagement rings either of you might wear.
The money you might spend on your wedding rings will depend entirely on your taste, the level of customisation you’re after and – ultimately – your budget.
In this post, we’re going to explore everything related to the cost of wedding rings, including the average cost, how much you should spend on wedding rings and why some cost more than others.
In the UK, the average amount of money couples spend on wedding rings is £1,000. However, it’s important to note that this doesn’t include the money spent on the engagement ring and any other jewellery you may buy to wear on your wedding day.
In our ultimate wedding budget breakdown, we reveal that couples spend around £4,000 in total when it comes to wedding bling. However, that’s not to say that you have to stick to that amount – far from it. While some couples do spend this much – and more – you can still buy beautiful wedding rings even if you’re on a far tighter budget.
When it comes to choosing your wedding bands, there are plenty of options available that can affect the price.
While there may be a tradition that states you should spend three months’ salary on an engagement ring (which, by the way, you don’t need to stick to), there aren’t any similar traditions when it comes to your wedding rings.
How much you should spend on your wedding rings is a completely personal choice. If you have a smaller budget, and only want to spend a couple hundred pounds, then that’s totally fine – what the rings represent is far more important, anyway. Similarly, if you have a larger budget to play with, then spending thousands is totally okay too – what you spend doesn’t affect the amount of love you have for your spouse-to-be. You should never feel pressured to spend a certain amount of money on your wedding rings.
That being said, there is one exception to this ‘rule’. It’s advised that the metal used in your wedding rings is the same as the metal used in the engagement ring. This is because some metals are more durable than others, and harder metals can damage softer metals. They can also discolour at different rates, leading to them looking mismatched.
This means if your engagement ring is made out of 18-carat yellow gold, your wedding rings should be made from metal with similar durability – ideally 18-carat yellow gold. So, if your engagement ring is made from an expensive metal, your wedding rings should be – if budget allows – as well.
Your wedding ring is one of the rare pieces of jewellery that you’ll wear all day, every day, for decades. Whatever you’re doing, wherever you’re going, it’ll be with you. For that reason, many couples opt to wear wedding rings that are made from hard and durable – and therefore more expensive – metals.
So, while you may be able to pick up a pair of silver wedding bands for less than £150, because silver is so soft it’s prone to scratches and dents, and can even become misshapen over time.
Meanwhile, stronger metals, such as platinum or palladium, may cost three or four times this amount but are far less likely to become damaged.
Ruby from Lebrusan Studio explains why luxury ethical wedding bands in particular can cost so much, but are definitely worth it if you have the budget:
“In this instance, we may only speak on behalf of our own wedding bands, whose prices we believe to be a fair reflection of the time and skill that goes into making them. Along with ethical sourcing, quality of craftsmanship is one of our top priorities. Committing exclusively to fine materials with sound ethical credentials and 100% local and independent manufacture does not enable us to compete with high street jewellers in terms of price. What we can promise, however, is that our wedding bands are designed and crafted with the utmost care and attention, brought into fruition with the purpose of serving as long-standing heirloom jewels to be passed down from one generation to the next.”
How does the metal type affect the cost of a wedding ring?
The type of metal you pick for your wedding bands will dramatically alter the price you’ll pay. Choosing the right wedding ring takes thought and consideration. The price of precious metals fluctuates, but below is a rough idea of what you might pay for a few popular choices.
Gold
A plain 9ct white gold wedding ring will cost between £150 for a 0.5 cm band to £400 for a 0.7 cm band. The variation in price is due to the amount of gold used to create the ring, as well as the strength of the gold, with 9ct or 18ct rings being the most popular and durable option.
Platinum
Platinum is the most durable metal and won’t show any sign of wear (even if you go rock-climbing in it every weekend), which is why it is also the most expensive option. You can buy a 0.2 cm platinum ring for a minimum of £350 or a 0.5 cm ring for £1,100 from a high street retailer.
Titanium
Titanium is a newbie on the wedding ring market and is a darker colour than other precious metals. It is very light and scratch resistant and can cost as little as £50.
Silver
As we’ve already highlighted, silver is a softer metal, which means it’s more likely to get damaged. However, it’s also a more budget-friendly option for couples keen on a precious metal band but not a lot of budget to play with. The cost of a silver wedding band starts from around £70.
What is the most expensive type of metal for a wedding ring?
Ruby from Lebrusan Studio shares her expert insights and explains about the cost of different types of metal in more detail:
“The greater the pure gold content in a gold alloy, the higher the caratage. In other words, whilst 18ct gold is 75% pure gold and 25% other metal, 9ct gold consists of 37.5% pure gold and 62.5% other metals. The higher the carat weight, the greater the price, with 18ct gold generally tending to cost around twice as much as 9ct gold.
Here at Lebrusan Studio, we offer three types of gold with different provenance stories. Our recycled gold affords our clients the opportunity to minimise their environmental impact by utilising material already above-ground. Priced the same as ‘industry standard’ gold, it’s our cheapest option. Meanwhile, our Fairtrade Gold is a little more expensive because it can be traced right back to its artisanal source, with a proportion of the money we pay for it ensuring safe working conditions, financial security and educational, medical and environmental investment in the miners and their communities. Similarly, our Fairmined Ecological Gold – our most expensive gold option – fulfils the same purpose of championing and supporting artisanal miners, but is extra special because it’s extracted without the use of any mercury or cyanide whatsoever.
In spite of a historic dip in recent years, platinum just about remains a more expensive option than gold. This can be attributed to its relative rarity and its density, as precious metals are often priced by weight. Although white gold, which is almost identical to platinum in appearance, is cheaper, platinum comparatively requires very little maintenance over the years, so is arguably a reliable investment.”
What other factors can affect the cost of a wedding ring?
Just like when it comes to choosing any other piece of jewellery, there are many factors that will affect exactly how much your wedding rings cost.
Design – Many couples choose a simple band, but this isn’t a requirement for your wedding rings. The more intricate the design, the more it’s likely to cost.
Size – The thicker the band, the more metal it requires and therefore the pricier it will be.
Brand/retailer – Rings from high-end brands and retailers, such as Tiffany&Co., will cost more than most online or high street retailers.
Season – During periods of high demand, such as the spring and early summer, costs can fluctuate.
Customisation – Many couples choose to personalise their wedding bands with a meaningful engraving, or the fingerprint of their beloved on the inside. Due to the time and expertise required, this will increase the cost.
Stones – It has become an increasingly popular option for brides and grooms to go for diamond set rings, as they can add a bit of sparkle to a simple band. These are priced similarly to engagement rings, depending on the metal that you choose and the cut, carat and clarity of the diamonds you wish to include. To give you an indication of prices, an 18ct white gold ring with a half band of 0.15ct diamonds will cost in the region of £625.
Plan your dream wedding with Bridebook
Here at Bridebook, we have a fabulous range of jewellers so you and your partner can find your perfect wedding bands. Sign up today and begin your planning journey!
While it’s true that most of the focus will go on what the bride’s wearing, just as many eyes will fall on the groom during your wedding. That means, whatever you’re wearing will need to make you look and feel good so you have the confidence to stand in front of your loved ones and say, ‘I do!’
However, when it comes to the right suit, just like a bride’s dress there are plenty of variations to choose from. You could go for a three-piece suit, evening tailcoat, a tuxedo, or one of the various other options which means it probably won’t be a straightforward decision.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at everything related to the cost of a wedding suit, including the average cost, your options and any hidden costs you should look out for.
The average cost of a wedding suit in the UK is around £700-£900, however, this can vary depending on your budget, the formality of your wedding, and the style you’re going for.
As revealed in our ultimate wedding budget breakdown, the average amount spent by couples on the groom, best man and usher’s attire is £764. However, whether you pay for their suits is your decision – unless you want the best man and ushers to wear matching suits then you’re not likely to be expected to pay on their behalf.
While £764 might be the average spent on the groom’s wedding attire, it’s by no means a figure that you have to stick to. Many grooms will spend way less than this, while others will spend ten times this amount. The most important thing to remember is that the groom’s suit matches and complements what their partner is wearing, so communication is key.
When choosing the right suit for your wedding, you have plenty of options, such as:
Morning suit – A formal option that includes a tailcoat, striped trousers, a vest, a collared shirt and a cravat or ascot. Costs start from around £200.
Three-piece suit – Named because it consists of three pieces: a vest, trousers and a jacket. It’s a versatile option for formal and semi-formal weddings. Costs start from around £150.
Business suit – A great choice for a less formal wedding, and can be single or double-breasted. Costs start from around £150.
Black dinner suit – A smart formal option that will make it hard for you not to catch yourself in the mirror and see James Bond looking back. Costs start from around £200.
Evening tailcoat – Generally reserved for very formal weddings and is a fabulous choice that screams elegance. It includes a tailcoat, trousers and a waistcoat. Costs start from around £300.
Tuxedo – Another choice for a formal wedding and the epitome of luxury. A tuxedo can also be paired with a tophat and a walking stick if you want to add that extra touch of class. Costs start from around £300.
Kilt – While traditionally worn by Scottish grooms, there are no strict rules when it comes to wearing a kilt. However, the cost of a kilt can add up as they require multiple accessories. A kilt alone can cost around £100 and go up from there.
Once you know the type of attire you’re looking for, you then need to decide where to start looking for that perfect suit. Where you start your search will also depend on the budget you have and how specialist you want to go.
Bespoke
If you have a larger budget to dedicate to your suit, then something bespoke is a great option. You’ll be able to choose the materials and the exact design, and the suit will fit you perfectly. If you want to go to one of the Savile Row tailors, prepare to spend around £2,000.
Made to measure
A made-to-measure suit is a more budget-friendly alternative to a bespoke suit. You won’t be able to dictate the cut and design, but a ready-made suit chosen by you will be altered to your measurements. For this option, you would need around £400 – £600.
High street retailer
If you have a smaller budget, you can pick up a fantastic suit from a high street retailer like Marks and Spencer or Moss Bros. This will require trying on a number of suits before you find one that fits you perfectly and you might have to take it for alterations at a local tailor. Costs at the average high street store will start at around £150 but can go much higher depending on what you go for.
Hire
If you’re interested in a formal style but not prepared to pay a formal cost, then hiring a suit, tuxedo or morning suit is a much more budget-friendly solution. The cost to hire a wedding suit can start as low as £50, but it’s important you’re 100% happy with your choice and you know the exact return policy.
Charity shop
A charity shop is a great way to secure a lovely suit at a bargain price – however, you need to be patient and be prepared to shop around until you find the suit you’re after. It can also be difficult to find a suit with your exact measurements, so you may need to take it for alterations. If you’re persistent and lucky you may find a great suit for as little as £35.
Are there any additional costs involved with wedding suits?
Once you’ve chosen the suit you’re going to wear at your wedding there are additional costs to be aware of, so make sure you factor these into your overall budget.
Alterations – If you’re having a bespoke suit made then alterations are likely included in the cost, but suits bought from a retailer may need to be altered slightly. Last-minute alterations will also cost more, so make sure they’re arranged with plenty of time to go.
Dry cleaning – You may want to have your suit dry cleaned before and after your wedding.
Shipping – If you’re buying your suit online there may be shipping costs, which could include custom fees if being imported from overseas.
Accessories – You may want to complete your outfit with accessories such as cufflinks, a pocket square and a watch. Check out our post on the cost of wedding accessories to find out how to factor these into your budget.
Material – The material you choose will affect the cost of your suit, with more premium materials costing more. For example, when it comes to wool suits, which tend to be made with ‘worsted’ thread, the higher the thickness of the thread, the higher the overall price of the material will be.
Rental fees – There will be fees for returning a rented suit late or damaged.
Here at Bridebook, we have a range of menswear supplies so you can find the perfect outfit for your wedding, so why not sign up today and take the stress out of planning?
And if you’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding suits, we’ve got plenty of tips and tricks to help you stretch your budget further.
Met Bridezilla? Crazed eyes, wiry hair, face a scary red colour? Well watch out! There’s another monster in town and it’s a hell of a lot bigger. Say hello to Groomzilla. A rare species, that has been growing rapidly in numbers since the birth of David Beckham, has been spotted in various hotspots around the globe. Hairy feet and roaring noises are not the only signs – here’s a list of things that might suggest you’re dealing with one, or you are one!
By Stanbury Photography
‘Woah, woah, woah where’s my man-gagement ring?’ Grab your bags and RUN.
Is the phrase “groom’s day, groom’s way” being thrown around the house? Be advised to grab a bucket of water and throw it all over their head.
Is he getting worked up about EVERYTHING – budget? Or the guest list? Or flowers? Or parking? Or just every single second of the entire day?! This one has obviously reached the next level of Groomzillaness and needs to be locked in a dark room… for a very long time.
Is the beast suddenly fussing over the wedding photography and shouting, “BUT THEY WILL APPEAR ON WEDDING BLOGS… THE WORLD IS WAITING TO SEE THEM”? Ok. It’s time to call in the professionals. There is nothing else you can do to help him.
Any of those sound familiar? A Groomzilla has been spotted and needs to be contained! You have been warned.
Your bridal party consists of your best pals who have supported you throughout the planning process, who have sat up into the early hours with you making favours while sipping bubbly, and who will wear the second most gorgeous dresses on your wedding day. The process of finding and trying on dresses can be a lot of fun in itself – if not a little stressful until you finally find the dresses.
At this stage, you might have decided who’s paying for your bridesmaids’ dresses, which can come down to your own budget and preferences, and the budget of your bridesmaids. But whoever’s paying, you need to be conscious of the cost. If you’re paying, remember to manage your budget with our handy budget planning tool.
The average cost of bridesmaid dresses is around £80 to £500 per dress, which means you can times this amount by the number of bridesmaids you have to work out the total cost. So, if you have five bridesmaids, you might pay between £400 and £2,500 for all of their dresses collectively.
So, how do you save money on bridesmaid dresses to ensure that – whoever picks up the bill – you don’t go beyond what your budget allows? After all, with the average wedding costing £20,775, you likely won’t want to add any more figures to your ever-increasing expenses.
In this post, we’re going to explore how to save money on bridesmaid dresses, including why they cost as much as they do and what you can do to pay less but still make sure your bridesmaids look stunning.
As with most things that are wedding-related, there’s often a premium price attached to bridesmaid dresses. This is especially true when it comes to dresses made by popular brands and designers. Bridesmaid dresses from specialist wedding boutiques in particular are also often custom-made with expensive, high-quality materials and embellishments. Plus, couples are usually keen to spend more money on purchases for their wedding to make sure it’s extra special.
Thankfully, just because many couples spend between £80 and £500 on each bridesmaid dress doesn’t mean you have to pay that much. There are ways to make sure your spending is closer to the lower end of that scale.
While it’s common for bridesmaids to wear dresses, there’s nothing to say that this has to be the case. If you’re asking your bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses, then you’re likely to get a whole selection of wonderful styles, personalisations and preferences.
Instead of dresses, you or your bridesmaids might choose to wear:
Jumpsuits
Rompers
Cultural attire
Separates
Pantsuits
Tuxedos
There’s no right or wrong choice. If you’d like your bridesmaids to all wear similar outfits, just make sure you coordinate this with them early on.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re asking your bridesmaids to wear a specific dress or putting severe restrictions on what they can and can’t wear, then you should offer to pay for their dresses. If you’re open to them wearing a dress of their own choosing, and only have some loose requests – like wearing a certain colour – then it’s easier to ask your bridesmaids to pay for their dresses.
That being said, this is a rather murky rule and by no means something you should feel obliged stick to. For more information, read our blog post on what your bridesmaids should and shouldn’t pay for.
Looking to save money on bridesmaid dresses but still have the best-looking wedding squad there is? Below are 10 ways you can spend less on bridesmaid dresses. For more money-saving tips, read our ultimate wedding cost-cutting guide.
It might be tempting to rush straight to wedding boutiques and receive VIP treatment, but a great way to save money if you’re on a tight budget is by browsing the high-street retailers you might shop at all the time anyway. If nothing else, the high street is a brilliant way to get some inspiration and for your bridesmaids to try on a few fabulous outfits.
Need convincing? M&S has a wide range of amazing bridesmaid dresses, and the best part is that costs start from around £65. It’s always worth a trip to your local town or city centre to browse some of your favourite retailers. The quality and level of service might not match that of a designer boutique, but if cutting back on your wedding spending is your top priority, then this can be an affordable and cost-effective option.
Many bridesmaids sell their dresses straight after a wedding, so there are beautiful, barely worn dresses out there just begging to be worn again. Similarly, suggest to your bridesmaids that they can sell theirs after (obviously not before!) the big day to make some of their cash back. Sites like eBay, Knot New and Vinted are great for finding affordable clothing which is practically as good as new. Going down the pre-loved route is also a great sustainable choice if you and your bridesmaids are eco-conscious.
Why not consider renting your bridesmaid dresses? This US trend has come to the UK, and the most gorgeous dresses, including Badgley Mischka and McQueen, are now available to bridesmaids at much lower prices than if you were to buy them outright. You might even be able to bag some extra deals by renting several dresses from the same supplier.
One thing to note is the returns policy. Make sure you return the dresses on time and without any stains or damage, as you might be charged an additional fee.
Online retailers are bursting at the seams with deals. Often the bridesmaid dresses that you’re looking for will be available at a cheaper price somewhere else, or some websites will offer discount coupons. Just be aware that you’ll need to be sure they’ll fit, and fit well – otherwise, you might just spend the same amount on alterations as you would have done in-store. Before you make your purchase, double-check the website’s return policy just in case you have to send something back or swap it for another size.
If you start bridesmaid dress shopping in plenty of time, you can hold out for some cracking deals at end-of-season sales. You’ll be amazed at how many gorgeous dresses you can find at almost unbelievable prices if you’re first in line when the sales drop.
Why not think about going for a non-obvious dress style for your bridesmaids? For example, vintage-style tea dresses can be quite cheap to pick up, so having your bridesmaids in a selection from the same era will look cohesive and unique but not cost the earth. Alternatively, midi dresses are everywhere – capitalise on this by getting some formal-looking dresses for an informal price.
7. Ask your bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses
If you’re conscious about your own budget, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking your bridesmaids to pay for their dresses. Just make sure you give them plenty of notice and don’t ask them to drop hundreds on a specific dress.
Trust your bridesmaids and give them a few guidelines, like length and colour, and let them pick out their own dresses – that way, they’re likely to be willing to spend more as they can pick something they know they’ll wear again. Just check you’re happy with them before the big day.
Your bridesmaids don’t all need matching clutches and shoes – ask them to stick to a colour scheme and style and let them buy their own or wear something they already have.
Be brave and think ahead of the curve. Bridal jumpsuits are all the rage, but bridesmaids’ jumpsuits aren’t quite at the same hype just yet. This means they likely won’t have super premium price tags next to them, which is ideal if you’re looking to cut costs. Your bridesmaids would not only look incredibly chic in jumpsuits, but have money left over too.
If you’re keen on shopping at a boutique for your bridesmaid dresses (after all, nothing can compare to the luxury of boutique garments, or the experience of specialist service and attention), why not be brave and negotiate with the owner? You might struggle if you’re only buying a single dress, but if you’re buying multiple dresses (or even your wedding dress itself), you might well get a small percentage knocked off the final bill. When you’re spending hundreds (or even thousands), every little saving you make will quickly add up.
Your wedding day is one of the biggest and most important days of your life, and a time when your loved ones all come together to celebrate the love between you and your partner. But, how will you and your spouse-to-be get around on the big day that’s in keeping with the style and theme that such an occasion deserves?
It might not seem like it, but your wedding transport will play a big part in your celebrations. Depending on your schedule and venues, you may need to rely on transportation several times, such as to take you to the ceremony, to the venue for the wedding breakfast, to a location for photographs, to your hotel at the end of the night and possibly even more.
So, you’ll want to ensure you have a stylish ride waiting for you to get you quickly and safely from A to B. But, how much does wedding transport cost?
In this post, we’re going to take a look at how much wedding transport costs, including the average cost, what you might expect for your budget and what factors can affect how much you’ll spend.
The average amount couples in the UK spend on wedding transport is £700. However, this figure can vary dramatically depending on a number of factors, such as the type of vehicle, the distance you’re travelling and the amount of time the vehicle is needed.
In our ultimate wedding budget breakdown, we revealed that Brits spend an average of £20,775 on weddings, and transport can be a big part of these costs. It’s natural to assume that a horse-drawn carriage will be more expensive than a London black cab – but neither is the ‘correct’ option and instead depends on your theme, your style and – ultimately – your budget. How much you spend on transport is your decision and what’s right for you.
So, what can £700 get you? The average amount couples spend can get you to your wedding in a variety of ways, including land, sea and yes, even air!
VW classics
VW Beetles and Campers are classics and make for a unique choice for wedding transport that is personal and full of character. Costs at The Cotswolds Campervan Company start from £375.
Vintage car
A vintage car, such as a Rolls-Royce or Bramwith Ford Model A, will get you to when you’re going with style and class. Costs at Arrow Vintage Wedding Cars start from £225.
Helicopter
What could be more unique than arriving at your wedding ceremony by being flown in via helicopter? Costs at EBG Helicopters start from £420.
Stretch limousine
Synonymous with luxury, no one can resist a ride in a stretch limousine. It’s impossible to ride in the back of a limo and not feel special. Costs at JD Prestige Cars start from £350.
Sports car
For something with a little more oomph, a sports car like Lamborghini or a Porsche makes a statement and lets everyone know you’ve arrived. Costs at Season Cars start from £450.
Horse and carriage
The epitome of elegance, a horse and carriage are guaranteed to make you feel like royalty when arriving at your wedding. Costs at the Ostler Carriage Company start from £450.
London bus
Full of character and big enough to transport you and plenty of your guests, a double-decker bus is a charming way to get around. Costs at Routemaster Bus London start from £475.
Boat
Not an option for everyone, but if your venue is anywhere near water then why not make the most of it? Costs at Broadland Charters start from £200. Or, if the thought of getting married at sea (well, river) floats your boat, then there are even canal boats that double up as a wedding venue!
Does this cost include the cost of a driver or chauffeur?
If you’re hiring your vehicle through a vendor that specialises in wedding transport, then it’s highly likely that the cost will also include the cost of a chauffeur. However, this is something you’ll want to double check, as the last thing you want to do is drive yourself to your wedding, even if it is behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. You may find that the driver is happy to let you take some creative photos though – just don’t scratch the paintwork with your sequins.
You’ll also want to discuss with your chosen chauffeur the route they’ll take to get you from A to B on the big day. Where possible you may want to avoid congested streets and instead prefer to take scenic routes – but this can affect the cost.
What wedding transport can you get for a small budget?
If you don’t have the average budget to spend, it’s more than possible to get cheap wedding transport that is still reliable and luxurious. Of course, rates can vary depending on what you’re looking for and where in the UK your wedding is taking place, but there are plenty of options available with costs starting from as low as £100. These include cars from DS Executive Cars in High Wycombe, Classic Bridal Cars in Wirral and Kent and Coastal Wedding Cars in Whitstable.
If you’re on a budget, there are several factors to be aware of that can influence how much you’ll pay for wedding transport.
Time
The price will vary depending on how long you need transportation. Traditionally, you would have the car take you to the ceremony and then for the photos with your new spouse, after which you would get driven to the reception venue and then the car would leave, which usually takes around three hours. However, some vendors will rent you the car for the entirety of your wedding day, allowing you to leave the reception in style.
The distance and route your wedding car takes will also be taken into account. For example, some companies will give you the first 40 miles from their base free but will charge mileage accordingly after that. It can also make a difference if your venue is in the middle of a city centre or out in the middle of the countryside.
The number of vehicles
If you and your beloved require more than one car it will increase the overall cost. However, many car vendors will offer packages on these, factoring in a discount, so definitely discuss this with your vendor if you want multiple cars.
Although by no means a necessity, many couples also choose to book transport for their guests, especially if the ceremony and breakfast are taking place at different venues. It helps keep everyone on time and means no one has to worry about driving and finding their way around.
Prices vary, but you can expect to pay £325 for approximately 25 guests and can include around three stops. Naturally, the price will decrease or increase depending on the number of guests, stops and distance. Don’t forget to mention whether or not you will be providing transport for your guests on your wedding information sheet.
While most wedding transport vendors will provide ribbons and bows to decorate your car, you can also buy them yourself, with costs starting from around £5. Similarly, if you want personalised number plates, you can ask for permission from your car provider and buy them for around £20.
Start planning your wedding with Bridebook
Here at Bridebook, you can find and book wedding transport with ease. Sign up and start planning your wedding today!
On your wedding day, all eyes are on you and you’ll want to feel as beautiful and confident as you can be as your friends and family watch you say, ‘I do!’
Achieving that perfect look can take time, dedication and – unfortunately – money. But, it’s worth it when you look back on your photographs and admire just how great the two of you looked on your big day.
But how much does wedding beauty cost and what should your regime be during the build-up to your wedding? In this post, we’re going to take a look at how much wedding hair and makeup costs, and the money you might spend on beauty ahead of your wedding.
In the UK, the average amount of money couples spend on hair and makeup for their wedding is £690 (the breakdown is £330 for makeup, and £360 for hair).
A big chunk of this cost goes towards the bride’s hair and makeup on the morning of the wedding, but other parts of the pre-wedding beauty regime contribute towards this cost, such as nails, tanning and teeth whitening.
If you’re on a strict budget, there are things you can do to save money on wedding makeup. You can also get an overall idea of what your wedding might cost with our ultimate wedding budget breakdown. Below is a rough guide on what you might expect to pay when it comes to your beauty regime.
Hair
While you’ve been doing your hair yourself for years, there’s nothing quite like how it looks when a professional does it. A hairstylist knows exactly what to do to get your hair looking perfect for the moment you walk down the aisle. Costs for the bride’s hair start from £100, but highly skilled and experienced hairstylists can charge as much as £300 or more.
Makeup
Along with hair, makeup is possibly the second most important aspect of a bride’s beauty routine. Costs start from around £100.
Lashes
Eyelash extensions are a great way to give yourself fuller, thicker lashes. Costs start from around £30.
Nails
There’s a variety of different nail extensions to choose from, including acrylics, hard gel, dip powder and more. Even if you’re not interested in extensions, having a manicure (and even a pedicure – why not?) will help you feel gorgeous. The cost of a basic manicure starts at £20 and the cost of extensions can start from £35.
Getting your nails done is also something you likely won’t want to leave until the morning of the wedding, and is something you should do a day or two beforehand.
Male grooming
A pre-wedding beauty regime isn’t something exclusive to the bride – the groom should look great and feel confident too. A pre-wedding haircut and shave (or beard trim) by a professional barber will do just that. Costs start from around £25.
It’s also possible to hire a stylist to do the hair and makeup of other members of the bridal party, including parents, bridesmaids and flower girls. While there will be a cost for each extra person, it will usually be less than the cost of the bride’s beauty.
While your stylist will take great care with your hair and makeup on the morning of your wedding, that’s not always where it starts. There’s plenty you can do ahead of the big day to prepare. However, each of these will add to your budget and aren’t necessarily a vital part of your routine.
Nail colour – Why not test out some colours, which you can apply yourself to save money?
Hair colour – If you’re colouring your hair for your wedding, try out some possible colours during the months before your wedding.
Teeth whitening – You can arrange for professional teeth whitening, such as through your dentist, or buy at-home kits.
Exfoliate – Look after your skin as well as you can during the months – and especially the weeks – before your wedding.
Botox – If you’re having Botox for your wedding, this can take a couple of weeks to take effect and can last several months.
Eyebrows – Wax or thread your brows around two weeks before your wedding to avoid spots or red skin.
Tan – A spray tan can be done a few days before your wedding, but if you’re hitting the sun beds make sure to do it over a few weeks and no more than two or three sessions a week.
What factors can affect the cost of wedding beauty?
Several factors play a part in the cost of wedding beauty, which means you may pay considerably less – or more – than the average. It also depends on what you’re looking for – many couples are happy with basic hair and makeup and still look absolutely stunning on their big day.
Expertise
Much like any other wedding vendor, makeup artists and hairstylists will base their prices on their own experience. For example, a recently qualified or inexperienced artist might charge as little as £50 to do your wedding makeup. An experienced artist with an established reputation, on the other hand, could charge upwards of £180 for bridal makeup.
Location
You can have your hair and makeup done at a salon or you can ask the stylists to come to you. If your stylists are travelling to you, they’ll add travel fees to their wedding makeup prices. That means that travelling to your stylist’s salon can save you as much as £60 since it doesn’t require any petrol, toll charges or extra time from the artist.
Where you are in the UK can also affect how much you’ll pay. For example, stylists in London often charge a lot more than those outside the capital.
Trials
If you’re planning to have a make-up trial (and we recommend that you do if it fits your budget) before hiring your artist, many will charge you because trials still use up both products and time. An experienced artist could charge you as much as £90 – £150 for a trial. To save some cash, look out for a package deal which will include both the trial and the makeup for the day.
In addition to having their own makeup done, many brides like to treat their bridesmaids or mum to professionally done hair and/or makeup. Since this doesn’t require as much time as bridal makeup, almost all stylists will charge a little less for this service. A trial and day of make-up for a bridesmaid or mother-of-the-bride tend to come in at £85.
Many brides, including Kate Middleton herself, choose to do their own makeup for their wedding day. However, we would strongly advise that you book a lesson beforehand. It’s the best way to learn some new techniques and find the best products for a long-lasting look. Head to your favourite makeup counter (our favourites are Bobbi Brown and MAC), where you’ll be able to get some free tips and stock up on beauty products. For more information, check out our article on wedding makeup by Bobbi Brown.
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Once you’ve secured some of the biggest aspects of your wedding, such as your venue and catering, you can start thinking about inviting your friends and family to be there on your special day. Of course, that means you need to send out dozens of wedding invitations letting everyone know about the date, time, place, food, gift registry and more.
It’s a super exciting part of your wedding planning journey. However, just like with every other step of planning your wedding, it comes at a cost.
In the UK, couples spend an average of £400 on wedding stationery, which includes your save-the-date cards, invitations, name cards, seating plans, signage, menus and more. Basically, it includes anything that requires printing or writing onto card or paper. Your stationery certainly isn’t the biggest cost associated with your wedding, but when the average UK wedding costs £20,775, even the smaller costs can make a difference to your overall wedding budget.
But, that’s not to say that you need to spend even close to this amount on your own wedding stationery if you can’t afford it. There are plenty of tips and tricks you can utilise to spend less but still get wonderful, on-theme invitations and more. In this post, we’re going to explore how to save money on wedding stationery to help you stick well within your budget.
Just because you don’t want to spend anything close to the average doesn’t mean you’ll have sub-par stationery. With a touch of creativity and thriftiness, cheap wedding stationery can still be effective and make an impact.
Consider sending paperless post, especially for your save the dates. Save the dates don’t need to be as formal as invitations, so have fun with them and get creative – though you’ll probably want to do a little more than a text. Sending electronic save the dates is great, as they’re cheaper than paper and you can track who opens them too (fantastic if you want to make sure that everyone received and read your important news). Also, websites like Paperless Post have some stunning designs, with designers like Oscar de la Renta and Kate Spade bringing a touch of chic to your online post.
Alternatively, you could create a video save the date, which you can upload to YouTube as unlisted and share with everyone you want to come. Something like this is unique and fun, and will help your guests to remember to keep their calendars free.
When picking your invitation design, have a look at our enormous directory of fabulous stationery suppliers. There’s a huge selection of styles, as well as opportunities for bespoke design if you’re feeling creative. The best part is, with so many options available, you’ll be practically guaranteed to find a supplier that suits your budget. Many will be able to create unique, handmade invitations that match the style of your wedding.
It’s also worth checking out sites like Vista Print, which will usually be able to print your invitations for a lower rate. The downside is that unless you also hire a professional designer, you’ll have to pick from a selection of templates. If you do this, your invitations won’t be unique to you, but they will save you plenty of budget. So consider what priorities are most important to you.
You know that beautiful colour you’ve chosen that ties your entire style and motif together? You should definitely use it on your stationery. Choosing one colour for your invitations saves on printing and gives them a modern and elegant look. It also helps to keep everything cohesive.
This may be risky – especially if you only have a cheap printer – but if you have a decent home-office setup it’s worth considering. Ask for your invitations to be sent to you in PDF format and print them at home yourself. This is especially useful if you have to do some last-minute re-prints or additions. Alternatively, if you have an understanding employer, why not save more money and print a few things from the office? Just make sure you don’t print hundreds of sheets in one go and annoy your colleagues by hogging the printer all afternoon.
Be aware that the DIY printing route may save you money initially, but it isn’t without its drawbacks, and is unlikely to give you the clean, polished look of professionally-printed wedding stationery. And if you mess up, it may cost you more in the long-run, as you’ll have wasted lots of paper and ink.
Once you’ve sent your invitations, save some money on return postage and ask your guests to RSVP online. This will be brilliant when you start chasing people up or start on your seating plan. You can even do this for free by setting up a brand new email address: something like [email protected] will more than do the trick. That way, you won’t have to use your own email address and risk emails getting lost among your day-to-day emails.
While a professional service will produce fantastic state-of-the-art wedding invitations, they’re not necessarily cheap (after all, you get what you pay for). If you have either experience using design software or crafting with paper, you can generally save a lot of money by simply designing your invitations yourself. Then, you’ll have all the designs at your disposal, so you can make any changes you need to later on and not pay a penny.
Alternatively, you could always take a few calligraphy lessons and have a go at hand-writing your invitations for the extra level of class and elegance. Calligraphy is a tricky skill, but there are plenty of tutorial videos available on sites like Calligrascape. Just keep at it and make sure you have plenty of practice before sitting down to write your final invitations.
Do note that while the DIY approach can of course be cost-effective, there are some risks to be aware of. Designing your invites, sourcing the paper, having them printed, assembling your invites, addressing your invites… it all takes a lot of time, especially when you’re also juggling plenty of other pre-wedding tasks.
Designing, finding the paper, buying the paper, printing the invites or finding someone to print for you, assembling the invites, addressing envelopes… the time all adds up when creating wedding stationery at a moment in your life when you’re juggling lots of pre-wedding tasks. Mulling over the right font and design might be stressful as well, not to mention it might not be as cheap as you think! Beautiful wedding stationery can require expensive kit and materials which isn’t readily available to you in the way that it is for a professional stationer. Plus, many wedding stationers buy their card and embellishments in bulk, and have a well-researched list of wedding suppliers to help them keep costs low. Buying in the smaller quantities or from mainstream retailers used for DIY comes with a premium, so make sure you factor this in, and weigh up both options carefully.
Instead of printing 80+ personalised invitations, why not reduce time and costs by not including the name of your invited guests? If you do want to include the recipient’s name, you could leave a blank space for you to write it out once the invitations are back from the printers.
It can be tempting to create fancy stationery, but every additional ribbon, foil trim or magnet you include will add to the price. If you want something a little more than a rectangular piece of card, consider a little low-cost creativity, such as a uniquely shaped invitation or by including some confetti inside the envelope.
Remember when you could get a book of stamps for about £1? Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and if you’re sending invitations to friends and family across the country (and beyond) you could end up spending close to £100 on postage alone. There’s nothing wrong with hand-delivering your save the dates and invitations, especially if it saves you a bunch of money.
To keep your invitations small (and costs down) only include information that’s relevant and important. For example, if you’re not offering your guests a choice of food, don’t worry about including a menu. And unless your venue is difficult to find, the name of the venue, the town or city, and the postcode should be more than enough.
One way to save a heap of space on your invitations is by directing people to your wedding website. If you’re confident in building websites you could do this yourself, or use a tool that offers you templates, like Wix.
Or, you could hire professionals to do it for you, like Simple Wedding Websites. A wedding website can be used for everything from sharing menus, a gift registry, detailed directions to the venue, and a form so your guests can RSVP.
Before you skip to the next tip, stick with us. When deciding how many invitations to order, just bear in mind that the more you order, the cheaper the cost will be per invitation. Plus, you’ll probably want to keep a few for yourself to stick on the fridge or frame later on.
For example, if you need 50 invitations, then by ordering 60 you might pay £2 for each, which will cost you £120. But, if you order 75 at £1.50 each, it’ll cost you £112.50. Not only is it cheaper, but you’ll also have some left over to keep or replace if one or two get lost in the post.
Using premium card or paper for your stationery is the way to go if you want that extra touch of luxury, but it could mean that you pay a lot more. Of course, you might not want to choose the cheapest option, but something middle-of-the-road will still be of a reasonable quality without eating into your budget.
Before you even consider sending your design to the printers, make sure you proofread your stationery several times. The last thing you want is to open your order and find that ‘Birmingham’ is spelt ‘Birnimgham’, and then have to correct it and have it printed all over again.
If you can, ask several people to proofread it for you. The more eyes the better. If you don’t want to do that, make sure you proofread it yourself at least a day after writing it so you approach it with a fresh pair of eyes. Another handy tip is to print it out so you can read it on paper, and read it aloud. Trust us, doing it this way will help you to catch mistakes that you otherwise might miss.
Before placing any orders, search on popular discount sites for codes that will save you money. Printers regularly have offers, like free shipping or 20% off, so don’t hit that final ‘submit’ button until you’ve had a thorough look for a valid code.
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Your wedding stationery plays a vital role in your big day – after all, without it, you wouldn’t have any guests! Before your guests have even stepped foot inside the venue, your stationery tells them everything they need to know: not just the date, time and location of your wedding, but other information such as the theme and (importantly) the food. It also continues to play a part once your guests have arrived and even after they’ve left, from letting them know where to sit, to a thank you card a week or two later.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at everything to do with the cost of wedding stationery, including the average cost, the cost of individual items, and what factors can affect the price you’ll pay.
Wedding stationery is the name given to any materials, either printed or written, that are used to provide your guests with information. Examples of wedding stationery include:
Save-the-date cards
Invitations
RSVP cards
Welcome signs
Order of service
Menus
Seating plans
Signage
Table numbers
Name cards
Thank you cards
Maps and directions
Accommodation information
Wedding stationery even includes any stag and hen party invites or rehearsal invitations if you’re taking the formal route.
The beautiful thing about wedding stationery is that the only limitations are your imagination. Even on a smaller budget, you can use your creativity to come up with unique designs, formats and styles to suit your taste and the theme of your wedding. If your wedding has a cinematic theme, your invites could be designed to resemble an invite to a movie premiere. If you’re going for a countryside theme, your name cards could be printed on little cardboard trees – the possibilities are only as endless as your creativity.
In the UK, the average amount spent by couples on professionally designed and printed wedding stationery is £384. This cost includes everything from save-the-date cards sent around a year before the wedding to the thank-you cards sent once you’re settling into married life.
Of course, this figure is an average (as explored in our ultimate wedding budget breakdown), so you can spend as much – or as little – on wedding stationery as your budget allows. You could take the DIY route and cut your spending right back, or have bespoke stationery handmade by a skilled professional.
The cost for professionally designed and printed wedding invitations starts from around £1.50 each. However, that cost can rise sharply depending on the skill and experience of the designer, as well as the level of detail and complexity you’re looking for.
For many couples, the single most important piece of wedding stationery is the invitations. So, even if you plan on saving money elsewhere, chances are you’ll be keen to send out perfect invites. That means, spending a little extra on the invitations can be worth it.
What factors can affect the cost of wedding stationery?
Because there are so many possibilities when it comes to wedding stationery, the cost can vary wildly. Some of the factors that can affect the cost include:
Quantity – This may be obvious, but the more guests you invite, the more stationery you’ll have to produce, and therefore the higher the cost will be. However, the more you order the cheaper they’ll often be per piece. For example, 40 invitations could come out at £3.35 each, whereas 50 or more could cost £2.15 each, so if you’re thinking about framing a few invitations, go for it, as it can bring your overall price down.
Vendor – A small company with limited staff and resources may charge more than a large company. Similarly, designers with more experience will have higher rates than those new to the industry.
Type of paper – there’s a big difference between premium card or paper and the paper you might pinch from the printer in the office. For example, smooth matte will cost around £1.33, whereas luxury pearl will cost closer to £1.60.
Printing method – More complex printing methods, such as stamping, engraving, and digital printing can be pricey and will affect the cost.
Handmade aspects – Bespoke, handmade pieces take a lot of time and care, so will cost a lot more than printing.
Complexity – A simple design will be more affordable than a complex design or a design with more illustrations.
Add-ons and decorations – Unique touches such as belly bands, twine wraps, ribbon or wax seals can enhance your stationery, but will also increase the price.
Time – Last-minute orders will often cost more than orders placed without a strict delivery date.
Stationery Suites
The price of your wedding stationery can also depend on how extensive you want your suite to be. The more items you have, the higher the overall price. A rough guide to this would be:
£85
£139.25
£300
25 wedding invitations and RSVP cards
25 wedding invitations, RSVP cards, thank you cards and save-the-dates.
25 wedding invitations, enclosure cards, RSVP cards, thank you cards, orders of service, menus, favour tags and table numbers.
We’ve already gone into detail about the overall cost couples pay for wedding stationery, but if you’re only looking for specific items of wedding stationery, below is a rough idea as to what you might pay for a professional service:
Save the dates
Cards – from £1.10 each
Magnets – from £1.50 each
Invitations
Single-sided – from £1.50 each
Double-sided – from £2 each
Wallets – from £2.50 each
RSVPs – from £1 each
Information cards – from £1.50 each
Map design – from £15
Ceremony stationery
Order of service – from £2.50 each
Welcome sign – from £10
Signs – from £5
Reception stationery
Seating plan – from £10
Name cards – from £0.50 each
Table numbers – from £2 each
Menus – from £1.50 each
After the wedding
Generic thank you cards – from £1 each
Personalised/photo thank you cards – from £2 each
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If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to make people happy, it’s cake. We have cake during so many of life’s special times, like birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. We don’t even really need an excuse – we Brits love afternoon tea, which is just one big excuse to eat cake in the sun. So, we really don’t need a reason to enjoy a nice cake.
In the UK, the average amount spent by couples on a wedding cake is between £400 – £500. This may seem at first look a lot out of the average overall amount spent on a wedding, which is £20,775. But your cake is more than just that. It can play an incredibly central role in your wedding. It will be a centrepiece and focal point. Of all the decorations and touches you add to your wedding, the most memorable for many will be your cake. Your guests will be on the lookout for your cake and will crowd around you just to watch you make that inaugural cut. They’ll also love helping themselves to a slice.
However, the good news is that there are ways to save money on your wedding cake. In this post, we’re going to dive into the many ways you can stay within budget while making sure your guests can have their cake and eat it too.
Cakes may be mainly sugar, eggs and flour, but so much skill, time and effort goes into making a wedding cake. They’re often far more extravagant and luxurious than the types of cake you might expect at other celebrations and can take several days to plan, design and bake. Not to mention a lot of wedding cakes are absolutely huge, with three being the traditional number of tiers.
So, while the price of a wedding cake may seem high, bear in mind that a lot goes into one to ensure it looks so magical and inviting for your big day:, bear in mind that a lot goes into one to ensure it looks so magical and inviting for your big day:
Customisation and design
Quality ingredients
Skill and expertise
Baking and decorating time
Delivery and setup time
Tools and equipment
The reputation of the cake maker is also likely to determine how much they charge, with professionals with long and respected careers typically able to charge more than those new to the industry.
A professional cake maker really understands the responsibility they have. The cake has to meet the brief in how it looks. It has to last being on display in a heated space, often for many hours, and still needs to taste perfect. They have one chance to get the cake right, knowing that all eyes will be upon it. There are no hiding places, and all this requires so much skill, expertise and preparation.
We may have already pointed out that many of your guests will be on the lookout for cake, but it’s important to consider what you want on your wedding day. What are your priorities? Try to please all your guests, and you’ll likely please no one. So, if forking out for a wedding cake isn’t high on your list, and you have a tight budget, you can choose to go without.
Weddings are usually jam-packed with traditions, so even though you won’t get to cut a cake, you’ll still have plenty of opportunities to enjoy other traditions, like the toasts, the first dance and throwing the bouquet. That said, if you and your partner are big on traditions, and can’t bear the thought of not having that fabulous photo opportunity that doubles up as the most incredible dessert, there are still plenty of ways to do so on a budget.
Just be aware that if you’re aiming for a particularly big or show-stopping wedding cake, you can’t expect a professional to make it for next to nothing. Professionally-made wedding cakes aren’t just cakes – they’re unique, edible works of art, which naturally come with a higher price tag.
If a wedding cake is a must-have on your big day, but you’re struggling to stay within budget, don’t worry. Below are 13 ways (a bakers’ dozen) you can find an alternative or compromise to save money and keep your budget on track.
Let them eat cake! Or cupcakes. Or doughnuts. Or brownies. Or maybe even sweets? Instead of having a big central cake, which can be expensive, you could always treat yourself (and your guests) to a dessert table full of your favourite sweet treats. Stack your delicacy of choice in a scrumptious and artistic display and encourage your guests to help themselves. Not only will your guests get cake, but they’ll have a wider variety of choices, too. Plus, you’ll save money at the same time.
Do remember that unlike a professionally made show-stopper, a dessert table is unlikely to be able to be out on display all day. Consider whether you really want a doughnut that has been out in a heated room for 7 hours! Many professional bakers offer brownie towers, which means that whilst saving a little bit on the budget, you can still get all the benefits a professional brings. The tower of smaller cakes may also mean you don’t have a cake to cut. A small store-bought cake in addition is a good way of still having that iconic cake-cutting moment.
There will be plenty of guests at your wedding who are hungry for a slice of cake, but remember, after a three- or four-course breakfast and a pile of buffet food, will they even be that hungry when the time comes for a slice of cake? Ask your caterers to not be too generous when it comes to slicing your cake. This will help a smaller cake go a lot further. And if the odd guest wants seconds, they can just help themselves.
A cake with loads of intricate details and delicate sugar work is going to be expensive. So, if you keep your design simple, most of the baker’s efforts can go into simply making a moist and delicious cake rather than into turning it into a show-stopping edible masterpiece.
Depending on the style of the cake, you may even be able to do some decorations yourself. This is, of course, unlikely to rival a professional baker’s expert creation. You may not have the skill, knowledge or experience to pull off intricate latticework. But there’s nothing etched in stone to say a wedding cake has to be complex. Instead of sugar work petals, go for real flowers artfully placed around the edge. Instead of painstakingly cut iced ribbons, go for real ones. Artistic vision is a must-have, but it requires you to be brave. The DIY look can be great – just be aware that it most likely won’t be able to match the intricacy of a professionally-made wedding cake.
Realistically, not everyone at your wedding will likely want a slice of cake, which breaks our hearts… but it also breaks out hearts to see any cake go to waste. If you still want a tall, multi-tier cake, substitute some of the layers with dummy layers, which are usually lumps of carved polystyrene. These can be decorated in the exact same style as the real layers, but you save on the cost of the cake ingredients and the time spent baking it. It will look just as majestic and yummy, but none of it will go to waste and you’ll save some dough.
That said, be aware that the overall price difference may be quite small. Cake makers usually won’t charge the full amount if some layers are fake, but can still charge close to it. Though you’re saving some ingredient costs and labour, the cake artist will still have to stack and decorate those extra tiers, and as we’ve highlighted above, the decorating is what you’re really paying for in most cases. Ingredient costs can be sometimes be cheaper than the polystyrene purchased to create that fake tier, so it’s best to chat with your cake maker about the most cost-effective option for your specific vision.
It may seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less useful – if you have a future Great British Bake Off contestant in the family who’d love to contribute to your big day, ask them if they’d be happy to make your cake. Or, if you have a collection of relatives and friends who all have a signature sweet treat, why not ask everyone to bake their favourite and bring them in on a nice dish, which you can then collate to make a super tasty dessert table out of?
The DIY route can be a great budget-friendly move, but there are some really important considerations which you’ll need to weigh up:
It’s never going to be quite the same as a wedding cake made by a skilled professional with years of experience under their belt. If you opt for a cake made by an amateur baker, be prepared to compromise.
Tiered cakes aren’t just works of art, but also structural masterpieces. Ask any venue about DIY cakes and they’ll talk about the cakes that slowly leaned more and more or fell due to mispositioned or insufficient dowels. The bake itself also has to match the strength it needs and professionals understand the challenges this throws up. Not many amateurs normally make a three-tiered cake that has to stand for a number of hours. So if you are going DIY, keep it simple.
Your family star baker is unlikely to say no to such a request, but they’re probably going to feel a tremendous amount of pressure. Chances are they won’t relax if they’re a guest until the cake is actually cut into. Again, venues will share stories of seemingly wonderful looking DIY cakes which, when cut into, turned out to be raw, and then the challenge of trying to serve enough not to cause embarrassment for the family member who made it.
Dietaries are such an important part of your catering, and the importance of avoiding trace elements from nuts to gluten can be a matter of life or death. A professional cake maker will always leave a full set of ingredients, and highlight any cross-contamination risks and cutting requirements if there are dietaries. With a DIY cake, assumptions can be made that a family member knows of a relative’s allergies, or a guest may assume ingredients will be strictly as listed and fine. So, if you are having a DIY cake, put a sign up thanking whoever made it but letting guests know ALL the ingredients, and that it wasn’t made in a professional kitchen. This may sound overcautious (and is easily forgotten), but equally, don’t assume guests with allergies will know or remember it’s a DIY cake, and that their dietaries shared with the caterers haven’t been passed on.
It might not seem like the most obvious choice for a wedding, and it isn’t traditional, but a shop-bought cake from your favourite supermarket can be affordable and delicious. There’s a wide range of shapes, sizes and flavours to choose from, and if you pick up some pillars you can even create a multi-tiered cake yourself. All you have to do is get a little creative with the decorations and be more flexible with your cake vision than if you were to commission something custom-made. Or, you can have a small simple cake for your ceremonial cutting, and a number of shop bought cakes put out for guests to eat afterwards.
For something trendy yet traditional, M&S sells a two-tiered naked cake that looks the part and costs just £45. Or, for something a little more unique that will be tasty and get your guests laughing, M&S also offer a personalised Colin the Caterpillar cake, which you can pair with a personalised Connie the Caterpillar cake to have matching couple cakes. Each cake serves 40, and is priced at just £50, so even if you buy both, that’s cake for 80 guests for just £100, making them a fraction of the typical cost of a traditional bespoke tiered design.
If you choose to hire a professional cake maker to design your wedding cake, why not ask them for a naked cake? Not only will you still get a premium cake by a professional, but naked cakes are really in fashion right now with a rustic but elegant look. Plus, they tend to be a lot cheaper because they generally use fewer ingredients and take less time to decorate.
A word of warning though – the icing on wedding cakes can play a big part in the structural strength. Naked cakes may seem an easier option for a DIY cake (after all, the icing looks like the hard part), but they need more dowels, internal supports and the right baking consistency if stacked on top of one another. This is where professionals are even more invaluable.
Looking for a complex and intricate design but don’t have a huge budget? One option is to work with your cake maker to design a cake that is only decorated down one side. By having a sugar work design cascading down one half of your cake you still get the wow factor but will generally only have to pay half the decorating costs. A sugar work cascade is still incredibly striking, and can make for a gorgeous focal point and centrepiece even with less decoration.
When searching for a wedding cake designer or bakery, try to keep your search as local as possible. Wedding cake delivery can be pricey and the further a cake has to travel the riskier it is – so, if you choose a local professional, it’ll keep delivery and setup costs down. Or, you could even consider collecting your cake a day or so before the big day, which is easier to do if you choose a simple design.
The more experience a baker has, the more likely they are to have a solid portfolio and reputation. As a result, they’re also more likely to charge higher prices. Instead, consider hiring a cake maker who is relatively new to the industry. They’ll still be able to make a fabulous and delicious cake, but charge less than the average. Just remember to see examples of a few other cakes they’ve designed before you hire them – you don’t want a complete novice taking charge of your wedding cake.
If you’re a keen baker and don’t mind adding an extra responsibility to your ever-growing list, you could just bake your wedding cake yourself. You could even bake the cake a couple of months in advance, then thaw it a few days before your wedding so it’s ready for some homemade decorations. This will naturally save you money, but will be a fair bit of work, so be prepared.
Part of the joy of hiring a professional cake maker is that it’s stress-free and convenient, so you can enjoy your big day without worrying about dodgy ovens and equipment or glazes and ganaches that refuse to set. It’s important to weigh up what matters most to you. The DIY route may save you some money, but it most likely won’t save you time or stress. All of the considerations we listed for asking a friend or family to bake your cake apply here as well.
Vanilla and chocolate are usually safe, crowd-pleasing flavours that don’t cost too much. If you’ve chosen a multi-tiered cake, you may still want one tier to be a traditional fruit cake, but be prepared to pay a little extra if that’s the case.
Most of your guests won’t be too fussed if you don’t have fruit cake, and a simple vanilla sponge is affordable and tasty.
Have you worked out the menu you plan to serve your guests at the wedding breakfast? We bet part of that meal will include a delicious dessert. Well, instead of doubling up on desserts, why not simply serve your guests a slice of wedding cake?
If this doesn’t suit your timings and you want your dessert before the cake-cutting commences, why not have a smaller, decorated one-tier cake as your main cake for the ceremonial cutting, and a plain, un-decorated version pre-cut and served as dessert for the beforehand?
To make your cake a little more dessert-like and wedding breakfast worthy, why not pair it with a scoop of ice cream or a quenelle of cream for that extra touch of luxury and finesse?
Or, if you want to serve your cake in the evening, consider whether you also need extra evening food. This way, you can make the cake the star of the show in more ways than one . This is a great way to save on your catering budget elsewhere without losing the cake.
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Do you want to start your life as a married couple with a bang by setting off an impressive fireworks display (venue permitting)? Or perhaps you want to wow your guests with a passionate magician or dance group?
If you don’t want to go that big, even a photo booth and kids’ games area are still great ways to entertain your guests – but they all naturally come at a cost.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at the many ways you can save money on wedding entertainment while still making sure your guests have a fabulous time.
What are the most expensive types of wedding entertainers?
Generally, the more highly-skilled, experienced or technical the entertainment is, the more expensive it’ll be. For example, a fireworks show will cost around £750, which is almost the entire average amount spent on entertainment alone.
Dance troupes and circus acts can also be among the most expensive, as there are a large number of performers and equipment needed. The more members there are in an act, the more expensive it will be. Large dance groups and circus acts have costs starting from around £500.
Also, if an entertainer is well-known or has been featured on TV, like magician Dean Leavy who appeared on Blue Peter and Britain’s Got Talent, they can have higher rates than others.
What’s the cheapest types of wedding entertainment?
There are plenty of options available if you have a limited budget but still want to hire professional entertainment. Some of the most affordable wedding entertainment options include:
If you have your heart set on a certain type of entertainment but aren’t sure it’ll fit within your budget, don’t be disheartened just yet. Below are 10 ways you can save money but still enjoy wonderful entertainment. We also have tips and tricks for saving money on wedding music so you can have the best of both worlds.
Just like how a winter wedding will lead to lower costs for your venue and catering due to lower demand, so will the cost of your entertainment. Summer is the most popular time to host a wedding, which means entertainers can increase their rates. So, by having a winter wedding you’ll pay far less to hire the same entertainer. Similarly, their rates will also be higher on the weekend than they will be midweek. So, if you plan your wedding for a Tuesday in February, you’ll pay some of the lowest rates available.
If an entertainer has to travel far to get to your venue, then this will affect how much you pay. Unless you’re really set on one specific entertainer, then try to hire a professional whose catchment area includes your chosen venue. If it doesn’t, they may charge an additional per-mile fee, and if it’s really far they might need to book a hotel, which will be another expense to factor into your budget.
Remember how we mentioned above that, generally speaking, the more performers there are in an act, the more expensive it’ll be? For that reason, keep costs down by hiring a solo entertainer. Or, if you want dancers at your wedding, a pair will typically be kinder to your budget than an entire troupe.
Entertainment doesn’t have to rely on a professional doing all the work, and can take so many forms. Karaoke, a quiz or motion-controlled games are both great fun and cost-effective, and a brilliant way to get all your guest involved.
If you have a lot of friends and family with kids, then you’re probably conscious that they might get a little bored. Kids’ entertainment, like The Wedding Crècherz and All Events Childcare, are already fantastic affordable professional services, but if you’re on a super tight budget, you could save even more money with a DIY kids’ table. Some colouring books, a box of Lego and some games (which you might already have sitting in the back of a cupboard) could save you hundreds.
This requires a bit of thought and effort ahead of the wedding (as well as coordination with your chosen venue), but it’s a great way to keep your guests busy throughout the reception as the day goes on, especially as you head off to take photos with your new spouse. A scavenger hunt, where guests have to follow clues to uncover secrets, is an engaging, fun and – importantly, cheap – entertainment idea. You can even offer prizes to the guests who come first.
We bet you have a few board games and party games gathering dust up in the loft. Why not put them to good use and provide every table with a game they can use to keep themselves busy and interact with each other? There’s nothing quite as funny as watching Nan play Jenga after a couple of glasses of Prosecco.
If an entertainer charges a certain day rate, ask them if they’ll charge less if they’re hired for a certain number of hours. If you hire a bouncy castle, you might not want merry adults bouncing on it after a few glasses of fizz anyway – so only hire it for a couple of hours. Or, a magician is a great way to keep guests entertained after the ceremony and during the breakfast, so by the evening they won’t necessarily be needed. By hiring entertainment for a shorter amount of time you’ll pay less but your guests will still have the experience.
With a little consideration and creativity, there are plenty of DIY entertainment options. Put a box of props together and fix a digital camera on a tripod for a simple and affordable DIY photo booth. You could build a corn hole set and host a tournament with a winner-takes-all prize. Or buy a face paint kit and encourage your guests to decorate each others’ faces (but after the photographs please). There are plenty of cheap DIY options out there!
Do you have a particularly talented friend or relative who could bring out their party trick to impress your guests? Anything from card tricks to juggling or stand-up comedy to acrobatics. Any talent can be good to go when it comes to entertaining your guests. Just make sure they’re up to the task, and don’t rely TOO heavily on them either. After all, they can’t be expected to provide the same level of service and quality as an experienced wedding professional.
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Planning a wedding is a little bit like putting a jigsaw together, and each of the pieces slots together to produce the overall picture that is your big day. Some pieces are bigger than others, like the venue, the flowers and the food, but another important piece that shouldn’t be overlooked is the entertainment.
Wedding entertainment comes in many forms and goes far beyond the music. Great entertainment can be the difference between a beautiful wedding and one that’s truly memorable – however, the cost of a wedding entertainer can vary depending on what you’re looking for.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at how much wedding entertainment costs, the cost of different types of entertainers available, and how important it is to hire an entertainer for your wedding.
Because there’s such a wide variety of wedding entertainment out there, from acrobats to photo experiences, it can be difficult to put an exact figure on the average cost of wedding entertainment. However, as we set out in our ultimate wedding budget breakdown, the average amount couples spend on professional non-music entertainment is around £800.
But, if you have a larger budget to play with and a flair for creativity, there are many fabulous wedding entertainers who can help make your wedding one that they’ll remember forever.
Check out our post on the average cost of wedding music for more information about bands, singers and DJs.
How much do different types of wedding entertainment cost?
Wedding entertainment costs will differ depending on the type of entertainment you’re after. Got a lot of parents coming with their little ones? A clown or kids’ entertainer will keep them busy during the reception and into the evening. Holding a twilight wedding ceremony? A stunning fireworks display will light up the sky and start your marriage with a bang. The range of entertainers available across all budget levels means that whatever your theme, you can thrill and delight your guests long into the night.
Below are just some of the different types of entertainers you could consider for your wedding.
A real crowd-pleaser, a fireworks display is a wonderful way to entertain your guests, such as those supplied byIllusion Fireworksand Phenomenal Fireworks. Costs start from £750.
Looking forward to kids coming to your wedding but not them running around on the dance floor? Keep the little ones busy with entertainment of their own, like the pun-tastically named The Wedding Crècherz , or Rock Up and Play. Costs start from £180.
Add a little extra magic to your wedding with a magician to wow your guests. Fabulous magicians include Owen Strickland Magic and Chris Priest. Costs start from £350.
A casino night brings a taste of Las Vegas to your wedding but with none of the dangers of walking home empty-handed. Aces Fun Casinos and VIP Fun Casino & photo booth hire are just two fantastic vendors. Costs start from £450.
Should you hire a wedding entertainer other than a musician or DJ?
Whether an entertainer is right for your wedding or not is purely down to you, your personality, the style and theme of your wedding, and your budget. If you’re hoping for an affordable wedding, then an entertainer (on top of music from a band, singer or DJ) can be one of the first to go. However, if you have a larger budget to play with, then additional entertainment will help your wedding to be unique.
So, if you do have a little extra budget and are keen for your wedding to stand out, an entertainer can do just that. It’ll create buzz and excitement, enhancing your guests’ experiences. It also adds an extra layer of personalisation and provides a little more variety to the average wedding celebration.
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What you wear on your wedding day is one of the most important decisions for any bride or groom. Whether it’s a white dress with an elegant, flowing train, or a sharp suit with a neatly pressed shirt, it all helps you to look and feel fabulous.
Accessories can be just as important as the dress and suit themselves. For the bride, this includes your veil, handbag or clutch, shoes, jewellery and a headpiece. For the groom, it’s your shoes, cufflinks, watch, pocket square, tie and belt. You may want all of these, or you may want none (although we recommend shoes unless your wedding ceremony is at the beach). But, you’ll probably want at least a few of these – which means it’s likely to cost.
There are ways you can save money on wedding accessories and still complete your outfit. In this post, we’re going to explore the different ways you can spend less on accessories so you can keep safely within your wedding budget.
Do you need to buy new accessories for your wedding?
No, you don’t need to buy new accessories, including jewellery, for your wedding. While you may want to treat yourself and your spouse-to-be to some shiny new bling for your big day, this can add to an already not-inconsiderable cost.
Instead of buying new accessories and jewellery, you more than likely already have a few suitable pieces if you’re willing to compromise on your look a little. Jewellery such as earrings, a bracelet and a necklace will often go with a wide variety of outfits, including a wedding dress. Why not try them on before committing to buying something new? Similarly, you more than likely have a pair of comfortable footwear which will be more than fitting.
If you’re a groom, you may already own a nice watch, and a smart pair of shoes which can be tidied up with some shoe polish if necessary. That means you’ll likely only have to worry about investing in a quality tie and pocket square which match the theme and colour scheme of your wedding.
Because they’re so delicate and intricately made, a veil can understandably be very expensive when purchased at a bridal shop, especially if you’re dreaming of a long one (if you’re unsure of the different lengths, check out our introduction to wedding accessories). For many brides, veils are symbolic of the day, but they’re often taken off fairly quickly after the ceremony as they can get in the way. So, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to consider forgoing the veil (which could save you as much as £250), and spend that part of your budget elsewhere.
When asked about veils, Nathalie Neuilly, founder of Dressarte Paris, told us: “We often do custom veils adding custom messages, initials etc. But it’s true that more than 75% of our brides decide to go without veils. Instead, they prefer to add fresh flowers when styling their hair, or upcycle their mum’s veil and create a custom accessory.” So, if you decide to ditch the veil, you won’t be in the minority.
If you’re keen on wearing a veil, check with your mum, grandma or another female relative to see if anyone has a beautiful veil tucked safely away from their own wedding – this can count as your something old and something borrowed. If they do, double-check it matches the colour of your dress and you’re good to go.
If you have the time and creativity, you could have a go at creating your own accessories, or repurposing something you already own. There are plenty of tips, tricks and inspiration available on Instagram, Etsy and other platforms. This also makes for a fun and unique activity during your hen party.
Just make sure you’re not pressed for time and that you have enough (good-quality) material to have at least a couple of goes at it. And be prepared to compromise on your designs, as they are unlikely to rival the professional creations of a specialist wedding dressmaker or designer!
While there’s a chance that you might not be able to borrow a veil, there’s a great chance that someone close to you will have an item of jewellery that you can borrow for your big day, whether it’s a unique headpiece or statement necklace.
Asking your in-laws-to-be is also a great way to further strengthen the union between your two families, and will no doubt mean a lot to them.
A fun and exciting way to find some incredible (and also generally cheap) accessories is by attending auctions, either in-person or online. It might take time and a bit of effort, but you’ll likely be able to find some unique, vintage and affordable pieces that will also complement your outfit well. Just remember not to get too carried away during the bidding process…
5. Search for hidden treasures at charity shops and antique stores
Instead of spending money on lots of different accessories, why not go for one big central piece that will pull your entire look together? This works well both for brides and for the whole bridal party. For example, consider going for a show-stopping one-of-a-kind hairpiece or a stunning statement necklace, instead of a collection of smaller (and potentially more expensive) pieces.
Many online retailers offer lower prices than high-street stores, but make sure you shop around. There are plenty of specialist retailers that have large collections of wedding accessories and jewellery. Online stores also often have deals and discounts, so make sure you search for voucher codes before making a purchase. Just bear in mind that photos aren’t always a true reflection of an item, so double-check the retailer’s return policy in case your order doesn’t look quite as you expected it to (and factor this into your accessory-shopping timeline).
Keep an eye out for local craft fairs and markets. Independent jewellery makers and artists will often have stalls at these events, and chances are you’ll find unique handmade pieces which will perfectly match your outfit and be more affordable than pieces bought from jewellers or other retailers.
Believe it or not, you can rent wedding accessories and jewellery to use on your big day. Rental companies will usually have a huge range of choices to suit any style, colour scheme and taste. You can rent everything, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets and cufflinks. It’s a great way to wear an extravagant piece without paying extravagant prices. Just remember to pay attention to the terms of your rental so you don’t have to fork out due to additional fees or charges.
Start browsing for your accessories and jewellery early so you can keep a look out for offers, deals, discounts and end-of-season sales. You never know, your favourite piece could suddenly be discounted, saving you a ton of money.
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If you’re wearing a dress to your wedding, you’ll spend many hours (or , more likely, days and weeks) agonising over what the right dress for you might be. Do you want a ball gown? Mermaid? A-line? Do you want strapless? A train? When it comes to choosing the right wedding dress, there are so many options available it can sometimes be overwhelming. Where do you even start?
Another question you might ask is how much does a wedding dress cost? You may know the style you want for your wedding, but does it align with the budget you have in mind? For many, choosing the perfect dress is just as important – if not more important than – the venue and catering.
In this post, we’re going to explore everything to do with the cost of a wedding dress, including the average cost, what affects the cost and what you might expect for your budget.
According to our 2024 UK Wedding Report, the average amount couples spend on a wedding dress is about £1,300. However, there are plenty of reasons why you may spend far less than this, and in other cases, why you might spend way more.
It’s important to note that this amount doesn’t include any jewellery or accessories you might wear, nor your shoes. So, expect to pay a little more for those (unless you’re getting married on the beach!) to complete your overall wedding attire. Check out our ultimate wedding budget breakdown for an understanding of how much your wedding might cost.
Even if you don’t have the average amount to spend on a dress, there are still plenty of options available to ensure a stunning dress is within easy reach. Here at Bridebook, we have a fabulous collection of wedding dress suppliers and boutiques, so you can find your perfect dress. There are also a few tricks to be aware of so you can save money on your wedding dress.
With wedding dresses coming in all manners of shapes, designs and sizes, no two dresses cost the same. Plenty of factors mean you may end up spending less – or even a lot more – than the average.
Location: Wedding dresses bought in London will cost more than those bought outside the capital.
Brand: A dress made by a well-known brand will often cost significantly more than a dress made by a less well-known brand.
Materials: Premium and high-quality fabrics, such as lace and silk, will cost more than other fabrics, such as satin.
Expertise: A dress from an experienced designer will be more expensive than an up-and-coming designer with little experience.
Style: The more complex the style and design, the pricier your dress will be.
Embellishments: Dresses with more embellishments, such as embroidery, beads or sequins, will cost more than dresses without.
Imported materials: Materials manufactured in Asia are likely to be less than half the cost of European fabrics, while the small number of fabrics still milled in the UK are some of the most expensive fabrics available.
What type of wedding dress can you expect for your budget?
Even if you already have a good idea of the budget for your dress, it can be difficult to know where to start looking. Do you go designer? Which designers suit your budget? How do you find out the wedding dress prices if designers don’t even show them?
To help with the confusion, below is a rough price guide for different stores and designers based on various budget ranges:
Budget
Store/Designer
£100 – £500
Monsoon, Phase Eight, Ben de Lisi, Pearce II Fonda.
£500 – £1,000
Aneberry, Alexia, John Lewis.
£1,000 – £2,000
Maggie Sottero, Jenny Packham, Pronovias, Ronald Joyce, Vera Wang White Collection.
For a bespoke dress, you’ll need a little more than the average paid by couples, with costs starting from £1,850. If you want a dress made by a designer, you’ll pay for their time designing the dress, the materials and any extras, like intricate beadwork. But there’s also so much more to it than that.
What goes into the cost of a bespoke wedding gown?
More than just a gown: A bespoke wedding dress is a wearable work of art, crafted to fit your unique style and body like a glove. When you choose a designer-made dress, you’re not just paying for fabric and stitching — you’re investing in a truly personal experience and unparalleled quality.
Countless hours behind the scenes: Your dressmaker devotes significant time to perfecting every detail. It all starts with your vision, turning a sketch into a beautiful reality, with each element thoughtfully considered and brought to life.
Careful selection of high-quality materials: Whether it’s luxurious silk, delicate lace or hand-embroidered embellishments, the materials used are chosen for their quality and beauty. Intricate details like beadwork or custom lace patterns require incredible precision to achieve a flawless finish.
Artistry in fitting and adjustments: A bespoke dress isn’t simply made to your size — it’s sculpted to your body, ensuring every seam and contour accentuates your shape beautifully. Fitting sessions involve painstaking adjustments to make sure the gown drapes flawlessly while maintaining a seamless and natural look.
The expertise of skilled artisans: Opting for a bespoke or designer wedding dress honours the passion and dedication of designers who transform your gown into more than just an outfit — it becomes a cherished heirloom to live on long after your wedding day. This choice embraces quality, artistry and individuality, creating something that tells your unique love story.
Designers like Vera Wang, McQueen and Givenchy will charge premium rates, so, if your budget is more generous, then you’ll have a greater selection of well-known designers to choose from. That said, most designers will also have a more affordable collection, like White by Vera Wang, if you’re keen on a big-name brand but not necessarily a big-name budget.
An off-the-peg wedding dress can be a fantastic way to reduce your wedding dress cost. Most department stores will have an array of absolutely stunning gowns at a fraction of the price of a bespoke or designer gown. As we highlighted above, John Lewis offers modestly priced wedding dresses that start from as low as £175 (or lower during a sale).
Our advice for an off-the-peg dress is to make sure the gown fits you as close as possible before buying and then taking it to a professional tailor for any alterations, otherwise it can get quite pricey.
If you still want a bespoke gown but your budget is limited, you can always contact a talented tailor near you and ask what they would charge for making your wedding dress. Much like designer gowns, you’ll pay for the design, the time and the materials, but at a far more affordable price. The cost for simpler gowns starts at £400 and something more elaborate will start at £1,200.
If you’re visiting a department store, you won’t need to make an appointment. However, bridal boutiques are often much smaller, so you’ll likely need to reserve an appointment. Whether or not you have to pay for this appointment depends on the owners’ policy, but many do charge at busy times such as evenings and weekends. The amount can vary between £20 and £50, which is usually discounted from the dress if you make a purchase. But, if you’re making an appointment at several boutiques, then you may lose a little as you’re not likely to buy a dress at every store!
Much like the cost of the dress itself, the cost of alterations can vary based on factors such as location, time, the skills required, and the experience of the tailor. It can also be cheaper to have the alterations done at the same boutique you bought your dress at as part of a package.
The typical price you might expect to pay for wedding dress alterations is between £100 and £500. However, this is totally dependent on the amount of work required.
The rough price breakdown for a London tailor is:
Altering the hem: £75 – £100. The more layers your dress has, the more altering it will need, with the first two layers coming to £75 and the subsequent layers adding around £25 each.
Altering the sides: £50 – £75. If your dress has intricate beading and detailing it might cost more as a tailor would have to remove them, make the alterations and then sew them back on by hand.
Adding bustles (to tie up the train if needed): £20 per bustle.
Yes, you can buy a wedding dress from a charity shop! More often than not they’re in great condition because they’ve been carefully looked after, and have usually only been worn once before.
Browsing charity shops is a fantastic way to grab a bargain while supporting a good cause. You may even find a wonderful dress for around £50. But, finding the perfect dress for you in a charity shop will take a lot of dedication and luck. It’s also likely that you’ll need to take it to a tailor for alterations.
Charity shops are also sometimes sent discontinued dresses which will be cheaper than the original cost, but still fairly pricey – especially if by a well-known brand or designer.
The cost of buying your wedding dress isn’t cheap, especially as you’re only going to wear it once. If you’re on a budget, another option is to rent your wedding dress, with costs starting from as low as £12 per day. To put this into perspective, Carrie Johnson’s wedding dress was rented for £45 – far less than the original £2,830 price tag.
And if you’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding dress, we’ve got a load of hacks to help you slash your budget and still look fabulous on your big day.
Weddings don’t come along very often, but when they do they’re a cause for a celebration. And one of the ways a lot of wedding guests like to let their hair down is by having a drink or two (or three or four).
Raising a glass of bubbles is also a great way for your guests to toast you and your new spouse, and celebrate your marriage. But as well as the fizz, your guests will enjoy a variety of alcoholic drinks, from wines and beers to cocktails and spirits.
So, how can you save money on wedding alcohol? In this post, we’re going to dive into the ways you can reduce how much you spend on booze so you can get more out of your wedding budget.
What kind of alcohol is usually served at a wedding?
It’s common for a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to be served at weddings. If a full-service bar is provided, the possibilities are endless, but the alcoholic drinks offered generally include:
Beer
Cider
Red wine
White wine
Sparkling wine or Champagne
Spirits
Cocktails
Often, couples will provide their guests with a limited number of drinks, such as an arrival drink, a bottle of red and white for each table at the breakfast and a glass of bubbles for the toast. A third of couples opt to offer an open bar, but this can be a rather expensive option – especially if you’re inviting a lot of guests.
Whether or not you choose to offer an open bar at your wedding is entirely your choice – there’s no right or wrong answer. Just because a third of couples choose to offer an open bar doesn’t mean you need to – that still leaves two-thirds of all couples who decide not to.
In fact, if you decide to have a paid bar at your wedding you could save more than £2,100. Plus, your guests are unlikely to think anything of it or mind paying for their drinks.
Offering a paid bar is just one of the ways you can save money on alcohol at your wedding. For more tips and cost-cutting ideas, read our guide to how to save money on your wedding.
Below are 10 more ways you can save while still making sure your guests can enjoy a few drinks on your big day.
Alcohol may be one of the most expensive items on your wedding list, but remember – it doesn’t go off! So regardless of your wedding date, we recommend buying any alcohol you need either after Christmas or New Year or around the big summer bank holidays. That’s when supermarkets slash their prices and have huge sales on alcohol. You can save up to £1,500 buying Champagne in the sales just after Christmas compared to in the run-up to your wedding.
Believe it or not, if you do offer your guests a couple of free drinks, then there’s every chance it won’t be finished, particularly if you’ve provided bottles of wine. Not everyone drinks wine – even when it’s free – so what do you do if you end up with six bottles of unopened wine at the end of the reception?
Ask the venue or vendor about sale or return, which is a policy that allows you to return unopened and undamaged bottles of alcohol for a refund or credit off your final bill. It might not save you loads, but even a little saving is better than none when you’re spending so much.
3. Switch the expensive stuff for the not-so-expensive
Your wedding is a fabulous celebration and it can be tempting to bring out the big guns and pop open a few bottles of Champagne, particularly for arrival drinks and raising a glass during the speeches. But, Champagne is expensive and some cheaper alternatives are actually more popularanyway.
Instead of pricey Champers, consider more affordable options like Cava and Prosecco, which plenty of people prefer, and many won’t even realise are different.
To put it into perspective, a decent bottle of Champagne will cost around £40, whereas a nice bottle of Prosecco will cost around £10. So, if you need 25 bottles, by switching from Champagne to Prosecco, you could save £750.
A great way to get your guests in good spirits (get it?) and save some money is with a DIY cocktail bar. All you need are half a dozen bottles of spirits, a few mixers and a recipe guide, and your guests can get to work creating their own delicious drinks. It also doubles as a unique form of wedding entertainment and gets your guests chatting and interacting with each other.
For a little extra personalisation, you could create some custom cocktail recipes that are themed around you and your spouse-to-be, and name some drinks after significant moments, places and people in your lives.
When you think about it, a wedding is just one big party – and it’s not unheard of to ask party guests to bring their own drinks. It might not be the most comfortable option, but asking your guests to come armed with a bottle or two will potentially save you thousands.
If this is something you’re considering, make sure to check with the venue that it’s something they allow – if you’re getting married in a hotel or similar, then it might be written into your agreement that it’s prohibited. But, many venue types will allow it, particularly if you haven’t gone for an all-inclusive package.
If you go down this route, just remember to add BYOB to your wedding invitations!
Another way to lessen costs is by hiring an outside vendor, such as a mobile bar, to provide all the drinks at your wedding. This also opens up more options for personalisation if your wedding has a specific theme.
This is again something you’ll need to check with your chosen venue – they may not allow mobile bars. You’ll also want to make sure your chosen vendor has a license to sell alcohol, because if they don’t, it could land you in hot water.
Before the ceremony, when your guests slowly begin to arrive, it’s common for couples to offer their guests an arrival drink to help them get into the mood. If you offer each of your guests a drink, it can quickly get expensive.
But, a drink on arrival isn’t something your guests will expect – it’s simply a nice surprise, similar to canapés and wedding favours. So, to save a little money, why not bypass the arrival drinks altogether? Or, simply switch them out for a non-alcoholic drink so you can offer the gesture while cutting back on the cost.
An open bar might not suit your budget, but you could still thank your guests for coming by providing them with a drink or two. Many couples opt to include a couple of bottles of wine for each table – one red and one white – but for a little extra selection, why not extend that to include beer, too?
If you’re keen on providing your guests with a glass of wine at the wedding breakfast or a flute of bubbles during the toasts, one money-saving tip is to simply ask the venue to be a little more reserved with their pouring than they might usually be. Whereas a bottle of Champagne will generally fill six glasses, a slightly less generous pour might stretch this to 10. If a bottle can serve more guests, you won’t need to open as many. And if you don’t need to open as many bottles, you won’t need to pay for as many.
If you plan far enough in advance, why not have a go at brewing your own alcohol? After all, brewing wine, beer and even spirits at home is becoming an increasingly popular hobby. Not only is supplying your own handmade drinks a great way to save money on wedding alcohol, but it also personalises your reception.
If you’re not one for traditions, consider forgoing the speeches completely, which then also forgoes the need to supply your guests with a glass of fizz and to provide bottles of wine on each of the tables. With the increase in the popularity of twilight weddings, it’s becoming more common for couples to bypass wedding breakfasts and go straight from the ceremony to the evening reception.
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Depending on the duration of your wedding, your guests are served food and drinks at different intervals throughout the day. This can include arrival drinks and canapés, a three or four-course breakfast and a glorious buffet in the evening. But, how much does it cost to keep your guests wined and dined?
We understand that this is a huge expense, and one obvious way to save money on wedding food is by cutting the number of guests. However, we also understand that this might not always be possible. If this is the case for you, fear not – there are still plenty of ways you can save money.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at the many ways you can save money on wedding catering while still keeping your guests full and happy.
Food that is easy to cook in bulk and requires little prep time will be among the cheapest food you can serve at your wedding. This includes the food served at both your wedding breakfast and the evening buffet.
At the reception, simple food cooked well will keep the costs down. An example of an affordable three-course wedding breakfast meal could include:
Starter – Soup
Main course – Roast chicken, potatoes and seasonal vegetables
Dessert – New York cheesecake
In the evening, the same applies to the buffet. Simple, tasty food that your guests can eat with their hands will make sure everyone is more than satisfied. Examples of cheap and easy wedding buffet food include pizza, pasta, salad, chips, chicken, wraps, tacos and more. You could even have a theme for your evening buffet, such as American, Asian, Mexican or barbeque.
If your chosen venue has an all-inclusive package, this likely includes food. While it can be more affordable to hire other vendors, an all-inclusive option is usually your best bet. According to our 2024 Wedding Report, couples save over £1,000 when the venue cost includes catering versus external catering costs.
If you do want to hire external caterers, though, do plenty of research before you book your wedding venue. Make sure your chosen venue is flexible, as this will open up your choices and allow you to hire other caterers. So, if you want a fancy countryside venue but also want to serve woodfired pizzas in the evening, ask the venue whether they would allow this first.
It’s best to research wedding caterers and venues at the same time so you can see which option is the most suitable for your budget. During your research, make sure you’re looking at not just the cost, but also the services they provide, their location and recent reviews to make sure they provide exactly what you want.
Once you’ve decided on a location for your wedding and you’ve found your perfect venue, try to choose local caterers if you’re outsourcing them. If your wedding is on the outskirts of Birmingham but the caterer you’ve chosen is based in London, they’ll charge you an additional fee to travel all that way, which could be a flat rate or a cost per mile outside of their usual catchment area.
By choosing a local vendor it will keep costs as low as possible. It’s also possible that they’ve already provided catering for an event at your chosen venue, so may also have a professional relationship that will help things go smoother on the day. An additional bonus is that you’ll be supporting local businesses.
Bridebook has a fabulous selection of wedding caterers, so regardless of where you’re getting married, you’ll find the perfect food options for your wedding.
Who doesn’t love a buffet? Your guests are free to choose whatever food tickles their fancy and can load their plates up with as much or as little food as they like. Not only are buffets versatile, but they’re also major crowd-pleasers – not to mention they’re generally cheaper than a traditional wedding breakfast.
With full table service, you get to be treated like royalty on your special day (which is obviously amazing), but this service does come at a cost. Typically, you’ll need one member of wait staff per 10 guests at a table service wedding breakfast. That means, if you have 100 guests, you’ll need 10 wait staff – and this is before you even take into consideration the kitchen and bar staff.
Even though buffets offer a wider variety of food than a three- or four-course table-service meal, a far smaller team is needed to prepare and serve the food. Whereas a breakfast might cost £30 – £40 per head, a buffet will cost around half of this. While a buffet isn’t quite as luxurious as a table service meal, your guests likely won’t mind so long as they get something to eat.
The number of guests you invite to your wedding directly affects the total cost of catering, because the more mouths to feed, the more food you need.
With the cost of food per head averaging £62, costs can quickly add up. Suppose you’ve invited 100 guests – 100 x £62 = £6,200 for the food alone. If you’re in a position to, cutting just 10% of your guest list will save you around £620, and this doesn’t even include other savings you can make, such as decor, stationery, favours and the ability to choose a smaller, more affordable venue.
It might be tough, but very few couples can invite everyone. A little bravery could potentially save you thousands, without you having to forgo the food you want.
A huge number of couples want to tie the knot during peak wedding season, when the weather is more likely to behave itself, flowers are blooming and you have more options for beautiful outdoor photographs.
However, with so much competition during the most popular weeks and months, vendors have to raise their prices, and this includes caterers. So, you could save a lot of money by setting your date on a common-or-garden weekday between October and March, when caterers’ rates are generally lower.
So, instead of booking your wedding for a Saturday in August, why not consider a Tuesday in February? This will slash the cost of catering, as well as other wedding costs such as your venue and entertainment.
Your first instinct might be to get one of everything when you see the menu options, as that way, you can cater to everyone – from meat eaters to vegetarians – while knocking out any allergy-causing options too.
But, to keep costs down, don’t offer your guests a wide variety of options at the wedding breakfast. It’s usually far more cost-effective to offer a limited number of choices, as the catering team will be able to focus on making sure every plate is perfect. So, one meat and one vegetarian or vegan option is usually more than enough to meet the needs of the majority of your guests.
The type of food you go for will also influence the cost. Instead of choosing fancy or time-consuming dishes like lobster, sushi or beef Wellington, opt for more affordable options such as chicken, potatoes and vegetables. A skilled catering team can make even the most affordable ingredients look and taste fabulous.
It’s even better to go for in-season and locally-grown ingredients. This will be much cheaper while also allowing you to support local businesses. Have a chat with your catering team to see what they can do to get the most out of your budget. Fancy food doesn’t automatically have to mean expensive.
While it’s vital to make sure dietary requirements are fulfilled, the more bespoke dishes the team has to cater for, the pricier it will be. So, it’s important to provide food for special requirements, but you should try to avoid making changes purely because your cousin is a fussy eater and will only eat chicken nuggets.
Remember, whenever in doubt, speak to your wedding caterer. If you want to know what to ask, read our guide on questions to ask your wedding caterer.
A fully stocked bar with all kinds of drinks, or a mixologist putting on a fancy show, might be a must-have for some couples, but this will add to the cost. This is especially true if you choose to offer an open bar, which will potentially add thousands to your final bill. You’ll save more than £2,000 by asking your guests to pay for their own drinks (with the exception of a bottle of wine at the table and a glass of fizz for the toasts). Plus, weddings with an open bar are in the minority, so it’s not something your guests will expect.
When it comes to the fizz, Champagne is a luxurious option, but your guests will be just as happy with a cheaper alternative such as prosecco or Cava. This is often more affordable than supplying your own bubbles, as most venues will charge a corkage fee, which can be as high as £35 per bottle.
You read that right – ask your vendor for smaller plates during the evening buffet. This will limit the amount of food your guests can pile up. Instead of taking mountains of food, most guests will take considerably less, which will reduce the amount of waste too. And don’t worry – if someone wants to go for multiple rounds, they can! No one will go home hungry.
Renting a food truck to provide freshly-cooked plates is a great way to add a personal touch to your wedding, and will help keep your catering budget down.
Think about it – food trucks are used to cooking and serving delicious, crowd-pleasing dishes at busy, fast-paced events. The same can be done for your wedding – just tell them your budget and they’ll handle the rest. This is great way to keep costs manageable while offering your guests some unique and mouth-watering food. Plus, with food trucks being one of the hottest wedding trends of 2024, this kind of catering is all the rage right now.
Keep a look out for wedding fairs, where a selection of vendors come together to showcase their offerings and encourage you to have a taste. This is a great way to see what options are available and try food from a wide selection of local caterers. During events, a lot of caterers will offer exclusive discounts and promotions, which could save you a nice chunk of change. Not only will you leave the event with a full stomach, but your budget will also thank you for it.
A twilight wedding is a wedding which starts much later in the day, usually around the time the sun starts to set. This means, after the reception and photographs, you’ll likely want to bypass the wedding breakfast and dive straight into the evening buffet – a far more cost-effective option. Because you’re only feeding your guests once, you’ll drastically reduce the amount of money you spend on catering, as well as various other parts of your wedding.
Canapés and arrival drinks add a touch of class and elegance to your wedding, but they can be costly. To save a little money, consider only offering a single canapé option or even cutting it completely, together with the arrival drinks.
More than 90% of couples in the UK hire a wedding photographer, but only one in three couples hire a videographer. Wedding photographs are a wonderful keepsake that the two of you will come back to again and again, and your wedding album might even become a family heirloom that will be passed down through generations.
The same might not necessarily be the case when it comes to a wedding video. However, a third of couples do still choose to capture their wedding on film, which is a more candid way of immortalising their big day.
Whether or not you hire a videographer for your wedding will likely come down to budget, with the average cost of a photographer being more or less the same. When it comes to one or the other, most couples choose to hire a photographer. However, there are ways to save money on a wedding videographer so that you can have the best of both worlds.
In this post, we’re going to explore how to save money on a wedding videographer and still have a lovely video you can watch again and again.
So, with couples paying an average of £1,300 – £1,500 for a wedding videographer, what exactly are they getting for their money and why are they so expensive? Videographers’ rates are based on:
High-quality equipment, including cameras, computers, edit equipment, stabilisers, microphones and even drones
The amount of time they spend shooting on the day, which could be during peak times
The amount of time post-production can take, which can range from less than a day to several days depending on the level of complexity
Skills and expertise which may have been refined from years of experience
Team and assistance, such as if they have a second camera operator and a dedicated editor
This is on top of other costs the videographer might have, including insurance, travel, software, equipment maintenance and more.
As we’ve already highlighted, only 33% of couples choose to hire a professional videographer for their wedding, so you shouldn’t feel pressured to hire one if it’s not something that suits your style, preference or budget. With the cost of many weddings reaching £20,000 and above, another £1,500 for a videographer can be difficult to justify. However, videographers will capture your special day in ways that photographers can’t, and a wedding video is a fantastic complement to your wedding album.
If a wedding video is important to you but you don’t want to pay costs anywhere close to the average, there are ways to pay less. Below are 12 ways to save money on a videographer and still have a fabulous wedding video.
While some couples prefer to have an hour-long feature that documents all the happenings of their wedding day, others choose a more budget-friendly version by asking for a shorter film. After all, the really important elements will all be there, only in a much more condensed format. So, instead of the wedding equivalent of The Lord of the Rings, something smaller will cut the cost at the same time as cutting the length.
The ceremony is arguably the most important and emotional part of your wedding day. This is when you make lifelong promises to love each other, as your nearest and dearest watch on. This is when all the dads get a bit teary giving away their daughters and when you share your first kiss as a married couple.
It’s also likely that you won’t have much other footage from the ceremony (as opposed to the Reels and stories you’ll see of the breakfast and evening reception) – especially if you ask your guests to adhere to an unplugged ceremony.
Ask your videographer to record just this part of your wedding day, saving you some precious pennies and giving you a wonderful keepsake.
Just like photographers, videographers tend to have package offers when it comes to wedding films. Instead of choosing all the extra editing and special effects, go for the most basic package, which will simply follow the wedding day and generally avoid the more complex filming and editing techniques (as well as extras like a trailer and highlight reel).
For example, Affordable Wedding Videos in Oxfordshire offer a basic ‘Carnation Package’, which costs just £700 and includes filming from the moment guests start arriving until the completion of the speeches.
A lot of professional wedding videographers will attend industry fairs and many of them will offer great deals to the couples who meet and chat with them there. So make sure you go, ask plenty of questions and secure yourself an awesome deal.
Another quick tip is to make your booking early – if you find yourself hiring a videographer at the last minute you might have to pay rates that are higher than normal.
If you’re something of a wannabe-Spielberg, you could have a go at editing your wedding video yourself. Your videographer will have hours of priceless, beautifully-shot film from the day that will practically speak for itself. If you’re a tech-savvy couple (or have techy friends), you may be able to do the editing yourselves and save on post-production costs, which is one of the most time-consuming (and expensive) parts.
The good news is, decent edit software is readily available and fairly affordable. Professional edit software such as Adobe Premiere offers a subscription service, so for around £50 you could subscribe for one month, edit your film, and then cancel. Or, there are plenty out there that are free, too. iMovie might not have the functionality of paid programmes, but it’s hard to argue if it saves you cash. Plus, iMovie can be downloaded on a smartphone or tablet, so you can edit on the go.
Do note that if you have no prior knowledge with editing software or any experience in the videography field, you might struggle at first. If you want high-quality results fast, hiring a professional videographer, with years of experience, is the way to go. Turning the raw footage from your wedding into an emotional film set to music, which perfectly tells the story of the day, is no small feat! So, be prepared to compromise on the quality of the final product if you go down the DIY video editing route.
Some videographers have an assistant who helps them film on the big day, which ensures they get plenty of coverage of your wedding. While this will give you a greater variety of shots and options in the edit, it will also add extra pennies to the overall cost.
You can still have a great wedding film with just one videographer. There’s even the option of setting up multiple unoperated cameras, too. Have a word with your videographer and see what they’re able to do without the need for an assistant.
The videographer you hire may charge you more if they have to travel a long way to get to your venue, so try to hire someone who makes it clear how far their catchment area covers.
The only exception to this may be if your wedding is taking place in London. Videographers based in the capital can have higher rates than those based outside of the M25, so make sure you get several quotes and weigh up the better option for your budget.
Know what the best thing about most of your friends and family members having a smartphone is? You in theory instantly have dozens of guests with relatively high-quality cameras at your disposal.
Consider asking one or two trustworthy guests to whip out their phones and record the ceremony. For a little extra professionalism, you can pick up a tripod that will hold a smartphone and allow for remote operation for around £20. That means your chosen friend or family member can record your wedding without having to miss out on actually watching you exchange your vows. That sounds like the perfect solution!
But again, as with the DIY video editing route, there are drawbacks to forgoing professional videography services. As we outlined above, there’s so much more to putting together a wedding film than simply pressing ‘play’ and letting the events naturally unfold. If you just want the simplest possible footage, and are prioritising minimising costs at all costs, then this could be the best choice for you. However, if you want a beautifully-shot and expertly-edited video which truly captures the story and spirit of your big day, then there’s nothing like that professional touch.
9. Don’t agree to pay extra for unnecessary extras
It’s 2023: high-definition should always be the absolute minimum standard for a wedding video. If HD isn’t offered as part of a standard videography package, we recommend either insisting upon it or finding a videographer who does offer it at no extra cost.
You may also want to think twice about whether or not you want a DVD or Blu-Ray copy of your film. In the age of streaming, fewer and fewer people have a Blu-Ray player, anyway. A USB stick, or even just a download link, should be more than enough. Then, if you change your mind later and realise you do want a DVD copy, you can use your home PC to create one without much trouble.
The more experience with shooting wedding videos a videographer has, the more they’re likely to charge. Of course, this experience will help them produce a fabulous video, but a videographer with less experience should still be capable of creating something magical.
It’s also worth remembering that less experience isn’t the same as no experience. If you hire a videographer who has never made a wedding video before, you’re unlikely to get a final product that meets your expectations. Then again, even the most skilled and experienced videographer had to start somewhere.
But, it’s about balance, and while an inexperienced videographer might not have a huge portfolio, they’ll have loads of enthusiasm and will want to impress you – and if they can do that while making sure you pay less, it might just be worth the gamble.
11. Avoid using drones and other expensive equipment
If you hire a videographer who uses a lot of technical and expensive equipment, like drones, then that can seriously add to the cost. Of course, sweeping drone shots will look stunning, cinematic and romantic in your final film, but it’ll likely cost a small fortune.
So, if you’re on a tight budget, speak to your videographer and let them know you want to keep things simple to help keep costs down.
The date your wedding takes place will have a big influence over the cost of your videographer, as it will over many other aspects of your wedding. If you get married on a Saturday during the summer, you’ll pay much higher rates than you would if you got married on a Tuesday in winter.
If you can, try to plan your wedding during off-peak times. Not only will you pay less for a videographer, but for your venue, your catering, your transport and more, which will help your overall wedding budget.
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Most couples opt to hire a photographer to capture their wedding. In fact, our data shows that 9 out of 10 couples hire a photographer for their big day. However, far fewer couples hire a videographer, with just a third choosing to immortalise their wedding on video.
But, documenting your wedding by using the skills of a videographer is a unique and highly personal way of capturing the magic. Video is different from photography because it can be a lot more natural and encapsulates those special moments as they happen. Your photographs are wonderful, but nothing can replicate the beaming smiles and happy tears that happen in the moment.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at the average cost of a wedding videographer, what can influence the cost and what level of skill and experience you might expect for your budget.
What’s the average cost of a wedding videographer?
The average amount couples spend on a wedding videographer in the UK is £1,300-£1,500, which is very similar to the average cost of a photographer. These are average costs for hiring an experienced, professional videographer, rather than going for a more DIY approach.
However, there are several different factors that can affect this cost, including the videographer’s experience, the technology they use, the venue, the post-production, and the videography package. For the majority of UK videographers, the average package value is far closer to over £1,500. After all, a camera operator alone charges £450-£650 per day on average, editing £350 per day, let alone the cost of the use of equipment, plus marketing, sales, preparation and general admin time. That’s why the cost of a wedding videographer can seem so pricey – a lot goes into producing gorgeous wedding films!
Unlike a wedding photographer, a videographer is someone who won’t spend a portion of the day ‘directing’ you – instead, they’ll blend into the crowd and naturally capture your wedding. In some ways, you could compare it to a documentary as it tells the story of your wedding day, from the moment you start getting ready to the moment the two of you are whisked away together at the end of the night.
What’s included in the cost depends entirely on the package you choose, but can include:
You and your other half getting ready
Your guests arriving
Footage of the ceremony (some videographers may offer just this as a basic package)
Footage of the wedding breakfast (including speeches)
Footage of the evening reception (including cutting the cake and the first dance)
Video editing and post-production
A USB or DVD of the finished film
If you’re on a budget should you hire a videographer instead of a photographer?
While a videographer is generally more affordable than a photographer, you may want to think twice before choosing video in place of the more traditional photographs. Videography is a lovely way to complement your photographs rather than replace them, so don’t let the cost be the deciding factor. Remember, even though the average cost of a photographer is more than the average cost of a videographer, there are options available. There are even vendors who will be able to offer a package that includes both photography and videography.
While our ultimate wedding budget breakdown found that £1,439 is the average amount couples in the UK spend on a wedding videographer, there are plenty of factors that can affect the cost:
The date: Expect to pay more than the average costs if your wedding is taking place during peak times, such as during the summer months or on a Saturday.
Venue: Where your venue is located – as well as how far your videographer has to travel – can impact the cost. For example, videographers in London will be more expensive than those outside the capital.
The style: The price will vary depending on whether you want the videographer to cover the ceremony alone or the entire day.
Experience: The more experience a videographer has, the higher their price will be. On the flip side, you’ll likely receive a far more professional and polished video.
Time: How long do you need the videographer to be there? Is there footage needed before or after your wedding? How long will post-production take to get the final product you’re after?
Additional crew: If you’re keen on the more dynamic style that multiple cameras allow, then a second camera person will bump up the cost.
Additional equipment: Are lights, additional cameras, or even drones needed to get the look you want?
Multiple copies: Your package may include a limited number of copies of your final film on USB or DVD.
There may also be optional extras that can bump up the cost, such as:
Expedited post-production and delivery
Video messages from friends and family
Montages set to music
Unedited footage
What should you be aware of before you book your wedding videographer?
Every videographer will have their own unique style and way of documenting your wedding. Before hiring them, make sure their style aligns with your vision – if you’re looking for something cinematic but they don’t have the skills (or equipment) to do so then you want to avoid disappointment. Just because they shoot weddings (and fit your budget), it doesn’t mean they can meet your needs.
If you’re hiring a videographer that can include drone footage, ensure they have the relevant documentation so they’re able to do so legally, including a flyer ID and operator ID. The last thing you want is for your videographer to get caught out halfway through shooting your wedding.
Finally, is the videographer insured? This may be something the venue wishes to see before the wedding, so make sure it’s something they can produce if needed.
What experience level can you expect for your budget?
Your budget will determine the level of experience, and therefore skill, your wedding videographer has. Check out the below table to get an idea of what your budget might get you.
Budget
£3,000+
£1,500-£3,000
£1,000-£1,500
Under £1,000
Level of experience
You’ll get an industry-leading videographer who will produce a stunning wedding video. They may also have a second videographer working with them to ensure a variety of high-quality footage.
You’ll get an experienced videographer who has documented many weddings and will produce a fantastic video.
You’ll get a videographer who is finding their own unique style and has documented several dozen weddings.
You’ll get an up-and-coming videographer keen to grow their portfolio.
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Hiring a photographer is one of the few non-negotiables that couples have when it comes to their wedding. A photographer will spend time capturing moments that you’ll look back on for the rest of your lives, so it’s worth dedicating a portion of your budget to a skilled professional.
But what if you don’t want to spend that much on a photographer, or you simply don’t have the budget to spare? Does that mean you have to forgo beautifully-taken professional photos and rely on what your guests capture on their phones?
Thankfully, the answer is a resounding no. Even on a tight budget, there are ways around having to pay even close to the UK average for a photographer. In this post, we’re going to dive into the many tips and tricks you can use to save money on a wedding photographer and still have a wonderful wedding album that you can treasure forever.
You might be wondering how wedding photography can cost £1,500 or more on average. Well, a lot of time, money, experience and effort goes into the production of a wedding album – more than you probably realise at first glance. The cost will include:
The years of training and experience behind them
Their knowledge and expertise
Their expensive equipment (including what they need for post-production)
Their time before, during and after the big day
Travel and other business expenses
Post-production and editing costs
Print release/copyright of your photographs (you’ll need to check with your photographer which is included – see below)
So, while you may spend a relatively short amount of time with your photographer on the day itself, the monumental amount of work they do behind the scenes contributes heavily towards the cost.
The good news is, there are plenty of ways you can significantly lower how much you pay for a photographer at your wedding. Below are 12 ways you can pay less but still have fabulous photographs of your special day.
1. Hire them using their hourly rate instead of a flat rate
All wedding photographers tend to advertise a flat rate, which will normally be a certain number of hours at a set fee. You can save money by asking them for their hourly rate and hiring them for fewer hours. Of course, you’ll want them there to capture the ceremony and then photos of you and your new spouse, plus your family and friends, but you could really cut how much you spend by forgoing photos of the breakfast, speeches and the evening reception. An added bonus is that if you hire a photographer for fewer hours, it’ll also help you to be more organised and avoid any time-consuming faff.
Photographers tend to offer set bundles or packages, which will normally involve an album and a certain amount of printed images. Settle for the basic package and then get creative by putting together your own wedding album, when you can spread the cost out during the months following your wedding. There are plenty of affordable albums available, which you can personalise with a little creative craftwork.
For example, Jacque Prates Photography in Derbyshire offers a basic ‘Fun Package’ which includes four to six hours of photography with prices starting from as little as £70 per hour.
3. Ask for photographer recommendations (which could lead to a discount)
Find out if your desired photographer will offer a discount based on a referral. Word of mouth dominates the wedding industry, so this is often the case with a lot of professional photographers. Always mention who it was who referred you in the first place. Remember, the worst they can say is no, but chances are they’ll be able to offer you something. Even a small saving, like 5%, will help when you have so many different vendors and services to pay for.
It’s the 21st century, and if you think about it, when was the last time you had actual physical photographs printed? Gone are the days of having to develop photos as the only option, with most of us having years’ worth of photos right there on our smartphones. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s not unreasonable to consider doing the same with your wedding photos? Then, you could have just one or two printed to frame and hang on the wall, and skip the physical album altogether to save hundreds.
On this note, though, there are several important points to be aware of. If you hire a professional photographer, but ask only for digital photos, when you take those images down to your instant local photo lab, what you get back might not be not what you imagined or even saw on your screen.
A professional photographer does more than send your photos out for printing to make it into a great print that can last a lifetime. This includes:
Retouching the final image, including the people and the background
Using calibrated monitor to make sure everything is true to life (including the colours, brightness, contrast and vibrancy)
Properly cropping the picture to fit the frame
Resizing the image based upon the desired dimensions
Sharpening the image for the printer depending on the surface it will be printed on (whether paper, wood or even metal)
Working with professional colour labs (to make sure the colour reproduction is true)
Choosing the right high-quality paper for the image
Read more on why your photographer should print your images here. The point is, if you’re trying to save money and want to print your wedding photos yourself, there are potential consequences and risks to consider.
5. Secure a print release rather than complete copyright
When choosing your wedding photographer, be sure to discuss the type of release they offer (complete copyright, vs a personal use/printing release) and how it aligns with your budget and needs. This clarity will help you plan your wedding budget effectively and nurture a positive and transparent relationship with your photographer.
If you’re budget-conscious, a personal use/printing release is more than enough to meet your wedding photo needs. It allows you to enjoy your photos without the added expense of purchasing complete copyright, which can be costly on top of the shooting fee. Some photographers may also offer high-quality prints and albums as an alternative, but this can be more expensive. Whichever option you choose, it’s always good practice to credit your photographer when sharing photos on social media – especially if the images aren’t watermarked – as a sign of appreciation for their work.
6. Book your photographer early (and in some cases…late)
Book as soon as you possibly can. Photographers will often have a discount for advanced bookings, which you can definitely utilise. Plus, if you wait until fairly close to the big day, photographers will know you’ll have very few options, which means you might have to pay higher-than-usual rates.
On the flip side, the opposite can also save you money, with many photographers offering great last-minute deals. Browse our range of photographers and filter by Bridebook special offers to view late availability. If you’re brave enough, this could save you as much as 30%. Of course, it doesn’t always guarantee that you’ll be able to find your number one choice, but it could be worth the risk.
7. Ask an aspiring photographer in your family to do the honours
Do you have a cousin studying photography at college or an uncle who once won a photography award? Ask them to snap some photos during the day and into the night so you don’t have to rely on paying a professional for more hours than you’d like to. You may not want to rely on an amateur photographer to take your official wedding photos, but whatever they capture should be able to complement them perfectly.
The photographer you hire will more than likely have a catchment area. If your wedding venue is outside of this area, you’ll have to pay additional travel (and maybe even accommodation) expenses, which can soon add up. Try to hire a photographer who has a catchment area that includes your venue so they don’t have to travel too far.
The only exception to this might be if you’re hiring a photographer who is based in London. London-based photographers tend to have higher rates than those outside the capital, so try to bear this in mind. Get some quotes and weigh up which is more in keeping with your budget.
When you hire a photographer, you’ll want to have confidence that they’ll be able to take perfect photos and have a full understanding of composition, lighting, framing and how to direct people, to capture the best photographs possible. A photographer with years of experience will be able to do this without any issues, but that experience comes at a cost.
A less experienced photographer will still be finding their feet, but they’ll have the developing skill, knowledge and understanding they need to still take brilliant photos. They just might be a little less confident and nervous. If you’re willing to take the risk, hiring an up-and-coming photographer is a great way to save hundreds of pounds.
10. Try to avoid having your wedding during peak times
The most popular time to get married is between April and September, and on weekends, which means professional photographers will always have higher rates during these times. The same applies to practically every supplier you’ll hire to be a part of your big day.
That means, if you get married outside of peak dates, you’ll pay less – way less. It might not be super convenient for you or your guests, but having the confidence to ask your guests to take a day of annual leave can save you an absolute ton of money – not just on your photographer, but on many other parts of your wedding, too.
January and February tend to be the cheapests month for a wedding, so if you don’t feel the cold, either of these months could be a great time to book your photographer. And on the off-chance there’s frost or snow, it’ll give you the opportunity to take unique wedding photos.
When browsing for photographers here on Bridebook, check out their seasonal offers to see what brilliant discounts they can offer when your wedding is during quieter times. Many give out amazing discounts on winter weddings in particular.
Sometimes, your chosen photographer will employ an assistant to work at your wedding to provide photographs from a variety of angles. While their assistant won’t be as experienced as them and will be an up-and-coming photographer who is still learning their craft, they can still add a hefty amount to the cost. Ask your photographer to work alone – and lower the cost at the same time.
12. Only shoot photos during and after the ceremony
Your wedding ceremony will only take around half an hour, so why not hire a photographer to only shoot the ceremony and then a few post-ceremony photos with close family? That way, they should only have to be at your wedding for a maximum of 90 minutes, but you’ll still have professional photos to remember the big day by. Even when photographers offer set packages, they’ll usually be open to working to your requirements if you’re after something bespoke.
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Choosing the right wedding photographer for you is absolutely crucial to ensure you have an amazing wedding album that you’re proud to leave out on the coffee table and show everyone who pops over. Your photo album will be a keepsake from your wedding that you’ll want to return to again and again, and may even cement itself as a family heirloom for your kids, grandkids and beyond. It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll use them as your profile pics on social media, too!
Every photographer is different, providing a unique way of stylising your wedding photos through framing, lighting, composition and more. Each professional photographer you consider will also have different rates, which will vary depending on a wide range of factors, such as experience and skill.
So, when it comes to budgeting for your wedding, how much might you expect to pay for a wedding photographer? In this post we’ll take a look at the average cost of a wedding photographer, what their rates include, and what you need to be aware of before your big day.
What’s the average price of a wedding photographer?
The price of a wedding photographer can vary wildly, but on average you can expect to pay around £1,300-£1,500. This may sound like a lot, but it’s important to remember that you’re not just paying for the photographer’s time on the big day. You’re also paying for their knowledge, skill and experience, as well as the work that goes into preparing for your wedding and the post-production afterwards.
What’s included in the price will depend on the package you choose. A basic package may include coverage on the day and your photographs on a USB, whereas a premium package will include this and much more. When making your decision, be prepared with the right questions to ask a wedding photographer to make sure you know exactly what your chosen package includes.
Depending on your choice, wedding photography packages may include many of the following:
A pre-wedding photography session
Coverage on the day
Post-production including photo editing
A second supporting photographer
Prints of your photos or digital download link
A physical wedding album
Printed canvases
A ‘best of the day’ video
Most photographers offer a range of packages for you to choose from, with optional extras that allow you to customise your package. For a rough idea of what to expect for your budget, check out the table below:
Budget
£3,000+
£1,500-£3,000
£1,000-£1,500
Under £1,000
What may be included
This can offer you up to two experienced wedding photographers to follow you for the duration of your wedding day and a premium, leather-bound album with wedding photographs carefully chosen by you with optional personalisations.
This can offer you up to two photographers for eight hours and a set of beautiful high-resolution images, or just one photographer, an album and an engagement shoot.
This can offer you one photographer for six hours along with an engagement shoot, with all photographs available to view and share via your own private online gallery (or less commonly today, on a USB stick).
This can offer you up to four hours of coverage, with all photographs available to view and share via your own private online gallery (or less commonly today, on a USB stick).
What factors can affect the cost of a wedding photographer?
While these are general, average UK wedding costs, there are plenty of other factors that can influence the cost of a wedding photographer. These include:
Your venue: How far does the photographer have to travel? Will they need to take public transport? Are you based in a major city or out in the country? All of these will affect how much a photographer costs.
Location: Where you are in the UK will impact costs. For example, photographers in London will be more expensive than those outside.
Multiple photographers: Having multiple photographers means you have full coverage of the day both from your perspective and the perspective of your guests. The more photographers there are the better the coverage will be, but the pricier it will be as well.
The date: During peak times, such as during the summer and at weekends, you can expect to pay more due to the higher demand. Many photographers are booked months (or even years) in advance during busier times of the year.
How long they’re needed: Are you only looking for photos of the ceremony itself, or the entire day, including the wedding breakfast and evening reception?
Equipment: Will they need additional lighting, multiple lenses, or even drones?
The level of post-production: After they shoot a wedding, the photographer will spend time editing your photos, such as adjusting lighting, cropping, or tweaking your Great Aunt’s eyes because she blinked.
The type of album: Many photographers will offer your options to customise your album, such as leather-bound covers.
What else should you be aware of when it comes to the cost of a wedding photographer?
As part of your package and one of the questions you should ask your photographer before hiring them for your wedding, find out what type of release they offer (complete copyright, vs a personal use/printing release) and how it aligns with your budget and needs.
By default, your photographer will own the copyright to your wedding photos. To buy the copyright for your photos later could end up being rather pricey – there are horror stories of newlyweds ending up paying hundreds or even thousands of pounds they hadn’t budgeted for. It’s rare, but something to be aware of before making your decision. And in all likelihood, you won’t need the copyright anyway.
In the vast majority of cases, a personal use license or printing release is more than enough to meet your wedding photo needs. It allows you to enjoy your photos (for example, print them at home, or share them on your own social media) without the added expense of purchasing complete copyright.
Whichever you go for, be sure to communicate with your photographer to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting. And in all cases, it’s always good practice to credit your photographer when sharing photos on social media – especially if the images aren’t watermarked – as a sign of appreciation for their work.
What level of experience can you expect for your budget?
As we’ve already covered, pricing structures vary between photographers. At Bridebook, we’ve got a huge directory of photographers that includes photographers to fit all budgets.
A more inexperienced photographer will likely be much cheaper than one who has photographed hundreds of weddings, which means there’s also more risk. Full-time wedding photographers – who rely on events like yours as their sole income – may also charge more than those who use it as a side hustle. But again, if they’re full-time then they’re likely to have more experience, too.
Check out the table below to get a rough idea of what to expect from your budget.
Budget
£3,000+
£1,500-£3,000
£1,000-£1,500
Under £1,000
Level of experience
You’ll get a luxury or master photographer, who is admired in the industry. They may also have a second photographer working with them who also has plenty of experience.
You’ll get a very experienced photographer with a unique style.
You’ll get a photographer with a developing style and an increasing level of experience.
You’ll get an enthusiastic but less experienced photographer, who should still be able to produce fantastic photographs.
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And if you’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding photographer, check out our expert money-saving tips to help your budget go as far as possible.
