Save £5k towards the cost of your wedding budget with our planning tips

If you're struggling to think of ways to save money towards your wedding day let Wedding Ideas help. With proper planning, it’s simpler than you think to save £5,000 by this time next year.

Working closely with your h2b, you can make a variety of simple sacrifices and savings in your everyday lives, so you can enjoy a beautiful wedding day without blowing the budget.

Start by setting a realistic wedding budget together and plan how much to spend on each area. Add up what you’ve already saved, anything that friends and family are giving you or doing for you, and estimate how much you can save by the wedding day itself (by using our handy ideas below!).

Our wedding budget planning guide is just a starting point, so pick and choose which 
of our ideas will work best for you. You’ll find it’s easier to make small changes than you think, and these could make a huge difference to your wedding budget over a year.

Start saving up your small change – every little helps towards your big day

Make savings

First off, open a special wedding account. Make regular savings by setting up a monthly direct debit that pays in a set amount right after you get paid. You’ll get more for your money if your account has a good interest rate – or pay the money into a special wedding savings account or ISA. And don’t be tempted to get cards on these accounts. If you both save just £50 per month, you’ll save £1,200 in a year.

Many couples also save their small change, like real bride Kirsty Nightingale: “My fiancé and I have started saving all of our small change – 5ps, 2ps and 1ps. At the end of every month, we take them to the bank and are getting about £40 each time!”

Make money

Next, get creative and think of ways to make extra make extra money for your budget. Arrange to do extra overtime at work or take on a part-time job. If you have a talent, use it – some brides make and sell cards, some register as a mystery shopper, some get involved in catalogue selling. Real bride Rachael Deeley (aka MrsRatcliffe2B on the Wedding Ideas forum) says: “Paul and I both joined a site called onepoll.com that gives you cash for filling in surveys – you get between 10p and 20p for each survey and once you get to £40, they send you a cheque, straight away!”

Another great way to make money is by selling unwanted possessions. Pam Speakes (aka pam4611) says: “I had a huge clear out and sold loads of clothes on eBay and our local flea market. So far, I’ve made about £400 towards the wedding budget by recycling all my old stuff!” Clear out your old clothes, DVDs, shoes and even gold and sell it at car boots sales, online sites, or to friends or colleagues.

Make better deals

Think again about your monthly spending. Sit down with your h2b, make a list of your monthly spending and look at ways of planning to cut the cost. You could visit an independent financial adviser and get advice about monthly expenses, budgeting, ISAs and your mortgage – you could discuss the benefits of switching mortgages, taking payment breaks and mortgage offsetting - all great ways to increase your wedding budget.

Then make sure you’re getting the best deal on the cost of gas, electricity, car insurance and home insurance – you could save up to £100 on each one. Online deals are the best. While you’re at it, look at your mobile phone contract and your TV package. Real bride Kerrie White says: “We switched 
to one package for digital TV, internet and phone, saving us at least £10 a month. A simple move that added £120 to our budget”

Make day-to-day cuts

There are plenty of other day-to-day extras that you can cut back. Switch takeaway coffees for hot drinks at work for example, and shop-bought lunches for packed lunches. Cut the cost of travel by reducing the number of trips, or switch from car to bus, train or bike, or car share, run or walk more. One of the most expensive extras is smoking, so cutting down or stopping will save you a huge amount – if you are a 20-a-day smoker could save around £2,000 per year towards your wedding budget!

Get wedding budget savvy at the supermarket, like real bride Jenny Lloyd: “We switched from branded products to value ones. There was no difference in taste, but their was in cost - we saved at least £5 on every shop.” Planning your meals will cut down on wasted food – sticking to a list will avoid BOGOFs that you don’t need. You could even grow your own vegetables and planning how to do it is great fun in itself.

If your weakness is the high street, set yourself a strict monthly budget and if you go out browsing, leave your purse behind so you’re not tempted. If you see something you like, delay buying it for a couple of days. In most cases, the excitement would have worn off and you won’t want it anymore, meaning more money towards your wedding budget!

There are also cheaper ways to socialise – staying in is the new going out! And when you do go out, try taking only a set amount of cash with you, or get discounts on nights out by exchanging Nectar points or finding vouchers online.

In the pub, try alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks, don’t stay as long as usual, or just don’t buy rounds. If your friends 
are really friends, they will understand you’re saving for something 
much more important.

Money talk

We spoke to relationship and psychosexual therapist Denise Knowles to find out how to manage your money relationship…

“The first thing you must do is work out a budget,” says Denise. “Money and finance is something you will need to deal with throughout your married life, so it’s best to start off on the right foot now.” This may well be the day you’ve dreamed about since you were a little girl but make sure you keep your groom involved, warns Denise. “The bride sometimes needs to learn the art of compromise – something that will stand you in good stead for later life.”

Denise also thinks that parents should think about contributing to the ‘couple’ rather than the ‘day’ to cut down on disagreements about how the wedding budget should be spent. “That way, they won’t feel as if they have to buy a certain thing,” says Denise. “Ultimately, when it comes to money, it’s best to talk about things sooner rather than later, so if you haven’t already had the conversation, do it now!”

Find out more about Denise, her past work with Relate and her couples counselling service at emotionalinsights.co.uk

Real savings

How these brides have been savvy with their spending…

• “All year round I tried to collect things that would add glitz and glamour to our reception, without spending a lot of money in one go.” - Stephanie
• “I saved money for my wedding budget by making my own delicious chocolate fudge cake!” - Carolyn
• “I found bargains online and asked a friend in America to pick up extra bits for me.” - Sophie
• “I bought my bridesmaids’ dresses from the high street. They wore beautiful BHS gowns that didn’t cost the earth and they looked fab!” - Louise

What the experts say...

James Hillon, who manages savings at The Co-operative Bank, offers his top five tips on the best way to budget…

James Hillon - manager at The Co-operative Bank

1. Begin with a budget - Your budget should include a list of intended expenditure for each item as this will enable you to carefully control and monitor each and every cost.

2. Figure out what’s important - Make sure you prioritise – decide what you both can and can’t live without on your big day and align your budget accordingly.

3. Don’t be afraid to negotiate - At certain times of the year, traditionally October to May, companies can be quieter, so use this as your incentive to negotiate a better deal for their services.

4. Protect your presents - Many couples run the risk of being underinsured once they receive their gifts, so make sure you’re covered with appropriate wedding insurance.

5. Be savvy savers - Invest any money you receive wisely. Use it to add value to your current home, put down a deposit on a new property or invest it in a fixed term investment that will reap the rewards in later life. Find out more at co-operative.coop

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