Royal Wedding Ideas on a budget – Get your own royal look for less

Need some royal wedding ideas? Want Kate Middleton and Prince William’s lavish look without the price tag? Top UK wedding planners IDO show you how…

1. The official royal wedding website has an interactive map of the processional route Prince William and his bride will take. Why not tell your friends and family the important info of the day through your own wedding website?
2. Two choirs, one orchestra and two fanfare teams will perform the music at Westminster Abbey. To get a royal sound for less, ask your local church choir to sing as you enter the venue. Alternatively Bulldog Entertainment have a range of classical singers, opera singers and gospel choirs to choose from. Make sure you use the Wedding Ideas directory to find local suppliers as well.
3. Create a mood board of your own royal wedding ideas. That way you can see which things go together and which ones don’t, so you don’t waste any precious pennies.
4. Prince William may well have personalised bottles of Champagne for his guests. How about treating each table to a less expensive bottle but putting it in one of these fabulous boxes from Letterfest below right?

5. A big favourite at celebrity weddings is the dessert table. Prince William and Kate Middleton may well choose a local company to design a dessert table like the one above from Amy Atlas Events. To save money we recommend designing your own sweetie table instead. It’s a non-expensive way of adding a little extra to your day.
6. If your dream venue is just too expensive consider a mid-week wedding. It’s far more acceptable nowadays and don’t worry about whether people will attend, the ones that really matter will make sure that they do. Many venues advertise their savings for mid-week weddings, even spectacular ones like Ripley Castle.
7. It doesn’t have to be oysters, caviar and Chateaubriand. A big favourite of ours is to provide each table with a joint of meat and appoint a carver (complete with chef’s hat and apron). It is not expensive and it really gets your guests talking to each other.
8. If a full-on cocktail bar is out of the question why not create a signature wedding cocktail? Choose your favourite spirit and add a mixer that fits in with the colour scheme. Add little flags and give it a personalised name with memories from your relationship; you can even send your guests home with the recipe!
9. Kate will be followed down the aisle by cute flowergirls and pageboys. Dress your little darlings in Little Bevan below left. For a budget alternative try BHS or Tesco!
10. To make sure you walk down the aisle with a Princess ‘glow’ you need to be relaxed. If you can’t afford a top to toe treatment in a spa why not get a 5 Star spa brand to come to you. A lot of them offer classes in your home; you invite your bridesmaids and closest relatives or friends and receive tips and hints from the experts whilst giving yourself a luxury facial.

11. The tables at the reception in Buckingham Palace are sure to be elegant without being over the top. For royal wedding ideas that have a grand look without a grand price tag, why not hire bay trees, birdcages, flower pedestals and more like the one’s fom Lavenders of London above right.
12. If haute couture is out of your price range, take a look at websites like Sell My Wedding Dress. Most dresses are second hand and include top names like Philippa Lepley and Vera Wang. Both dresses are selling for around £1,500. You can choose by designer, size, style and even put requests on the site if you know the dress that you want. Alternatively, join the Wedding Ideas forum and search through the gowns for sale, or check out bridal boutique designer days and end of season sales and pick up a real bargain!
13. Highbrow conversation will be flowing at the Royal Wedding. To make sure your guests don’t get stuck for words why not put these conversation starter centrepieces (below left) from Vintage Twee on the table. They look absolutely stunning and are a fun twist.
14. Prince William and Kate Middleton have opted for a charity gift list. Many provide pretty pins that can be given to guests on the wedding day as favours.
15. William and Kate will have bespoke wedding stationery created for their big day. Keep costs down by choosing an off the shelf design and have it finished with your details.
16. We are sure that Kate will follow this old English wedding tradition and urge you to do the same…Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe.

17. We are guessing that Kate Middleton will opt for masses of flowers in cream tones; possibly bringing in sparkle or pearls for a really classic lavish look. Floristry is expensive so you might want to task a group of close friends or relatives to hit the flower market.
18. Kate is known for her natural, classical look and her wedding day make-up will no doubt follow this trend. Visit your local department store to get tips from the beauty counters. We love Bare Escentuals make-up for brides; their mineral veil is fabulous for a photo finish.
19. We kept costs down on one wedding cake and added a unique touch by asking the dress maker to create a sash identical to the one she was making for the dress. A friend made and iced the cake and we added the sash for the finishing touch. This little detail really brought the cake into the overall royal wedding theme. Take a look at more wedding cake ideas for inspiration.
20. You can pick up some amazing pieces of costume jewellery on the high street. They might not be the crown jewels but it is certainly possible to fake it and still look good. Try antique shops and charity shops for vintage-style brooches that can be added to table centres or bridesmaids’ sashes.

Looking for more royal wedding ideas?

Find more royal wedding ideas in our planning pages, and if you feel we’ve missed anything or would like to add your won, send us your comments below, we love talking about weddings!