Your wedding will be one of the most special and romantic days of your life. However, it can also be the most expensive day of your life! A lot of money goes into putting together a wedding, from the dress to the venue (check out Carden Park near Chester) to the catering to the entertainment and so much more.

You want your day to be romantic, beautiful and meaningful – but you don’t want to go bankrupt hosting this event. So, how can you save money on your big day? There are many ways that you can cut back costs so that your wedding isn’t as expensive. Here are some tips for saving money:

Ways to Cut Wedding Costs

• Don’t get married on a Saturday. Many venues will give you a discount if you book on another day instead, such as Friday or Sunday. Make sure that you give your guests plenty of notice so that they can book the time off work.
• Give yourself a lot of time to plan the wedding so that you can shop around for the best possible deal. It’s fine to be engaged for a year or even two while you put together your wedding. There are many wedding venues in Cheshire and the surrounding area to consider before you make your choice.
• Consider not getting married in the peak season. If you can schedule your wedding for spring or autumn instead, you’ll still have nice weather but you can enjoy cheaper prices.
• Find a venue that doesn’t require you to use a specific vendor for your catering, bartending, DJ, etc. You will save a lot of money by being able to shop around for your own.
• Think about having your ceremony and reception in the same room. The guests will sit at their tables and you will be able to start the cocktail hour right after the ceremony. This will save a lot of money on transporting the bridal party and booking two separate venues.
• Instead of having a sit-down dinner meal at your wedding, consider having an evening wedding and serving hors d’oeuvres which will also save you money.
• Instead of paying for a real fancy wedding cake, have a baker make a fake cardboard one with the top layer real for cutting. Then, have basic sheet cakes in the back that will be served to your guests.
• In fact, you don’t even have to have a cake if you don’t want to. Have a different dessert that your guests will love such as a chocolate fountain, a cookie bar or mini sweet pies.
• Choose a venue that is already gorgeous so that you will not have to spend a lot of money on décor.
• Instead of getting palladium opt for something cheaper like platinum wedding rings.
• Consider using fake flowers rather than real ones. They will be less expensive and these days artificial flowers can look just as gorgeous as the real thing.
• Think about wearing an off the rack wedding gown rather than having one made for you, if you can find one you like.
• Or, think about a used wedding dress instead. Many brides sell their gowns when they are finished with them and if you don’t mind wearing second hand you can get a great bargain.
• Think about looking for a white dress that isn’t necessarily a wedding gown. You could buy it from a formal dress shop for a much cheaper price than a wedding shop.
• Use more greenery than flowers in your decorations.
• Consider swapping out costly flowers for cheaper ones. Less expensive flowers that are in season and readily available can be just as beautiful as exotic ones.
• You might want to consider skipping floral décor entirely. You might be surprised to find that your guests don’t even notice.
• Try to reduce your guest list as much as possible and invite only the essential people in a small and intimate wedding.
• Have larger tables so that you will need fewer tablecloths and centrepieces.
• Borrow as much as you can second hand, especially if you have friends who have just gotten married a few years before.
• Think carefully before you go too much DIY. Sometimes buying all of the materials yourself and spending the time on the project will cost you more than hiring someone else to make or do it instead.

Keep these tips in mind to save your hard earned money when planning your special day.