This is a collaborative post
Being frugal doesn’t mean you can’t splash out on big ticket items when you want to. Indeed it can often mean that you have the money in savings in order to do just that.
The thing is when you are used to saving money you are less likely to ‘splash out’ and more likely to make considered, careful purchases.
But what do frugal folk do when it comes to their own wedding? These days the average wedding cost in the UK is over £30,000!
That is a serious amount of money for what some might call just a big party and a piece of paper.
Weddings are one place where we are less likely to scrimp and save and more likely to splash out.
With parents getting involved in who to invite, what to include you can see why costs can quickly spiral.
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Our Frugal ish Wedding
Now it’s been a good few years since Mr2p and I got married and we were very lucky in that our parents helped with the cost.
But we did things with a frugal bent but not full out frugal as we weren’t that skilled in this area way back then.
Things we did to keep costs low included:
- Choosing to have our reception during the day only to save on costs.
- Not having a wedding car, instead my parents drove me to the registry office in their white family saloon (no ribbon as Mum forgot!).
- Mr2p wore his armed forces uniform
- We didn’t have favors on the table
- DD1 was our only bridesmaid
Frugal Tips For Your Wedding
If you are thinking of getting married in the next few years you would do very well to think about having a different type of wedding and keeping more of that £30,000 cost for yourselves.
If you could spend 1/6th of that on your wedding that would leave you with £25,000 to spend on something else. Or £25,000 less debt that you have to repay.
Here’s some suggestions to cut costs:
- Have a friend make your wedding cake (or buy it from the supermarket)
- Have just one or two bridesmaids, or none if that causes problems within your family
- Forgo a luxury wedding car, get a friend or family member with a nice car to drive you as their wedding present to you
- Have just one meal at your reception
- Hold your wedding on a weekday
- Have a smaller, more intimate wedding
- Be alternative and have your wedding breakfast in your favourite pub
- Forgo the big white dress and choose something you can wear again
If Money Were No Object
What type of wedding would I choose now if money were no object?
Because frugality is ingrained into me, I don’t think I could bring myself to spend an absolute ton of money on all the added extras that you can end up with at a wedding today.
One thing I probably would spend money on would be the venue. I think a country house location would be a beautiful place as a backdrop to have a wedding.
This website shows you the type of venue I’m thinking of. I love old buildings so having a wedding in an old manor house or stately home would be lovely.
But now that I’ve been frugal for so long I’m not sure how comfortable I would be spending unlimited money on a large wedding.
I’d have to try and squeeze a few frugal tricks into it somehow!
Last Updated on 16th September 2020 by Emma
