A Budget Wedding

I've decided to do a short wedding series on how I'm saving money whilst planning our wedding. Arguably, for some this wont be a 'budget' wedding, as my total value aim is for £12,000, and I've seen many articles over time where brides have managed create their big day on just a few grand. However I'd like to think of mine as not noticeably being done on a shoestring. We have one of the classiest venues in our local town, which is where the bulk of the money has gone, and something we definitely haven't scrimped on. Other things, I definitely could have splashed out double, triple the price, but I chose wisely. I think the key to making a wedding look like you haven't scrimped is to mix budget purchases with higher quality items.

When I first got engaged, I didn't have a clue on what the average value of each area of a wedding was, so I did lots of research and took 5 'average' prices of any one thing. This guide then helped me to see if I was paying over the odds. I referred back to this guide a few days ago and realised there were only two areas that I hit the average price for (and they were the venue & honeymoon - no surprise there!). So far, everything else I'm under budget for.

I've been planning for almost 13 months now, so I've managed to learn a few tips and tricks in order to keep costs down.

• Amazon/Ebay is your friend! Anything you think about buying, ask yourself 'can I find it on Amazon/Ebay for cheaper?' The answer is probably yes. 
• Don't always go to official bridal shops for suits, bridesmaids dresses etc. Because they are dedicated to weddings, so you will pay the price. So many shops now stock maxi dresses (which seem to be the common length now for bridesmaids).
• Browse your local marketplace on facebook for wedding bargains. A lot of items being sold are decorative ones for your venue which you will probably never use again, so why pay the earth? I managed to pick up a vintage cream suitcase which I have since decorated, and turned it into a card box. 
• Sign up to survey sites. Sometimes, its the little things that add up, and before you know it, you've spent £100 on essential but cheap items. I cashed out £100 just before Christmas and spent the lot on Amazon on numerous essential items, including flower girl gifts. It gives you such a buzz knowing that in a way, you got these things for 'free'.
• Talk to your friends. I've got so many recommendations from friends, some I may have listened to, others, not so much. But some of my friends have been a great source of information throughout this planning stage.

When I first started planning, I had all these grand (but yet fairly unrealistic) ideas (I blame Pinterest!). However as the months have ticked by, my standards have definitely decreased and things that I was almost going to spend £100+ on, I 'downgraded' the item and spent just a mere £20. I ask myself if my guests will even notice that I've spent a large amount of money on something, and chances are, they won't. 

I'm obviously going to have to be selective on the content I produce because I'm still yet to have my wedding, and don't want to be revealing too many details, just in case any guests are reading, but over the next few months, I will show you how I kept costs down for our wedding, in the hope of saving you some pennies too!