Bride On A Budget Top Tips!

With family finances becoming increasingly squeezed, a wedding can seem like an expense which just adds to the pressure of day to day budgeting. On Saturday 25th March, engaged couples were welcomed to the Sovereign Shopping Centre to discover how to make their wedding day a memorable occassion whilst keeping the costs to a minimum.

Local businesses took part in the Bride On A Budget event showcasing a varitey of wedding essentials and additions to add to the atmospher on the day.

Luke Woods who offers virtual reality wedding videos comments, “As a man who is planning his own wedding – men do leave it till last minute – I am finding that having friends and family all over the world and in varying states of health cannot all make it to a tiny 14th C Manor church in a deepest greenest rural dorset. I hope my solution can work so well for me as it will for my clients.

VR Wedding Video – my friends in Russia, some of my comrades injured in Afghanistan who cannot travel or walk around on country lanes. And some people who could spend £3-4k on flights and hotel. They can all see it and in better detail than if they were there – and me and my bride can see ourselves whoever we wish to with 2 clicks. RELIVE THE LOVE is the motto.”

On the day, wether you decide on a band or DJ for entertainment will hugely impact your budget but can have a real impact on the overall feel of the day.

Jay Smith of Zest Music who offers wedding discos comments, “Your wedding is YOUR special day and the music is so important. Let your DJ know the type of music you like so they can fill in with similar tracks and make the day even more unique to you.”

Food is another important factor which can hugely vary in price. Should you have a sit down meal or would your budget be better suited to a buffet where people have options about what they’d like to eat?

Erika Sloper, Food Service Manager at Crumbs comments, “When planning a wedding on a budget, there’s no need to compromise on the quality of food. Crumbs will always meet the client needs. Your wedding day is unique to you, a day to remember and budget should not be a barrier. Booking a venue and designing the space yourself could be more enjoyable.”

When it comes to decoration, it can be so easy to spend a lot of money getting every detail exactly how you’d like and budget can be an afterthought. If you get the key decorative items in place then the rest will follow.

Claire Smith of Bottom of the Garden Flowers comments, “Use seasonl flowers as it helps reduce the cost and where possible use locally sourced. Any good florist will be able to advise you on colours and availability and a means to achieve the look you desire at a cost you can more easily afford. Above all, be honest – Pinterest has a lot to answer for and makes people have sometimes totally unrealistic expectations on costs. There is nothing to be ashamed of in saying you can’t afford something.”

Liz Cutler of Instyle Feature Hire comments, “The finishing touches can soon add up. At Instyle we offer free decoration hire when booking various features. The sweet cart, for example, can be dressed up with free bunting and floral arrangements in numerous styles to suit your wedding colour scheme.”

Also important for your big day is your skin as this can have such an impact on your confidence on the day. Skin preparation must start long before your wedding day. Lynne Henderson of Mary Kay Cosmetics comments, “Prep your skin at least 4-8 weeks prior to your wedding day. You need to keep consistent with your cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising to ensure your skin is smooth and flawless for your big day… Great makeup sits on great skin.”

Don’t forget the kids. If the children at your wedding are kept entertained, it’ll be a more enjoyable experience for you and your guests! Colette from Cockatoo Make and Do comments, “Keep the children entertained with favour bags designed for children with various engaging activities.”

Bride On A Budget 2017

https://www.facebook.com/sovereignshoppingcentre/photos/a.1544924252185140.1073741879.159284714082441/1544924348851797/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/sovereignshoppingcentre/photos/a.1544924252185140.1073741879.159284714082441/1544924332185132/?type=3