At this stage, you have probably secured the booking for a beautiful wedding venue, as these will need to be booked well in advance. Getting married is one of the biggest days in any new couple’s life, and meticulous planning is required to make it as memorable as possible. The more extravagant the wedding, the more it is likely going to cost. However, there are smart steps you can take to lower the total cost and still make it a day that any guests attending won’t forget anytime soon.

Reducing costs isn’t only an option for those hiring the venue hall, as anyone who owns and manages the event can also save money on a number of different commercial insurance policies. Business insurance can easily be compared online at Utility Saving Expert. Here you’ll find cover for Public Liability and Commercial Properties amongst others. As you’ll be hosting hundreds of guests throughout the calendar year, it’s Important to have the appropriate level of cover at the most competitive price.

Here are some practical tips you can use to reduce your wedding costs:

Send digital invitations

Commissioning a design and print team to produce a batch of professionally created wedding invitations isn’t cheap. Going digital might just provide a neat solution, as you can send electronic invitations to your guests.

Some couples are even considering the idea of creating a website to inform guests about the wedding. Now you may be thinking that this will cost even more, but it could actually work out far more cost effective. Using online website builders such as Squarespace or Wix can easily allow you to select a template, colour scheme and upload photos without having any previous coding knowledge. This modern solution even allows you to keep guests updated, and you’ll no longer have to pay for printing and postage costs.

The website could even allow attending guests to upload pictures and post comments after the event has concluded.

Guests can capture the moment

Hiring a professional photographer to capture the big day can be costly, we’re not saying that you shouldn’t do this, as it’s very important to have high quality photos.

What may be an option is to only use the photographer for all the key moments such as cutting the cake and throwing the bouquet of flowers. Paying for a photographer to be there for every hour of the day will add up. One suggestion could be asking guests to take photos of themselves and others during the evening and sending them to you later.

Modern smartphone photography has evolved greatly over the past five years, and often a number of phones can closely match high end mirrorless or DSLR cameras. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results, and It’s worth checking out some online comparison videos on YouTube to see what you can expect.

Choose a buffet over a traditional sit-down meal

After the venue booking, catering is another big area that will take up a large portion of your budget. This is where a buffet might provide an interesting option, as it costs around £12 to £20 per head. Some caterers will charge even more than this, so it’s worth considering multiple options to balance quality food with affordable cost.

It is estimated that a buffet could save you around 30% on your food related costs compared to a traditional sit-down meal.

Buy less flowers

You can reduce the amount you’ll need to spend on flowers by considering non-floral table centrepieces. For example, having tall candles with multi-coloured marble stones at each table can create a scenic atmosphere.

Sometimes less is more, having a singular flower in the middle of each table can also leave a big impression.

Hire semi-professional musicians

Hiring a musician or a band will liven things up at any event, and this is no different for weddings. Fortunately, you don’t have to hire the biggest name you can afford.

Searching for local talent is one creative way to ensure your event still has great sounding music. You could even see if colleges and universities in your town or city have students with a musical talent, some may even be studying the subject. Not only will this help you save money, but you’ll be giving them a great opportunity to showcase what they can do. Remember to carry out auditions or see them perform live beforehand.

Book a DJ

If you’d rather select a number of songs to be played at your wedding, hiring a DJ instead of a band can really help. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting as you’ve likely heard most of the songs before.

A DJ will allow you to play some of your favourite songs at key moments, some may even want their guests to suggest song requests before the big day.

In conclusion, weddings are something most couples look forward to for a very long time, so it’s important to make it the dream day that you’ve always envisioned. It’s easy to get carried away with extravagance, but you can use some of these steps to save money and still make it memorable for everyone involved.