Top 10 Thrifty Wedding Ideas

Top 10 Thrifty Wedding Ideas

Every couple wants their perfect wedding; however, you do not always need a large budget to make it special. In fact, opting for money-saving alternatives can make your wedding day much more intimate. Input from family and friends, homemade decorations and creative touches offer something more personal and will make your wedding day one to remember. For inspiration on how to save money on your big day, we have come up with ten thrifty wedding ideas to help you plan a beautiful wedding – without overspending on your budget.

1. Design your own invitations

Professionally designed wedding invitations look fantastic but they also cost a lot – especially if your guest list is particularly long. Thankfully, designing your own wedding invitations is much easier than you may realise. Websites such as Vistaprint have lots of lovely designs that you can choose from and you can even modify them to suit your wedding theme. Even better, they are also much more reasonably priced too!

2. Make your own bunting

Ask friends and family members to donate their unwanted clothing or old duvet covers so that you can hand make some bunting to decorate the wedding venue. All you need to do is select the right fabrics to complement your colour scheme and get sewing! Not only will it add a charming touch to your wedding venue, but it is also much cheaper than buying new wedding decorations.

3. Handmade table decorations

Rather than splashing out on expensive flowers or extravagant centrepieces, why not decorate the tables with jam jars and tea light candles? Simply ask your guests to save up their jars and buy a collection of tea lights to fill them with. Then get creative and add string, lace or whatever you want around the jar to make your own unique table features.

4. Make your own bouquet

If you do not have the budget for an expensive bouquet, why not grow your own flowers and make it yourself? Take inspiration from the magazines to see which flowers and colour schemes you like the best, then go out and buy the relevant seeds. Not only will you save yourself a lot of money, but it will also be a fun project that you can be proud of. Just make sure that the date of your wedding is the right season for your flowers to blossom.

5. Utilise the talent of your guests

If you have a best friend who is a photographer, an aunty who bakes or a cousin who is a professional make-up artist, then ask them if they could use their talents instead of buying you a gift. It could help to save a lot on your wedding budget and also take the pressure off friends and family having to find a suitable gift.

6. Ask for a honeymoon donation instead of a gift

Buying the perfect wedding gift for the bride and groom can be quite stressful and often you end up receiving gifts that you do not need. Rather than letting your guests worry about what to buy you, why not ask them to make a simple donation towards your honeymoon? That way, you do not have to save extra money from your wedding budget and you can just book your honeymoon once you how much money you have received!

7. Consider a second-hand wedding dress

Finding the perfect wedding dress is an important part of any bride’s day, however, it can also be one of the most expensive. Brand new wedding dresses often cost thousands of pounds, which is a lot of money when you are on a smaller budget. Thankfully, there are lots of beautiful dresses available to rent or buy second-hand and at a fraction of the price. You just need to look in the right places until you find the perfect one.

8. Get creative with wedding favours

Whilst favours are a common wedding tradition, they do not need to be an expensive one. All you need is a small gesture to thank your wedding guests for being there on your big day. Rather than splashing out on overpriced gifts, why not get creative and offer your guests something unique. Lots of couples provide bundles of sweets, recipe cards, jars of jam or even homemade cupcakes. You can be as creative as you like!

9. Hire your local band

Instead of hiring a professional wedding band, asking your local band to play at your reception will probably be a lot cheaper – and it is also great support for the local musicians. Your guests will already be socialising and having fun, so they won’t worry about what entertainment you provide – as long as there is some good music to sing and dance to.

10. Find new ways to feed your guests

Treating your guests to a sit-down meal is usually very costly; why not go for a buffet, a picnic or even a barbeque instead? It is something different and tasty and it would also be a lot easier on your budget too. Even better, you won’t have to worry too much about your guest’s dietary requirements, as everyone can just pick and choose what they want to eat.

Thrifty Wedding Tips - Blog - Bunting
Thrifty Wedding Tips - Blog - Simple Favours

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