SO lots of you may know that Tom and I got married around a year and a half ago. Getting married was something I’d never really planned for my future, I’d never dreamt of my wedding day and it wasn’t important to me if Tom & I got hitched or not HOWEVER when Tom proposed I was going to say yes because it was a lovely gesture and if I was ever going to marry anyone it was going to be him. However, there was no way I was going to be spending thousands on this so budget wedding planning here I come.
Budget Wedding Planning
That all being said when it came to our wedding day, honestly? It truly was one of the best days of my life. I couldn’t have imagined how I would feel on that day and although I’d often said to friends that if I was going to get married I’d rather elope, when it came down to it one of the things that made the day so special was just feeling so loved by our friends and family. I couldn’t have even imagined how thankful I would feel to have so many people care for us and to genuinely feel happy for us being a couple and a family.
I spent a lot of my life feeling pretty insecure and unpopular, I never really believed in myself and although I had a couple of close friends during that time I found it really hard form friendships and to be confident within them. My mid to late twenties (I’m thirty now remember, ah!) were the years that really formed me and during them I made some amazing friendships and Tom and I also made friends together. During this time I felt like I really found my ‘village’ and I speak to many of these people more than I speak to my own family.
The overwhelming feeling I had getting married was ‘wow we are so lucky to have this life and these people in it’ so although it was a day for me and Tom it definitely wouldn’t have been the day it was without the people that came to celebrate it with us.
Two Thousand Pound Budget
Our wedding cost £2k (which we were kindly given by Tom’s parents btw) without adding on my wedding dress, I say without my dress because there was a bit of a fiasco with that and it ended up costing me LOTS more than it should have ugh…that was not great budget wedding planning but I’ll save that story for another day (basically I got it from American and did not think about custom charges ah!)
Anyway, the reason why we were able to keep costs so low was that again our AMAZING friends pitched in and helped us make so many of the elements. As well as that, we bought a lot of the items from places that sell more unique pieces but a little less costly.
So if you’re planning a wedding then why not check out some of these ideas? (p.s we got the stamp from here)
Budget Wedding Ideas
Planning a wedding on a budget? Honey, I’ve been there, and let me tell you, it’s like trying to squeeze into your pre-baby jeans — a struggle, but oh-so-satisfying when you button them up! So gather ‘round, because I’m about to share some real talk on how to plan your big day without it costing the earth.
First up, let’s talk venue. We all dream of a fairy-tale setting, but castle weddings aren’t in everyone’s realm. Guess what? Local gems often have just as much charm. Think family-owned restaurants, community halls, or even a friend’s garden. Our venue was the upstairs room of our local pub, it was free, it had hard parquet flooring and we loved it.
Now, flowers. They can take a huge chunk of your budget, right? We had fakes! A friend made all our flowers out of pastel crepe paper!
The dress — oh, the dress. I’ve found high-street wedding dresses that’ll make you feel all the feels without the eye-watering price tag. And don’t forget vintage shops. One bride I know snagged a vintage gown; she looked like a Hollywood starlet, and truly, the dress couldn’t have been more ‘her’ if it tried.
Lastly, let’s not forget the power of the potluck. A dear friend had a potluck wedding buffet and it was honestly one of the best feasts I’ve ever had. Everyone brought a dish, from Auntie’s famous casserole to your coworker’s divine cupcakes, and it all came together like a community patchwork quilt of deliciousness.
We actually had pizza for the meal at our wedding, we held it in the upstairs room of our local pub so they brought up the pizzas for each table for people to just grab a slice and tuck in. We were lent a beautiful set of vintage china and drank fizz in the tea cups! I love the idea of people bringing a dish and everyone just tucking in and getting to know each other.
So, remember, a budget wedding doesn’t mean skimping on love. It just means getting creative, having fun, and, most importantly, celebrating your love story your way. Cheers to that! 🥂✨
Actually writing this post has made me realise I forgot to share the second half of my wedding photos! I think because I was pregnant when we got them and I was so sick for months it completely slipped my mind so if you’d like to see them (over a year later!) do let me know and I’ll write up a proper post 🙂
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