· Reception Venue - Look at local hotels and halls for your reception to cut down on travelling costs. Pick smaller, more intimate venues that will be cheaper to hire out. This might also mean you could spend a bit more on decorations and flowers for the room. Instead of having an open bar, arrange with the venue to have a glass of bucks fizz set out ready for when everyone arrives for the first toast, and then let people order and pay for their own drinks from then on.
· Food - A buffet is the cheapest way to feed everyone, and if you have a small wedding party you may want to provide a home cooked buffet with the help of a few friends or relatives. Remember people don't need anything fancy, but they will expect tasty, generous food.
· Cake - Cakes made by professional wedding services can be very expensive, so ask your friends and relatives if anyone has any baking skills, and whether they might be willing to make the cake for you. A simple single layer, white iced cake with a flower decoration top can look lovely, and as long as you have enough to give everyone a piece it can be made from any cake base, sponge, cheesecake, fruitcake etc...
· Outfits - Just pick outfits for the bride and groom and don't take on the expense of providing the main wedding party with matching outfits. Many of the main high street shops sell a good range off-the-rack wedding dresses for as little as L100, so spend some time shopping around and you should find one that suits you. If you are happy buying second hand dresses, you can find some amazing bargains on eBay and other online auction sites. Choose your approximate size, and then seek the services of a seamstress to make any necessary adjustments. Buying wedding dresses from bridal shops can be very expensive, and you may find the cheaper dresses (still not that cheap!) are very plain, and not as pretty as the high street options. For the groom, there are plenty of high street shops that sell suits, so you should be able to find something very smart and well fitted for around L100-200. Hope these Wedding Planning Tips help.
