How to plan your dream wedding without breaking the bank

The average cost of a wedding was £21,000 in 2023, according to wedding planning app Bridebook, but that rose to £36,000 if you got married in London. So where can you cut back? “Ditch the wedding favours,” says Elizabeth Anderson in The Times; “these simply get left on the tables or thrown away. Extras such as flip-flops and blankets for sitting outside are also unlikely to be used.” Some couples are also foregoing a cake. With a multi-tier, professionally baked cake costing more than £1,600, it is an easy way to save money. Either opt for a store-bought cake you – or a talented family member or friend – decorate, or have no cake at all. 

When you are setting the date, consider that “going out of season can lead to serious savings”, Zoe Burke, editor of Hitched, told the Daily Express. Getting married midweek can slash your venue costs. The average venue will set you back £9,877, including catering, according to Bridebook. A Tuesday wedding cost an overall average of £16,273 last year. A brand-new designer wedding dress can cost thousands, but you can find a far cheaper option on the high street – or buy a “‘pre-loved’ dress”, says Matthew Jenkin in The Guardian. You can search online for second-hand dresses at StillWhite, or Oxfam has a whole section of its website dedicated to weddings, with dresses, accessories and suits. 

Cutting your guest list will help. The average couple spent £5,732 on catering for 89 guests last year: £64 a head. Also, look for a venue with in-house catering, as that saves an average £1,200, according to Anderson. 

Try 6 free issues of MoneyWeek today

Get unparalleled financial insight, analysis and expert opinion you can profit from.

Start your trial

Sign up for MoneyWeek’s free twice-daily newsletter.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Sign up

Ditch the wedding invitations   

When it comes to invitations, scrap the paper and opt for a wedding website instead. You’ll save hundreds of pounds as the websites are usually free. “You can use them to collate your guests’ emails and send out save-the-dates, invitations and thank-you cards,” says Alison Rios McCrone in Metro. “It’s also handy to have one place where attendees can source all the information they need about your big day, and you can easily keep track of everyone coming.” 

You can expect to pay around £1,500 for eight hours of a photographer’s time on the day, along with digital prints. Be wary of budget photographers charging £500 or less. “This tends to be the price bracket where photographers over-commit and underperform,” says Anderson. It makes sense to insure your big day. Wedding insurance will cover you if the venue goes bust or a supplier lets you down, but may not pay out if the bride or groom gets cold feet. A policy to cover a £20,000 wedding will cost around £150. Finally, if you’re a guest at a wedding, you can expect to spend an average £400, according to research by Aviva. Guests can cut costs by booking their travel in advance, car sharing and clubbing together with other guests to buy a gift. 

This article was first published in MoneyWeek's magazine. Enjoy exclusive early access to news, opinion and analysis from our team of financial experts with a MoneyWeek subscription.