Wedding Luxe for less

Weddings are expensive.  

There is no way to sugarcoat it... BUT it will also be one of the most special, wonderful, magical and  memorable days of your life!  They say that the average wedding cost is approximately £22,000 (according to Brides Magazine January 2013), so you may be finding it a challenge to produce that dream wedding on a budget, especially with the cost of living today being so high. However, I do not believe in an 'average' wedding, every single wedding is special to the Bride & Groom & enjoyed by all of their guests whether it be a £5,000 day or a £100,000 day you just have to be clever in where your money goes.  You can still have your luxe wedding style on a lesser budget....

In order to keep your wedding luxe on a tighter budget concentrate on one element and make it fabulous!  If food is important to you both then spend your money on the food aspect.  Research event caterers, read their testimonials, ask for a tasting so that you can see their presentation.  Be innovative in your food choices.  For an informal feel you could have food stations, a BBQ or bowl food, all meaning guests can spend time mingling.  If you prefer a sit-down menu then make the menu more exciting and unique.  If you are renowned as a couple for loving Thai food then why not go for a Thai themed menu?  If you have an uncle that owns a lamb farm why not have his lamb as the main course?

If you love flowers and can't resist always having a fresh smelling bunch in your hallway then for your wedding really concentrate on making these the 'wow' factor.   (Be careful in what flowers you choose as flowers that don't bloom at the time of year of your wedding will be expensive to import).   

Fiona Leahy Design for Dior at Harry's Bar, London

Flowers can also be a great thing to get your family & friends involved in - spend the months before collecting bottles, jars and vases, order flowers from your local nursery / florist and spend the day before the wedding arranging them - this can be fun, builds excitement and gives it the real personal touch.  It is especially good for a vintage or an Al fresco themed wedding!

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Photography : Paper Antler

Floral Design: Sweet Pea Flowers

If you want something a bit different why not have paper flowers hung everywhere? These were hot on the scene in the summer.  Fiona Leahy produced a stunning array for Pandora Press Day and also Louis Vuitton was seen sporting a few at Vogue's Fashion night out.  These are something, if you are adventurous, that you can make yourself -  there is a great tutorial on youtube here or you can find lots of instructions and examples on pinterest.

Alternatively you could decorate your venue with candle light.  Candles are a cheaper option than flowers and once the sun starts to set they can create a phenomenal atmosphere..... (Do always check with your venue though for their rules & regulations on naked flames!)  Failing that carefully placed LED tealights and fairy lights can be just as stunning!

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I think these blue candlesticks are so fun and can easily convey the colour theme of your wedding.  

Source: Brides Magazine

These jars are so easy and cheap to produce yourself, ask family and friends to collect jam jars / mason jars and buy floating candles in bulk.  Tie some raffetta around the top to make them look more rustic or alternatively you could use ribbon in fitting with your colour scheme.  Place the candles around your venue and down your table and instantly your room will be transformed. Hell, go crazy the more the merrier!

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 The candles lit the way here for this happy couple to say their nuptials (in rather unique outfits!)  I love, love, LOVE the amount of candles in their different sized glasses mixed with the fresh rose petals.  Such a romantic hue!

Source inspiredbythis.com

The mixture of lighting and fresh flowers in this picture is divine, pure elegance!

If instead of decor, music is your thing then put your money into a fantastic band or an up to date DJ to really get people up on their feet!  Sometimes people have no idea where to start in searching for music, so talk to friends and ask for any recommendations. Ask the bands and DJs if they have videos on YouTube or if you can view them in action before you commit, this gives you a much better idea of what they will be like on the day - photos and a blurb on a website cannot get this across!  Make sure to tell the type of music that you and your guests like, they should be flexible and able to play this - if they're not going to play the music that you like then they aren't going to suit your wedding!

Source: pinterest

Whether you choose a DJ or a band ask them to double up as the MC for the evening - they can introduce your entrance as a married couple, ask people to be seated for the dinner, ask guests to get up on the floor dancing...etc! You will find some bands will only play 3 x 45 min slots and so for during dinner why not grab an ipod and pre-program it with a few playlists, this way you have nice background music without the huge added cost!

Overall in order to have a personal wedding that ticks your most important boxes, concentrate your effort onto those things that really matter rather than trying to spread your budget equally across all areas of the wedding.  Everybody has a dream wedding in mind however not many have the budget to produce it!  Compromises can be made on the quantity of things that you soend your money on, never the quality!  The one or two things that would truly make your day, make fabulous!!!  

At the end of the day remember - it is the company, not the venue, or the decor, or the food, that truly makes the atmosphere on your day!

K x