The average wedding will cost you approximately £21,000 whilst the wedding planners themselves take a sizable cut of this fee. That is a significant sum eating into the budget of what is already going to be the most, or at least in the Top Five most, expensive days of your life.
No-one can deny the expertise of such companies and individuals, our hats truly go off to them. The ability to arrange a spectacular event, such as your wedding day, with charm and ease is impressive to say the least. With a knack for creativity and superhuman organisational skills, wedding planners can seem, and be, a necessity to many looking to ease the pressure of planning this momentous occasion. However, there are ways you can channel your inner planner to save yourself a small fortune and get the wedding of your dreams.
It is the start of a brand new year and that can mean a number of factors. A new weight-loss plan, quitting those nasty habits and reading more books are always top on the resolutions list, but there is a far more pressing matter at hand; you’re broke.
The festive period also happens to be one of the most romantic times of the year with many couples choosing Christmas as the ideal time to get engaged, but when January rolls round, so does the planning.
The costs are already beginning to mount up by there are many simple ways that you can become your own wedding planner:
Free online tools
You don’t have to go it alone. The internet has revolutionised our lives, we often don’t know what we would do without it, but there is more to it than cute animal videos and Facebook. The internet is a treasure-trove of wedding inspiration; delights that will suit every style of couple you can possibly think of, and more.
With a wedding site directory at your fingertips and more Pinterest mood boards than you can wave a bouquet at, online tools are often free and full of advice to guide you well on your way to marital bliss.
From seating planners to maintaining your budget, your planning is all in electronic form, neat, tidy accessible.
These online tools will become essential to your planning, but also make sure to take advantage of the online directories. Thousands and thousands of suppliers are listed and compared for your benefit, no matter where you live or when you’re getting married. You can filter by budget and relevance to book meetings; the Big Day sorted in no time.
Write everything down
Calendars, diaries and post it notes will become your best friend. Well, second best friend after the internet.
Whilst the internet has that sheer abundance of inspiration and the organisational skills only a robot can possess, a mixture of cyber space and good old fashioned note making will take you a long way.
Carry around a pad of post its to jot down addresses of venues and suppliers as well as all-sorts of inspiration that you see out and about. Make sure that pad stays with you at work, home and in-between sticking as you go to create a powerful trail of contacts and ideas.
A calendar or small diary dedicated to your wedding planning can also give a focused yet fun approach, keeping you calm and ahead of the game.
Enlist friends and family
Your friends and family are with you through thick and thin, so why not throw them headfirst into the whirlwind world of wedding planning. This is making us sound a little evil but there are a number of fun ways you can get your loved ones to help without filling them with dread.
Those imaginative parents who are handy with a glue gun can get their creative juices flowing with some beautiful invitations and all those little details that make a wedding complete. Your budding chef of a Gran can create canapés and nibbles fit for a royal wedding whilst your friends will be perfect at suggesting venues, locations and of course, the hen party/stag do.
Friends and family are always happy to help and including them as a vital part of your wedding will make the whole planning and Big Day itself that extra special.
Reward yourself and others
Whilst wedding planners reward themselves on a job well done, and a lovely fee, you can reward yourself in many different ways.
For example, the more you stay under budget, the more you should spend on yourself as a couple. Create a piggy bank to collect all funds saved and treat yourself to a honeymoon of a lifetime, your new home or split the funds and get each other something special as a surprise.
Staying on, or underneath, your budget has many advantages for yourselves but why not treat those guests too? With small and intimate occasions, you can give those attendees their very own token from the day, whether that’s a piece of jewellery or some posh chocs. For bigger fanfair style weddings, the jewellery option might work out a little too pricey. An amazing band, food and individual card creates a personalised touch for everyone.
