Top 10 Budget Saving Tips

Weddings are expensive, but you don't have to spend a fortune.

These top 10 tips are sure to save you money where you can:

1. Book your venue out of season. The most popular months to get married are from May until September. You can save yourself a fortune by having a wedding in November, December, January or February.
2. Check the 'Special Offers' or package deals your chosen venue has on their website or enquire over the phone. Sometimes venues have dates with no marriages on that particular day so they will offer a good deal or rate for certain dates they can't fill. Often, these dates are within a month, a month away or only a couple of months away. So be ready with your invites!
3. Limit your numbers. Cut down your guest-list to minimise costs.
4. Keep an eye out for good deals, offers and sales. You can save a lot of money by waiting for a good deal. I got my wedding dress for £525 rather than £975 because it was in the sale. 
5.  DIY - By hiring a village hall and decorating the venue yourself can save you a lot of money. The price to hire out a hall is normally less than £500 and most of them come with a bar and chairs. Make your invitations yourself, do your own makeup, your bouquets, buttonholes, invitations etc.
6. Consider asking friends and family to help contribute to the cost of their suits or dresses.
7. Have your wedding day on a week day. Saturday's, Sunday's and Friday's tend to be the most popular days, as it means that people do not have to take time off work, so they tend to be more expensive than say on a Monday.
8. Use whoever you can to help. Are any of your friends or family members good at making cakes?are they good photographers? Can someone do your hair for you? 
9. Haggle on everything. The worst the company can say is 'No' and just by asking a simple question like "Is that the best possible price you can give?" can save you as much money as you are able to haggle their socks off for! Trust me, these companies are used to haggling, they probably do it to their own suppliers and vice versa all the time. Business is business after all!
10. Sometimes package deals are really great value. Some come with added extras such as toastmasters, dj's, wedding cakes, chair sashes and covers, photographers - all of which can sometimes work out cheaper than booking them separately. Another tip is to use the venues' suppliers as quite a lot of the time they give reduced rates to couples that have booked the venue. Just make sure you compare the current prices of other companies and make sure you are getting the best possible deal.