I’m sure it comes as no surprise that weddings can be costly. Everyone wants their wedding day to be the best, no matter what your budget you can make that happen with some proper planning. Kevin Brown, savings specialist at Scottish Friendly, offers his top tips for creating your dream wedding on a budget:
Top tips for a dream wedding on a budget
Start saving early
To keep saving feeling manageable, it’s a good idea to set some cash aside well before it feels like a priority. Get into the habit of making a few small, simple changes to your lifestyle, like cancelling subscriptions you rarely use or swapping the odd night out for a night in. Though these individual savings may seem insignificant, they will build up over time - often without you even noticing - and accumulate to form a nice sum.
Put your savings to work
Once you’ve got into a routine of cutting a few simple costs, you could put the cash saved into a dedicated savings account. This should help stop any accidental spending and you’ll benefit from any added interest, and tax exemptions, on your savings, too, giving you a welcome boost towards your big day.
Try, also, setting up a standing order to go out as soon as you get paid each month, moving the money straight into your savings account so that you don’t get the chance to miss it.
Recruit help from your friends
By the time you’ve arranged all the necessary extras, such as the photographer, the wedding bill may already be looking pretty hefty. But this doesn’t need to be your biggest expense. Ask around to see if your friends and family might be able to lend a hand. If you know a whiz in the kitchen, see if they can help by making the wedding cake. Perhaps you know a gifted musician? Ask if they’d be willing to give a live performance.
Friends and family will more than lik
ely be honoured to help with and be part of your special day, and probably won’t charge you much (if at all) for their presence.
Don’t pay the price of ‘brand new’
Contrary to popular belief (perpetuated by coverage of high-profile weddings), you don’t really need a brand new, custom made gown to have the perfect day. Search online for second-hand or vintage items (be that clothing, or decorative) from sellers’ own weddings. It’s likely these items will only have been used once before and, if they were good enough for the bride or groom selling them, they’ll probably be good enough for you – for half the original price.
To find out more about Scottish Friendly and saving for your dream wedding visit here.
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