Clever tips and stylish wedding wins

Make your budget go further with these clever tips and stylish wedding wins

1. Transform your wedding day style with a multi-way dress

It’s a myth that you need to spend a lot to own a luxury wedding dress. There are many ways to get your hands on a cheaper wedding dress without compromising on quality…

1.     Know which stores to visit
There are many small and large bridal stores throughout the country that offer wedding dresses from as low as £99, such as WED2B. The dresses from these stores are generally of the same quality and similar design but lack the name and associated prestige of a well-known designer.
2.     The second-hand approach
Purchase a well-known designer’s dress for a fraction of the retail price. There are many websites available, such as Sell My Wedding Dress, Preloved and The Dressmarket.
3.     Find a bridal charity shop
Following on from the above point, consider looking for a nearby charity bridal shop. For example, both Oxfam and the Red Cross have bridal shops throughout the country. These stores are generally staffed by people with a huge amount of knowledge and experiences, so it’s definitely worth asking for their tips on how to accessorise your dress.

2. Put on your dancing shoes

There’s no rule that says you have to wear wedding shoes on your big day, and let’s be honest, the comfier the better as you'll be on your feet all day. Buy your shoes well in advance and wear them (with socks!) round the house before the big day. This may sound obvious, but it’s often over-looked outside of the world of hiking.

 3. Get wedding day ready with a free makeover

Doing-it-yourself may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you are thinking of make-up for your big day, but it is one option. Many local department stores offer tips or free beauty courses where you can learn a new skill or pick-up ideas from the professionals.

In addition to this, you could also reach out to a local college and see whether a student would be interested in doing your make-up free of charge. It may take a few phone calls, but it’s worth it if you’re trying to keep your budget down.
 

4. Ask a cheeky favour and you could travel in style!

Do you have a family member or family friend with a beautiful car? Why not ask if you can use it as your wedding day transport. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how keen people can be to pitch in and help (you’re also paying them a compliment!).

5. Arrange some bloomin' marvellous bouquets

Save money on your flowers by staying seasonal and local. Choose bigger blooms so you'll need fewer stems. African marigolds, gladiolus, ‘Stargazer' lilies or hydrangeas are all big, beautiful and will easily fill a room. Why not make your bouquet yourself?

6. Get your bake on!

Know someone who loves to bake? Or are you a GBBO super-fan? Baking your own cake is always an option. If you’d rather not worry about your making your own cake, consider a baked cake. Not only are they bang on trend, they can be considerably cheaper than the traditional alternative; a frosted cake.

Decorate your naked cake a couple of spare fresh flowers and you’re good to go!

 

This guide has been written by Josephine Parkhill, Creative Director & Head Designer at WED2B. Josephine is happiest when she’s able to tuck herself away and use her undivided attention to design glamourous new wedding gowns.