Wedding on a budget

Over the years I have noticed many brides and grooms moving away from the traditional wedding and sometimes this is due to a limited budget.

I often hear ''we've over spent on our budget'' ,and in this day and age that is easily done.

Here are my top 8 tips for saving money on your special day:

1. Book your wedding on a weekday this means that not only do you have the choice of a great venue still, but the dates are often free during the week in the peak summer. The focus is always on the weekend for many weddings and that impacts the prices. Plus, you are not restricted with choices from suppliers like DJ's, Stylists and Photographers. Thursdays and Fridays are very popular these days.

2 You can look for your wedding suppliers via websites like www.Bidvine.com and www.addtoevent.co.uk which means that suppliers can submit bids that match your budget.. They are still great suppliers but have availability that often they would like to fill. It works just like Booking.com great hotel rooms at a very discounted rate.

3 A wedding cake is usually very expensive however, you can order a cake at a reasonable price and add your own adornments. Alternatively, its very popular to have a naked cake which really cuts down on the cost due to no icing. You may want dummy tiers so not all the cake is edible.

4 The food is a huge part of the budget and many couples are opting for a Pig Roast, Barbeque or even a Fish and Chip Van and this will save so much money and your guests will adore the novelty. You can even book an ice cream van or crepe stand for deserts. Don't forget the sweet table the children (and adults) love it

5 Flowers have become a major part of a wedding over the years and a huge cost with bouquets and buttonholes bridesmaids posies etc. Don't be afraid to look for your flowers online they do an amazing range of artificial flowers. They look extremely lifelike and are a 3rd of the price. Plus they always look fresh at the start of the day and the end. It also means that you can keep them forever.

6 Table decorations and center pieces really are the finishing touches for the wedding breakfast and reception. These can be quite costly however, many brides have taken to making these themselves. There is a huge variety that can be purchased on line via amazon etc.. and you can create unique table decorations and center pieces at a fraction of the cost. Sometimes you can find Mother Nature offers up some beautiful options of greenery straight from the garden. Fruit can often provide a beautiful splash of colour with vibrant pinks and oranges.

7 You can reduce your photography costs on the day by simply booking your Photographer for under 6 hours this will often bring you into a smaller package price. Rather than have the photographer all evening you can book a Photobooth which creates great memories and fun for your guests. Alternatively, buy disposable cameras for your guests to take pictures instead.

8. Finally, when the wedding day is over remember that you can on sell these items on Ebay or Gumtree and get back some of your expenses. Great way to reduce your costs and ensure that all those wedding items get the opportunity to attend another event.