Budget
Save money on your wedding: 5 ways that work
Updated on 28/10/2026
Saving on a wedding rarely means doing without. It usually means deciding where the money matters most and checking every line once more. Here are five ways to start.
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The 5 ways
- Choose a weekday or the off-season.
- Go through the guest list once more.
- Pick seasonal flowers.
- Ask several suppliers for a quote.
- Decide first what matters most to you.
Why these five
Catering and venue hire are the biggest lines of a wedding budget. In our £28,500 example for 90 guests, they come to £14,922, just over half. A weekday or off-season date can change the venue side, and a shorter guest list changes the catering side, because catering follows the number of covers.
Asking several suppliers for a quote lets you compare before you commit, and choosing seasonal flowers keeps the décor line in check. Deciding first what matters most to you makes every other choice easier.
Keep your totals in view
Whatever you change, keep every line on one page so you can see what is already allocated, and keep a contingency line of about 5% for small surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the biggest saving usually found?
In our £28,500 example, catering and venue hire come to just over half of the budget, so the guest list and the date have the biggest effect.
Why decide your priorities first?
So you spend on what matters most to you and trim the rest.