Your wedding is one of the most special days of your life. But it is just one day, so should it cost you a small fortune? Thankfully not everyone thinks so, and it is becoming easier and easier to celebrate, no matter what your budget is.

Check out our huge list of money saving ideas below...

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Pick an Unpopular Day or Season

I've heard of couples who have saved thousands just by choosing a wedding date out of 'wedding season' or on a weekday.

Obviously, if you pick a weekday then you may have more guests unable to attend because they can't get time off work, but on the plus side that will save money too! And if you choose a Winter wedding, you have to take the weather into consideration when planning, but hey, no one can predict the weather at any time of year anyway. Check out our Top 10 ideas for a Winter Wedding.

Start Planning Early

The earlier the better! Once you have decided on your colours and theme, keep an eye on all of the seasonal sales to see if you can pick up any decor bits and pieces

By starting early this also gives you plenty of time to get crafty and do as much DIY wedding prep as you can (our favourite kind of prep!)

Create A Free Wedding Website

Invitations are so expensive! And nowadays it's so easy to create a gorgeous drag and drop website full of your information, that is totally unique to you.

Plenty of sites have free options for building a wedding website, including Say I Do, who have some amazing templates to choose from.

Elope

The more guests you invite, the more money you will inevitably end up spending. If it's something you would be happy with, then why not consider eloping and then maybe having a small gathering of friends and family when you get home.

It's not everyone's bag, but the amount of money you can save by having a very small and intimate ceremony means you can spend much more on the fun bit of the day. Or save it, it's up to you!

Buy Second Hand

So much stuff that gets bought for weddings only gets used once! What a waste. It doesn't have to be though, there are so many places where you can buy second hand wedding goodies, mostly in amazing condition, and you can save so much from doing so without anyone ever knowing they've been used before.

Also, when I say buy second hand I don't necessarily mean going down and rummaging through flea market stalls, hoping for a good find (although you can find some amazing stuff there!) - you could look for vintage jewellery and dresses on Etsy, upcycle some furniture from GumTree to display your decor on, check out sites like Sell My Wedding to find other Brides selling off their big day, and the list goes on...

For a full list of places to consider, check out Where to buy and sell used Wedding Decor

Prioritise

Do you really need those super expensive shoes if they're going to spend all night underneath your dress and hurting your feet? Does the cake really need to be 4 feet tall? Will every guest even use their bath bomb favours?

Obviously there are some little extra details you will want to keep to make your day unique, but make sure your budget is actually aligned with your expectations, and if it's not, make that list to see what you may be able to cut!

Look for Last Minute Deals

Even though it helps to plan ahead, there are some amazing last minute deals to be found. Look out for local venues, photographers, make up artists etc who have had last minute cancellations or suddenly have a spot open up as they may reduce their prices to get it filled.

There are sites dedicated to these last minute finds, like Cancelled Weddings in the UK.

Get creative with food

To cut food costs, the best thing to do is to create a food bar where your guests can serve themselves. It doesn't have to be a regular buffet though... think Taco bar, a selection of Pizzas,

Even better, if you think your family and friends would go for it, then why not do a pot luck and ask each one to bring their favourite dish and then you can feed everyone for free! All you need to provide is the tableware.

Use a garden or free outdoor space

If you're lucky to live somewhere with a big garden, or have someone close to you that does, then take full advantage for your big day! Hang up lots of fairy lights for magical evening lighting, or bunting for a country festival sort of feel, hire some chairs or hay bales, and maybe hire some marquees or tents to cover the food and dance areas.

If you don't have access to a private outdoor space, then check out your public parks and outdoor areas to see who may be happy to let you hold your celebration there.

Join some Wedding Facebook Groups

The amount of great discussions, tips, cheap items for sale, advice and ideas we see getting passed around in facebook groups on the regular is astounding! It's such a great place to speak to other brides and grooms going through the same kind of stuff as you, and it's a good place to get excited about all things wedding.

There are lots out there, but we have our own Cheap Wedding Decor Facebook Group, be sure to join it!

Streamers and Lights hanging up in trees for outdoor celebration

And of course, our favourite - DIY!

There is so much you can make yourself, and cut costs while doing so! Check out all of the different posts on our site for more info, look for tutorials on Youtube and scroll Pinterest for tonnes of inspiration. And good luck!

Do you have any other money saving or even money making ideas? Let us know in the comments below

How To Save Money on your Wedding