Weddings can get extraordinarily expensive. Sure, that's not a hugely startling observation. Some are more expensive than others, of course. Who could forget the multi million affair that were Elizabeth Hurley's double weddings? Or Peter Andre and Katie Price's big budget, fairytale number? What with the horse drawn cinderella-style carriage, diamonte encrusted meringue-dress, and michelin star caterers, the whole event probably cost more than what the average Brit makes in a life time. It's a tad sick-making really. It seems to be the tradition for many families, to spend extortionate amounts on this one day. It's as though there is an unspoken belief that somehow the amount of money that gets thrown at a wedding ceremony is dircectly proportional to the amount of happiness present, perhaps this slightly skewed logic even extends as far as believing that the bigger the wedding, the longer the marriage will last...I think most of us can safely say that we know that just isn't the case. Dare i even mention Charles and the late Lady Diana...I did.
The fact is, that a happy day is down to everyone getting stuck in and pulling together, to the stories gained from things going a bit pear shaped, to the memories made in the process, and to the laughter, it has nothing to do with the price tag. I personally would feel uncomfortable spending such huge amounts or asking my parents to shell out that much on a single day in my life that is meant to be a gesture of my love for my partner, not a demonstration of how big our bank accounts are.
There are many ways to cut back the cost on your wedding day, and the following are just a few unique ideas to get you started:
1) You can buy a good quality high street dress for the day which you can then customise to your liking. Yes, I know this sounds a bit...well...cheap, but there really are some stunning dresses to be had out there that don't have Vivian Westwood in the label.
2)You could get friends and family to each be in charge of one thing at the wedding. If you know any one with an artsy streak for instance, get them to take the wedding photos. People like to have defining and important roles, they can then feel they're making a really worthy and appreciated contribution.
2)Why not cater your own wedding by getting friends to help you cook and make canapes? There are all sorts of ideas for wedding food in countless magazines, and with enough preparation, it should all go smoothly.
3)Finally, launch a
wedding lantern instead of having a firework display. It makes for a beautiful finale, and a cheaper one at that!
