Why Are Weddings So Expensive? And How `You Can Cut Back The Costs.

If you're engaged and in the process of planning your wedding you've probably done a quick google search for the average cost of a wedding to see how much you need to be saving towards your big day.

My recent search for the average cost of a wedding in 2023 gave the grand total of £19,184. Considering the average salary for UK workers in 2023 is £33,404 that's a pretty big chunk.

could WEDDING TRADITIONS be TO BLAME?

I believe the wedding industry - like most industries - capitalises on traditions. It's been said before; slap "wedding" at the start of it and the price doubles. Wedding cake, wedding dress, wedding venue, wedding flowers... you know its automatically going to cost more, and rightly so, traditional wedding dresses, cakes flowers etc, are literal art. They take a long time to craft and the creators behind them are usually highly skilled and deserve every penny.

But who's to say you have to stick to those wedding traditions, or at least all of them? Who says you have to get married at a traditional wedding venue with a big bouquet of fresh flowers, and bridesmaids in matching gowns? who says you have to have a 3 tier wedding cake and a party that goes on til late at night?

DITCHING TRADITIONS

Many couples are opting for non traditional weddings. Choosing to elope or have intimate and micro weddings instead of having big extravagant weddings. Having a non traditional wedding doesn't only give you the opportunity to get creative and find more affordable alternatives, non traditional weddings are how new wedding trends are set and can be even more exciting and beautiful that centuries old traditions.

Here are some wedding traditions that I love to see my clients ditch:

Big weddings

Weddings are for celebrating your love with your friends and family. However feeling obligated to invite distant relatives and friends you haven't seen in years may see you spend more, ultimately on a bigger venue, food and drinks. It may be hard to keep that guest list small, however it could make the difference between a £19,000 wedding and a 10,000 one or even less.

WEDDING CAKE

I love wedding cake, like LOVE it. However instead of forking out (pun intended) for a traditional multi-tiered wedding cake that takes months to make, many couples are looking for more modern, and less costly alternatives. Some of my favourite alternatives to wedding cakes are a macaron towers, brownie stacks, a selection of cakes and pastries, donuts... Pinterest is your friend.

wedding venue

Some of my favourite alternative wedding venues are: your local registry office, art galleries, Scottish highlands (in Scotland you can legally get married outdoors), your family back garden, local restaurants and bars. Contact your favourite restaurant and ask if they'd let you have a post wedding meal and celebration, you'd be surprised (that's how I booked our wedding reception venue).

wedding photography

This is one area I would highly recommend my couples to not skimp on. Wedding photography can take up a fair chunk of your budget, however, there's a way around it. Many couples feel they need the whole day documented by a professional photographer. I would instead recommend thinking about which parts of your wedding are most important to you and opting for partial coverage of your day. Some couples even opt for environmental portraits.