Getting hitched in the big smoke can be a whole lot of fun – and do a whole lot of damage to your wallet, equally. It may be the dream – you met in London, you’re both locals or you simply want to have a big city blowout, and only the biggest will do.
Whatever your reason for having a capital celebration, it needn’t mean you’re having to honeymoon in Croydon and eat beans and toast and for years afterwards. Yes, it really can be done on-the-cheap, and here’s how. These are our 10 IDEAL tips for a London wedding which doesn’t break the bank.
CONSIDER A WEEKDAY WEDDING
Sure, most want to get married on a Saturday, with guests reluctant to make a dent on their annual leave in the name of living it up for love. But consider a week day wedding as a great way to save money on venues – prices are generally at a premium at the weekend, especially in bigger cities, and cheaper during the week.
It’s also a neat little way to streamline the guest list (more of that later), separating the dedicated, loyal few from some of the inevitably larger attendance of a weekend wedding.
TIE THE KNOT IN THE LATE-AFTERNOON
A simple shift away from the traditional timings of a wedding, with the ‘I do’s going down in the late-afternoon, will lead to a far cheaper affair. You only have to feed your hungry guests once and you’ll need to hire a wedding for a significantly shorter period of time. It’s a no-brainer for those city-dwellers keen to keep the cost low.
ARRIVE IN STYLE
Transport in the capital is notoriously erratic – who would be foolish enough to rely on the tube to deliver them on time to such an important event? Equally, being on the bus in your dress isn’t a good look, and one fraught with the potential for fashion, with spillages, tears and dirt just a few of the pitfalls awaiting.
Moreover, if you’re unreasonably late, your venue may have to cancel and send everyone home so they can be on time for other ceremonies that may be taking place that day.
Therefore, a stress-free, on-trend arrival is a worthy investment, and one which the budget should allow for. Smart City Weddings offer classy yet affordable cars, with drivers who know how to exploit London’s shortcuts to get you to your wedding in time and in style.
CHOOSE A UNIQUE VENUE
The scope for unique venues with oodles of personality at a fraction of the cost of a traditional one is massively high in London. The capital has plenty to offer in terms of leftfield wedding options – all that’s required is a little imagination and creativity. Who wants to conform anyway? We’d much prefer a more individual celebration.
CALL IN THE FAVOURS
Baker friend? A wedding cake could be their gift. Chef in the family? The catering could be covered. Interior designer who you went to school with? Fire up the Facebook and get in touch. Call in the favours wherever you can to limit the cost of things which, while not seeming much individually, certainly mount up when accumulative.
KEEP THE GUESTLIST STREAMLINED
Yes, it’s great that your old piano teacher’s best friend’s cousin lives close to the venue, and you haven’t seen them since you were 4, but ask yourself, would you even notice if they showed up? Keep the event streamlined, family-orientated and free of baggage. A London wedding may be prohibitive (in the best possible way) to those less interested and only coming along for the ride. Your wallet will thank you for it.
BYOB
One of the biggest costs is, inevitably, booze. People love to get blottoed at weddings and self-control often goes more south than Morley’s. Wedding venues make the bulk of their money on alcohol sales, with mark ups often stratospheric, and punters only too keen to splash out. Consider finding a venue which allows you to stock up the fridges with your own bottles, saving a large wedge but possibly not your liver in your process.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN CHOONS
Hiring a DJ can be costly and what’s more, a night of ABBA and eighties-cheese awaits. Choose your own tunes – an iTunes playlist hooked up to some speakers is the ultimate in simplicity – and actually have the music which meaningful to you playing on your big night. For free, too. Perfect.
USE A STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHER
London plays host to a number of Arts colleges and universities, and with them, a glut of budding student photographers only too happy to get some practice in. Consider hiring one to take the shots, they’ll be enthusiastic, have all the right equipment and charge a minimal fee, if anything.
DIY DECORATION
Sometimes the bog-standard, identikit decorations of a wedding venue can be soulless and uninspiring. Do it yourself and inject your own sense of fun and style into proceedings. Money will be saved and you’ll have a great sense of achievement from curating the event very much as your own.