How to save £9K on your wedding
Wondering how to save money on your wedding? We’ve spoken to four REAL brides and grooms who have told us they’ve saved between £2,000 and £9,000 by choosing to get married on a weekday rather than a weekend. Some of these weekdays are outside of wedding season but one bride got married in July and saved £9,000 by getting married on a Wednesday! Read on to find out how to save money on your wedding…
If you’re wondering how to save money on your wedding, it seems a weekday will save you thousands. Read on to discover how much these brides saved and what they spent the money on. Make sure you’ve thought of the potential pitfalls of weekday weddings listed at the end of this article too though…
Photos throughout are by Andy Hudson Photography
Harriet & Scott
Wedding date: Monday 22nd October 2018
Wedding venue: Lartington Hall, County Durham
Weekday saving: £3,000
Why did you choose to get married midweek?
We got married on a Monday as we weren’t able to afford the weekend wedding we wanted and also have a minimoon straight after the wedding and our Honeymoon this September. We were lucky that a lot of my family live down south and work within schools so we planned it for their half term week which was different from up here.
How much money did you save?
To have the wedding on the Saturday would cost almost an extra £3,000.
What did you do with the money you saved?
We were lucky enough to escape on a minimoon to the Highlands of Scotland in the most gorgeous rural cottage for some piece and quiet. It also meant that we were able to put more money towards our honeymoon, which we are off to on the 14th of September. We’ve chosen to charter a catamaran for two weeks around the Greek islands.
Danielle & Christopher
Wedding date: Wednesday 3rd July 2019
Wedding venue: Le Petite Chateau, Northumberland
Weekday saving: £9,000 (£2,000 + £7,000 minimum spend)
Why did you choose to get married midweek?
We chose to get married mid week because it fell on our 3 year anniversary. But the difference in price was definitely a huge plus. I’m not sure we would have chosen a weekend at the prices quoted.
How much money did you save?
For a Saturday it was £2,000 extra and a minimum spend of £15,000, versus the £8,000 minimum spend for a Wednesday.
What did you do with the money you saved?
It definitely allowed us to have a more high-end honeymoon, along with affording us to pay for added extras at the wedding.
Naomi & Gav
Wedding date: Tuesday 28th May 2019
Wedding venue: Healey Barn, Northumberland
Weekday saving: £5,000
Why did you choose to get married midweek?
We had wanted to get married in May half-term as we both think it’s a lovely time of year and also because I’m a teacher. It gave us a bit of time to prepare, get married and squeeze in a little honeymoon too.
Many of our guests are in teaching, have children or are retired so it just seemed to be a good day and as it was the Tuesday after a Bank Holiday weekend some of our friends were able to just extend their time off work.
How much money did you save?
Of course, the financial side was a big aspect to consider too. We booked our venue, Healey Barn, last August. At the time, our Tuesday (28th May 2019) was priced at £1,650 for the use of the Barn and facilities, etc. In comparison, I believe Sunday 25th August was quoted at £6,500. We were happy to see that that we were saving so much and only paying a quarter of the price of a weekend peak summer wedding.
What did you do with the money you saved?
Saving this money allowed us to pay for a professional photographer (we’d initially been reluctant to have one) and to spend a bit more on the drinks and decor on the day, and also on our mini honeymoon to Barcelona. We were able to book a really nice hotel and enjoyed some delicious meals out too.
Holly & Peter
Wedding date: Friday 15th March 2019
Wedding venue: South Causey Inn, County Durham
Weekday saving: £2,000
Why did you choose to get married midweek?
We chose to get married on a Friday as it was so much cheaper then a Saturday but still close to the weekend, so it meant our guests only had to take one day off work.
How much money did you save?
We saved about £2,000 by doing this.
What did you do with the money you saved?
This saving helped us with our honeymoon. My best friend/bridesmaid is getting married in Australia so it meant we could use the extra money to attend the wedding, tying this in with our honeymoon. We will also visit Singapore on the way over, Sydney and Brisbane for the wedding and Hong Kong on our journey home.
Pitfalls of weekday weddings
Although it can be tempting to have a weekday wedding and shave thousands off your budget, do bear in mind the following potential pitfalls:
- Some guests won’t be able to attend as they can’t get the time off work (especially teaching professions)
- Some will be able to, but won’t be able to take the following day off, meaning:
- They may be reluctant to drink, dance and let their hair down because they’ve got work the next day
So there you have it, weekday weddings are definitely a good way to save money on your wedding! Are you planning to get married on a weekday? Join the conversation over on our Facebook group and remember to favourite this article by creating your FREE account today!
Thanks to REAL Directory member Andy Hudson Photography
