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Couples in Kent are tightening their purse strings more than ever before, spending on average £3000 less than they did last year on their big day. Latest figures from Kent County Council reveal that the price of the average Kent wedding has dropped from £18,000 in 2010 to just £15,000 in 2012. So how are bride and grooms making these savings and what can future couples do to achieve the day they want, without having to compromise on quality?
All hail the weekday wedding
One of the easiest ways to shave literally thousands off the price of any wedding is by holding it on a weekday or Sunday, as many venues are willing to offer significant discounts to couples who opt for this. Similarly, suppliers such as florists may be more willing to give discounts, as it spreads their work through the week, allowing them to accept more custom. Potentially weekday bride and grooms could have exactly the same, venue, flowers and DJ as their weekend counterparts and pay thousands of pounds less.
An added advantage brought about by the weekday wedding is that it separates your less familiar guests from the more committed friends and family, saving you even more money as your acceptance list is slashed to those who truly want to be there!
The early bird catches the worm
Contrary to popular belief, being organised and booking your venue and suppliers early is another key way couples can save considerable sums. People may argue that sometimes venues will offer a last minute deal on cancelled bookings. However, these deals are few and far between and you are unlikely to get the choice of suppliers and venue you originally had your heart set on. Instead, by booking early you can often secure the prices from the current year, rather than what they will cost in two years time, which will inevitably be more expensive. This option may also allow couples to take advantage of other incentives such as payment plans, allowing you to spread the cost over time and better manage your wedding finances.
Appoint a wedding planner
Now you may think me biased, but wedding planners are actually a great way to save money. (But I can’t afford a wedding planner I hear you cry!) Once considered the preserve of the rich and famous, increasingly wedding planners are bringing their budgets in line with that of the average bride and groom and are even accepting weddings on a shoestring.
The major incentive of appointing a planner is that they have access to discounts on each and every supplier and venue they organise on your behalf – anywhere up to 10%. These discounts all add up and can write off the cost of the wedding planner or even save you more than their fee. Often couples can feel uncomfortable asking for such discounts, but for a planner this is daily business and they have no such qualms about trying to save their client money.
Meanwhile, couples get a helping hand to navigate them through the pitfalls of wedding planning and access to the years of knowledge and contacts available to the planner.
For more ways to make your wedding budget go further please contact us.
