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With Aura Print, You Can Scale Up Instead Of Scaling Back
Let’s face it: the current cost of living crisis is leaving many feeling helpless and overwhelmed, and the almost-wed are no exception.
At Aura Print, we’re stepping in to help lighten the load, we’ll be outlining all the details in this blog from the How’s to the What’s and Why’s, with some savvy saving advice nicely sandwiched in-between.
So don’t go anywhere (unless you’re making a brew), close Instagram, get comfy and settle into some advice that you don’t want to miss.
Being Engaged Is Supposed To Be Joyous, So Why Is It So Stressful?
Information supplied by Google Trends show that since May 2021, online searches for “cost of living” have increased almost 8-fold, leaving many Britons to figure out how changing their spending habits can help stretch their unstretchable salaries, reduce their stress levels, and picture a winter where, on the coldest days, it might just be possible to turn the heating on for an hour or two.
But where does wedding planning fit when you’re having to cancel your Netflix subscription and gym membership just to make ends meet? Let’s discuss.
Recent Studies Show The Full Extent of Wedding Cutbacks
A recent study tells us that, amid the cost-of-living crisis, almost half of Brits have felt the need to significantly cut their original wedding budget. The study states that British couples planning to get married in the next three years have drastically reduced their wedding budget due to the cost-of-living crisis”.
While brutally slashing the budget for your dream wedding isn’t ideal, it’s far preferable to racking up often needless debt because, after all, is it worth it? Will you overspend just to walk down the aisle with that nagging voice telling you that, after this is all over, you’re going to have to hunker down and chip away at your credit card bill?
No? Well, let’s look at how you can cut costs without tarnishing the dream.
Scale Up With 5 Awesome Cutbacks
So, your wedding needs to fit into a meticulously spliced budget? Well, you’re not the only one. The DIY Brides Boutique provide some wonderful information on planning DIY and micro weddings, saying “when you take away the stress of being the centre of an event that hundreds of people are attending, you get to focus on what matters, your love, and the beginning of a new and exciting stage of your life."
So, in short, just because you’re working to a smaller-than-ideal budget, it doesn’t mean your wedding won’t be the fairy-tale you always imagined. On the contrary, it’ll probably be better!
Here’s how you can shave some zeros off your wedding budget without compromising on brilliant:
1.By Cutting Guest Numbers
The unfortunate truth is… the more guests you have, the more your wedding will cost. It certainly isn’t one of the best parts of wedding planning, but sometimes it must be done, especially when you’re strapped for cash.
Start by creating a ‘guest tier list’, with your closest friends and family at the top of the pyramid, and your Mum’s Best Friend’s Auntie Pat who you met once but your Mum wants there at the bottom of the tier. Handle the situation with sensitivity and build your list from the top down, whether you have room for 15 guests or 100, it’s a job that needs doing and you’re the only one who can do it.
Honestly though, as lovely as it is for everyone and their plus-one’s plus-one to attend your wedding, no one wants to see you stepping toward crippling debt for the sake of a three-course meal and a boogie. From that perspective, those who don’t make the cut should understand your reasons and if they don’t, well that’s just not your problem.
2.By Ditching Traditional 3-Course Wedding Breakfasts For A Classy Local Vendor Buffet
Yes, we just used ‘classy’ and ‘buffet’ in the same sentence! While you may be picturing cocktail sausages with a bit of cheese and mini sandwiches on stale Hovis, we’re here to tell you you’re picturing it all very wrong.
If your wedding venue is happy to support this kind of catering, it WILL save you money and chances are, if you do it right, your guests will prefer it to the run-of-the-mill chicken dinner. A buffet style lunch can incorporate your favourite local indie vendors, from your favourite Vietnamese Pho joint to your city’s deepest, most delicious pizza place, all in one place. Check which vendors have food vans and which are happy to supply directly to your venue and you’ll be on the road to putting together a buffet that’ll knock the socks off the fussiest of in-laws.
But why will this save you money? Basically, a buffet means less venue staff members to serve your guests, ensuring you’re not paying the wages of more people than necessary. Hiring outside, local, independent food vendors and serving on eco-friendly disposable plates will reduce the clean up and make you feel great about distributing your money to small businesses that you love!
3.BYOB & BYOD
Chances are you’ve heard of BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) but what about BYOD? Well now, we’re here to let you in on a little-known trend that’s about to take the alt wedding scene by storm (so we think, anyway).
BYOD, or ‘Bring Your Own Dessert’, is an awesome idea whereby your wedding becomes one big episode of Bake-Off. See which of your guests are willing to volunteer their baking services (a great alternative to a wedding gift), set out a dessert table and have the family foodies do the rest. Not only will this save you money, but what better way to bring two families together than through a mutual love of dessert? The grooms Auntie Sharon will be hunting down Bethany, the baker bridesmaid, coaxing her lemon meringue pie recipe after a few glasses of Prosecco.
If your venue allows BYOB, your guests are guaranteed to save a fortune. Asking your guests to bring their own alcohol may sound stingy however your guests will LOVE this, spending £7 on a bottle of red wine instead of upward of £20. Just make sure there’s enough room to store cold drinks and there’s no chance of drink thievery. Outdoor, rustic weddings often do this well, filling boats or wooden baths with ice and providing name tags for bottles and cans.
4.Honeymoon Staycations
Now, you may not consider your Honeymoon a ‘wedding expense’, however if you are opting for a honeymoon within days of your wedding, it should be on the expense list (unless family have chipped in as your wedding present, then perfect!).
While the white sand and crystal blue seas of Santorini or Hawaii sounds incredible, if you’re determined to honeymoon on the cheap then the UK is far from the worst place for a staycation.
Install a homestay app such as Airbnb and browse their incredible range of unique stays, from hot tub cabins at the foot of the Isle of Skye’s Cullin mountain range to luxury homes on the Cornwall coast. Just remember, whether you’re in Paris or York, you’ll be starry eyed newlyweds.
5.DIY Decorations & Wedding Stationery
DIY wedding decorations are THE BEST way to show your personality and individual styles. From placeholders styled like gig tickets to homemade mason jar centrepieces and home-grown flowers, delete your Amazon app and do it yourself!
Google ‘DIY weddings’ and you’ll be presented with an unimaginable amount of search results, from DIY wedding success stories to how-to guides and idea lists that, if printed, could probably stretch from Glasgow to London.
Basically, the internet isn't short of ideas, and neither should you be. Your big day shouldn't make as big an impact on your finances as you may think. Happy saving!
