When it comes to planning the perfect wedding, there is so much to consider, and mainly they are all to do with cost. So one of the first things you need to know is how to set your wedding budget.

To do this, you need to know what the average cost of a wedding is. But to be honest, if you ask anyone, ‘how much does a wedding cost’ you could be in for some very different answers.

It really all depends on what type of wedding you want.

Bride on a Budget

There are so many reasons why you might want to have a low-key, wedding, and it’s not always ‘just’ about money.

Perhaps this is the second time around for one or both of you, or maybe you’d actually rather spend your money on the honeymoon, or something else, perhaps your new home.

The bride doesn’t actually need to have a specific wedding dress, an great alternative is to use a prom dress finder to secure just the type of dress that you can wear as a wedding dress for a fraction of the cost.

It really doesn’t matter WHY you want to keep your wedding budget low, it’s nothing to do with anyone else as actually, they are not the ones paying!

Try to stay true to what YOU want, and don’t be pressured by anyone to spend more than you want to.

The main thing to remember is that the couple that spends thousands and thousands on their wedding day, and the couple who has a more limited budget, both have one thing in common.

At the end of their wedding day, they will both still end up married to each other.

More about how to have a fabulous wedding on a budget later.

A Wedding with a Feast and Fizz

Traditionally, a wedding has two or three parts to it.  The Ceremony, The Wedding Breakfast, and the Evening Do.

The Ceremony can be held in a church, or at your chosen venue. A full-on Church service usually takes around 45 minutes, whilst a shortened, non-religious version in a venue takes around 25 minutes.

The Wedding Breakfast ( so-called because it is the first meal a couple shares as husband and wife, or husband and husband or……you get the drift…..)  is served at the venue, and it is also generally the time for embarrassing speeches, and for the couple to mingle amongst the tables chatting to their guests.

The Evening Do is when everyone lets their hair down. Traditionally, the happy couple kicks things off with a ‘first dance’, usually to a cheesy or favorite song, and then everyone else joins in.

The formalities and nerves of the day are gone, and the happy couple can relax.  Other guests who did not attend the daytime ceremony arrive, and bring new energy into everything.

More about how the wedding day timings might go later.

Money Is No Object Wedding

Oh lucky, lucky you.  When money is no object whatsoever, you can go ahead and be reckless, and frivolous and make it a complete extravaganza and even set up your own wedding photo swap app so that everyone can share their photos.

But even with an unlimited wedding budget, you still want it to be tasteful, not tacky.

All weddings, no matter how big, or small, or how simple or how expensive pretty much all follow the same principle.

The ceremony, the food, the finale.  Of course, different religions follow different traditions, but in the end, couples are always legally married.

More about extravagant weddings later.

It’s your day, do it your way.  Whatever your wedding budget you can still make it a perfect day!