Saving money on your wedding day is a question of compromise and prioritisation. While a wedding is a wonderful dream day, it often leaves you financially crippled and paying it off for years after. Plan how much cash you are willing and able to spend, where it’s going to come from, and what you are going to spend it on and who’s going to pay, The cost of getting married will always enlarge to fill the budget!

Borrowing
Many financial experts would say never borrow. Yet this is not always true. A wedding is a major expenditure and there is nothing wrong with borrowing a small amount in order to have something now, including a wedding, yet it must be controlled and thought through. Of course you must be able to pay it back within a reasonable time period.

Involve family and friends
One of the main themes running through the discussion is to make sure you use your friends and families’ core skills. Many people you know will be able to help so instead of simply setting down a wedding list, have a think through who can do what and ask them personally.
Think through your requirements and use your contacts. Ask for their help; it’ll cut the cost of the wedding for you and perhaps their gift for them and will make your big day all the more personal and memorable.

Buying the dress and appearance
As unlikely as it seems you can now pick up the dress of your dreams while doing your weekly shop. Many supermarkets are beginning to sell dresses for as little as £90. If the unoriginality of off the rack doesn’t appeal to you at this price you could always take it to a dressmaker to jazz it up.
Look for second hand dresses for example from eBay or second hand retailers. Alternatively replace these items with much cheaper substitutes like flowers in your hair.

Some department stores have store cards offering an initial discount when opened.  If you don’t have any debt problems take advantage of these by applying for a card and using the discount when buying your dress. Just make sure you pay it off in full at the end of the month or you’ll be charged a ton of interest.
Get your make up done in a large cosmetic department at somewhere like the Estée Lauder counter on your special day, then simply buy the lipstick to 'touch up'.

Photos
As many of your guests will record and take photos on the day; you can ask them for a copy of their photos and videos instead of hiring a photographer. You can also encourage this further by leaving disposable cameras on the tables at the reception and collecting them in at the end of the night.

Date Selection
Pick an unpopular day for the wedding. Having it on a Friday or Sunday can reduce the cost of the reception venue by up to half. Generally, any non-Saturday booking will receive some discount. Also picking a day shortly following a big religious event often means the church is still decorated lavishly.

Reception
Bring out your creative side by styling the reception yourself which can be a lot cheaper. Inexpensive alternatives can then be used instead of common costly items, such as white bed sheets as tablecloths.

Honeymoon
Make sure you shop around for your honeymoon; if you’re flexible on destination and brave enough, wait to see how you can cut the cost even further.

Always make sure you check for free upgrades and specials for honeymooners, and speak directly with the travel company. It’s also worth letting an airline know you’re on honeymoon. There’s a tiny chance you may just get an upgrade.

Have a honeymoon fund instead of a wedding present list. People are waiting longer before marrying nowadays and often already own a home and the main household gadgets. If this is the case for you can ask for a contribution towards the Honeymoon instead of a gift and your guests may find this easier also.