Real Life Weddings

Money money money

How much does a dream wedding cost? Ros Nash asked four newly married couples to spill the beans on their wedding budgets

budget image 1 Liz McClusky and Davis Lennox
Ceremony & reception: The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock
Wedding date: Friday 8 October 2010
Photographer: Jim Campbell

Wedding Budget £3,105
FASHION: £426
Wedding gown: £59, New York
Bridal accessories: I made the tiara for myself and the girls, it cost £25 for the crystal sprays. Shoes were £12 in a sale
Bridesmaid dresses: Made by David’s Mum
Hair/make-up: Hair £50; my bridesmaid Leanne did all the make-up
Menswear: £280
CEREMONY: £69
Registry office/celebrant: £69 for the registry office, our minister was a family friend
PLANNING: £330
Photographer: Our friend Jim did it as a present
Rings: £150
Cake: Brother and sister-in-law paid for it
Favours: £30 for materials
Flowers: £150
RECEPTION: £2,280
Venue: £2,200 for a drinks reception (set meal for 40 and a buffet for 100)
Decorations: £80
Day music: Provided by friends as a wedding present
Evening: DJ paid for by bride’s Mum and Dad

“We had a really tight budget for our wedding – just £3,000 – as it was the second time round for us both, and managed to do it all within that. We had some savings and paid for the wedding ourselves, with a little help from our parents. It’s easy to get carried away, especially when you go to wedding shows, but I had to rein it in as we were determined not to be faced with a huge bill after the day. We asked family and friends to help out too by paying for the cake and buying the materials for the favours. Our friend Jim also took our wedding photos for us. As wedding presents all our friends made contributions towards our honeymoon, a week’s all-inclusive holiday in Rhodes. David’s Mum made the bridesmaid dresses and my Mum and Dad paid for the DJ for the evening reception. When David and I first got together we were worried that David’s cat Jas and my cat Milly wouldn’t get along. Thankfully they did, even if Milly rules the roost. So we asked a friend of my brother’s to make cat cake toppers. I would like to have had a wedding car to make a grand entrance, but I have no regrets. I honestly don’t think it could have been any better if we had spent £30k.”

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