According to a recent poll of 2,000 UK adults, the average cost of a stag do or hen party has spiralled to £998. This is indicative of the challenges facing those who want to tie the knot in 2018, with every facet of planning and executing a wedding more expensive than ever before.

In total, the average cost of a wedding in the UK now exceeds £30,000, at least according to Bridebook’s National Wedding Report. However, the average salary in the UK in 2017 was just £27,271, while wage growth is set to remain stagnant for the foreseeable future.

Given these starting statistics, it’s little wonder that Brits are becoming increasingly creative when looking to save money. The key is to reduce costs without compromising on the big day, and here are some tips to help you on your way.

1. Work Closely with a Financial Planning Service

When looking to achieve any fiscal goal, you may need to seek out some professional advice to help you on your way. 

When you consider the inflated cost of contemporary weddings, there’s little doubt that getting married should be considered a financial objective. With this in mind, anyone organising their big day should consider liaising with a financial planning firm before spending their hard-earned cash and investing in services.

Working with firms like Tilney can be particularly insightful as they offer a two-pronged approach that enables you to make the most of your money and seek out potential investment options.

So if you’re planning to get married at a distant date in the future, working with a financial planner will allow you to create an effective investment portfolio that could boost your wedding fund!

2. Identify non-strategic Costs that will not Impact on your Big Day

While there are some wedding costs that have a huge impact on the big day, there are others that are far less important. 

By prioritising costs in this way, you can identify unique opportunities to reduce your expenditure without impacting the quality of your wedding day.

You could look to send out digital invitations, for example, removing the need for a time-consuming design process and expensive print costs..

Similarly, you could opt for a warm buffet over a sit-down meal, as this will save you huge amounts of money without impacting negatively on the ceremony or the memory of the big day.

3. Hire Good, but Amateur, Musicians

Entertainment is a key component of your wedding reception, and one that can cost huge amounts of money when hiring professional bands or artists.

With this in mind, why not consider hiring an amateur musician for the occasion? After all, there’s a wealth of enthusiastic and talented musicians out there who do not perform professionally and they can add uniqueness to your wedding without costing the earth.

So seek out recommendations and scour the local pubs for top amateur talent while focusing on the type of entertainment you’d like and your desired budget.

This way, you’ll invest in a talented musician or entertainer for less and offer a truly unique entertainment experience to your guests.