The High-Street Bride’s Guide: How to Plan Your Perfect Wedding On A Budget. Samantha Birch

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СКАЧАТЬ the numbers, but unless your reception venue is out in the sticks, even if you have to hop in your dad’s car or pre-book a taxi to get you from ‘I do’ to ‘woohoo!’ it’s likely to work out cheaper than doing it all in one place – and believe me, no-one will notice what car you arrive in now the Prosecco’s out and rings are on fingers.

       The Reception

      If you manage to find a place that comes in within budget and you’ve got the time to suss them out, don’t sign anything until you can tell whether they’re flexible. There are all sorts of ways to save on your reception as long as you can get your go-between to go for it.

       Culinary Expertise

      The three-course, sit-down meal is the most expensive way to feed your five thousand, hands down. Yes, it suits a formal gathering, and silver service always feels special, but weigh up how much you need it when it can be two or three times more than some other options.

      If you have to have it, though, be clever: ask if you can serve your canapés as starters with the pre-reception drinks, or, if you really want to stay on your venue’s good side, they tend to prefer it if you opt for the wedding cake instead of dessert.

      One option that’s similarly genteel, super-popular and certainly worth asking your venue about is the classic afternoon tea. Bottles of pop and pots of chai are immediately cheaper than wine, wine, wine – but a Prohibition-era theme could see to that if you still want to serve some bubbly. Then there are the snacks themselves – a few finger sandwiches, satisfyingly stodgy scones with clotted cream and pretty cakes won’t set you back nearly as much as tomato soup followed by the customary dried chicken and chocolate mousse that everyone pushes around to save room for cake.

      In summer, a barbecue is a fun option, and only requires minimal staffing on the venue’s part. The winter equivalent is the hog roast – not so easy on the eyes maybe, but there’ll be no complaints from your guests’ satisfied stomachs. And before you ask, yes, you can get vegetarian options – just ask your venue what they can do.

      Buffets are the usual antidote to all the pomp and circumstance of the post-speech feed-with-servants, and just like the BBQ and hog roast, having people queue for their food doesn’t mean you can’t have all the fun of a seating plan – if anything, it gives those single ushers and maids something to chat about before they find their tables.

      Not all buffets were made equal, though – there are a few different ways that you can do this. First up: a very British classic. This is your traditional buffet – all triangle sarnies, cocktail sausages and little pieces of cheese and pineapple on sticks. Beef it up with the likes of pizza slices and Indian or Chinese snack selections – and add some jelly and ice-cream if it’s not too hot for a touch of retro fun.

      Second, if your venue is the kind where you supply your own caterers, talk to them about something a bit different, or pull it together yourself. Sweetie tables have been big for a while now and aren’t showing any signs of going anywhere. They’re literally pretty tables spread with Cath Kidston-esque linen, glass jars filled with sweets and maybe a few cakes – we used our wedding cake as the centrepiece. Seriously, think how easy it would be to nab some containers (save, hire or buy from your local ASDA or Wilkinson), then raid your local pick ‘n’ mix (we miss you, Woolworths!) or snap up grab-bags of your fave sweets and go fill ’em up.

      On a similar theme – but requiring more input from your caterers, who will love your ingenuity – ‘build-your-own’ bars are popping up all over the place. Featuring everything from top-your-own jacket potatoes or ice creams to fill-your-own fajitas, brainstorm fave foods with your groom and go from there. Anyone for stack-your-own sandwich with baguettes, cobs and rolls, or build-a-burger with different meats, veggie bean patties, relish and sauces?

      Finally, if you’ve got chefs among your rellies who are vying for a part in proceedings, make the most of their talents instead of padding out your ceremony with a million readings. You can specify your favourite eats or just allocate some cooks sweets and some savouries, then have each one bring a labelled dish – preferably one that can be served cold unless your venue doesn’t mind you using their ovens – along with serving utensils so everyone can dig in on the day. Now that’s what I call a family feast.

       Bottle It

      Drinkies are a sizeable cost that you two don’t have to carry alone – it’s not uncommon for couples to put in for a drink or two per guest before the wedding breakfast, a drink or two during and a glass of bubbly for the toasts, then open up the bar for the rest of the night and let everybody pay for their own.

      Keep costs down by talking corkage with your venue and bringing your own bottles, or opting for less expensive beverages like house wine, and clinking glasses with Prosecco or Buck’s Fizz over straight champers. You could even wheel out your own big-day punch or cocktail – just make it with more juices than alcohol and stick to the affordable stuff.

       Little Extras

      We’ll get into this in the Style Details chapter, but for now I’ll just say that you need to keep an eye out for what’s included with your wedding package. Some venues will throw in tidbits like pretty chair covers – great if you can get them, but the question is, do you really want them? Unless their seating really ruins your theme or is all-out supremely hideous, at around £3 to £5 per chair on average, that’s another £300 to £500 for 100 people. Before you put your John (or Joanne) Hancock on anything, talk about ditching the bonus bits and trimming down the bottom line.

      The same goes for stationery. It’s common for an all-in package to include bits like menus and place names. Ask to see samples, and find out how much of your quote they’ll be setting you back. If they do the job and they’re easy on your margins, go with them by all means, but scout out local printers beforehand to check you couldn’t get them cheaper – and more personalised – yourself.

      Then there’s VAT. It’s not uncommon for venues to quote an off-their-head price that sounds spectacular until you realise they’re not counting the tax. Be clear on whether it’s included or you could end up with a bumper bill that’s due the week before your big day.

       Beyond the Norm

      If you’re open to suggestions for your reception venue, or you’re looking for somewhere quirky and so you, there are ways to nigh-on cancel all your hire costs. Remember: as long as you do the legal bit in a certified room or registry office, you can do the rest wherever you want.

      At one particularly lovely wedding I went to, the bride and groom had the ceremony the week before, then on the day the bride’s dad acted as registrar. He read some of his own words while the bride and groom exchanged rings and said how they really felt in front of close friends and family. In case you’re wondering: not a dry eye in the house.

      Whether you have the ceremony on the day or a more intimate get-together just before then, doing the ‘I do’s’ separately to dancing the night away blows your venue options wide open.

       The Grand Theme of Things

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