Cheap Weddings Over 50 tips incl finances, dresses, venues, honeymoons

Don't do a wedding lust list ...

Far too many people draw up a dream list of wedding must-haves before ever considering how on earth they'll pay for it. As one disgruntled father told us, "I asked my daughter what her budget was, and she told me "dad how can I work out my budget until I know what I want?"

This is the wrong way round. First work out how much money you have available to spend on the wedding, then stick with it. Audit savings and do a general budget to see what spare cash you can free-up by wedding time. Use the free budget planner to help.

Weddings can be beautiful, whether formal events with 300 guests, luxury favours, and the best of everything, or close friends in a Bring-Your-Own food and drink, sunlit wedding, picnic breakfast in the local park. Just ensure it's affordable.

Don't let the wedding ruin your marriage

Before we get too far into this, and you skip straight to the bargain grabbing section of this guide, it really is worth pausing to think about the financial impact of a wedding.

As Martin says, "While a wedding is a wonderful dream day, it's important to remember one of the biggest causes of divorce is debt and financial worries.

"If the cost of your wedding leaves you financially crippled and in debt for most of your married life, it's a pointless waste."

Where to save the wedding cash

If you're saving up to get married or perhaps have been given cash by parents for it, it's worth ensuring you maximise the interest before you spend it.

Of course it's probably best to stick to an 'easy-access' account which means you can take the money out when it's needed, but many people avoid cash ISAs, wrongly thinking their money is locked in.

In fact, every UK adult can save �5,340 a year in one (see top cash ISAs for current best-buys) and most accounts are easy access, with the interest paid tax-free, and your cash is safe.

Taking your money out simply means you can't later put it back in - not a problem if you're spending it anyway.

So a cash ISA is the first place to put wedding savings. Once it's full-up get a top savings account. For most, a standard savings account should be the first place you withdraw money from too - if you have any savings left over at the end, they'll be stashed tax-free in the ISA.

Prioritise your spending

Once you know how much you've got to spend, list everything you need to budget for in order of priority and cost each one accordingly. Include everything from official fees, to the transport costs from the church to reception.

Decide which is more important to you, a professional photographer, great flowers on the table or beautifully hand-crafted invitations?

After that see how far down the list your budgeted cash will go. If it doesn't go as far as you want, you need to change your list - not your budget. Venue costs are likely to account for around one third to half of your budget.

Don't let the banks steal your wedding cash

If you have financial problems, then you should be very careful about other people (eg, parents) giving you cash to pay for your wedding due to what's called 'setting off'.

In a nutshell it means, if you've debts and savings in the same place, banks are allowed to take money from your savings WITHOUT PERMISSION and WITHOUT NOTIFYING YOU IN ADVANCE to pay off your debts.

Here's a story from Martin:

For more information on this see the full setting off guide.

Demotivate to save cash

If your wedding is the most important thing to you, then you're probably willing to make sacrifices in order to get those little extras.

So consider what you're willing to cut back on, such as a daily coffee, cigarettes, magazines and more, then plug them into The Demotivator tool to see what you'd save. The results can often be much bigger than you think.

Should I borrow to pay for the wedding?

If you can possibly avoid it, don't borrow for the big day. Leaving yourself in debt at the start of your married life is not the best idea.

Having said that, a wedding is a major expenditure, and like buying a house, many people simply cannot afford to do it without a loan. The difference here is afterwards there are no bricks and mortar - only memories - to keep from all that cash.

We can tell you not to borrow till we're blue in the face, yet some will still do it. If you must, it should be controlled and thought through. Ask yourself the following ...

The easiest way to borrow for a wedding is on a 0% credit card. While many people worry about them, done right it's by far the cheapest way, provided you can budget and clear the repayments before the 0% ends, the borrowing won't cost you anything. See 0% credit cards for more info and the latest best-buys.

If you prefer something longer term and with structured repayments, meaning you must pay a fixed amount each month and know when it needs to be cleared, then it'll need to be a personal loan (see cheap loans for best buys).

Free extra 'section 75' consumer protection

Often with weddings you pay for goods and services far in advance of getting them. Sadly this means you run the risk of the company you've paid going bust before your wedding, and often means you get nothing back if the worst happens.

One free way to protect from this is to pay for things on a credit card, as then you get a special extra protection called section 75 (see full section 75 guide for a detailed how-to).

This means for goods costing between �100 and �30,000, the credit card company is jointly liable - so if the company went bust you could get the cash back from the credit card company instead.

Better still, even if you only pay a deposit on the card, provided the goods cost over �100 the card company is liable for the ENTIRE amount.

Just because we're suggesting you spend on a credit card, that doesn't mean borrow on it - just pay the card off in full at the end of the month, so there's no interest.

Use the Money Mantras

It's easy to splurge and spend when you're planning a wedding. Yet to keep you disciplined, it's worth using Martin's Money Mantras. He has one for those who are skint and one for those who aren't.

Hopefully any spending should be within your wedding budget, so we'll assume you're not skint. Before you buy anything ask yourself:

The most important question here is "is it worth it?" This is a way of saying that while you may use it, could the wedding cash be better spent on anything else - not an easy question but always one worth considering.

Get a free credit card sized money mantras print out to go in your wallet/purse as a reminder.

Beware joint accounts if you've debts

It's not getting married or living together (or even holding hands) that means your credit files are linked. It's having a joint mortgage or bank account.

Therefore if one of you has a poor credit history, it's best to avoid even a joint wedding account as that means the poor past debtors history could then affect the one with a clean sheet (see the credit rating guide) for more.

Use a cashback credit card

Weddings are a high spend event, so you may as well make the most of it. Cashback credit cards pay you each time you spend on them, sometimes as much as 5%, so if you're spending �20,000 on a wedding you could very easily get �100s back.

Of course, repay IN FULL each month so there's no interest, but this is a very useful way of combining the Section 75 protection (see above) and getting some cash back too. For current best-buys see the top cashback cards article.

Boost your budget by �100s: do a money makeover

It's all very well sorting out your wedding finances, but it's a lot easier to first ensure you're not wasting money on anything else. If you are, the savings from stopping could be put in the wedding pot. The earlier you do this, the more money it'll generate by wedding time.

So follow the full Money Makeover guide; go through everything you spend to see if there's a way to save - from gas and electricity bills to contact lenses and train fares. Some people find �1,000s of extra cash.

Off-the-peg weddings for �1,000

Many big hotel chains offer 'Wedding for a Grand' packages, a great option if you're on a tight budget and have a limited guestlist. The key is you know what you're going to pay from the outset. Here's a quick breakdown of the offers:

Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn offers a buffet including wine for up to 100 guests, a wedding ceremony and planner, a disco and accommodation for the happy couple. For more details, enquire about the package at your nearest Holiday Inn.

Old English Inns

The Old English Inns offer includes a glass of bubbly to toast the occasion, a three-course meal plus a glass of wine and a disco for up to 50 guests.

The offer is on until the end of 2012. Look through the list of participating Old English Inns and call direct, quoting the offer.

Britannia Hotels

The Britannia Hotels deal comprises Bucks Fizz and a three-course breakfast for 50 guests, evening buffet for 100 guests, room hire and a toastmaster.

This offer's available until the end of 2011, though call Britannia Hotels to check availability. Some higher-end branches charge �1,499 for the same package.

The offer applies to new bookings only and the drinks package can't be changed. There's also a non-refundable �500 deposit on booking, which has to be paid 4 weeks in advance.

Extra guests or changes to the menu will cost more. And although some of the hotels offer a discount for guests, they will have to pay extra to stay the night. Always check if you have to pay a non-refundable fee before booking, and also get written confirmation of what'll be included in the package.

If you're looking for a lavish affair with all the trimmings, this is unlikely to come up trumps. Yet if you want an affordable, simple affair with some basic food and drink, it won't be easy to organise it for much less. If you're worried it's going to look 'cheap', here's what a few MoneySavers have said:

Other deals

We've had reports of independent pubs and restaurants having similar deals, so check with your local to see if they've got any interesting offers and share your finds and feedback in our Cheap Wedding Packages forum thread.

Pick an unusual date

Pick an unpopular day for the wedding. Having it on a Friday or Sunday can reduce the cost of the reception (and sometimes ceremony) venue by up to half.

Bear in mind fewer people may be able to attend if you pick a weekday - perhaps another way to keep costs down! If marrying on a Sunday do factor in that the registrar may charge more.

Although winter weddings are becoming more fashionable, major savings are still possible as due to fewer bookings you have far more leeway to negotiate.

Our own MSE Rose cut the cost of her wedding by over a third of the original venue cost by getting married in December:

"Getting married outside of 'peak season' can be the difference between settling for an 'it'll do' venue in August, or getting one you love in December. And if you don't mind a weekday wedding, quotes from suppliers can come in much lower too.

Plus planning for a winter wedding means you've already factored in the British weather!"

Look off the beaten e-track

The internet is a brilliant start point for finding traditional venues, but it isn't the be-all-and-end-all. Many venues don't advertise online, so jump in a car and drive round the area you want to marry in - you might uncover some hidden gems!

Factor in transport costs

When comparing the cost of venues, factor in the cost of getting yourself (and possibly your guests) from one to the other. It may end up cheaper to opt for a pricier venue where you can have both the ceremony and reception, rather than pay for transport between a registry office and hotel.

Don't go for obvious venues

While a hotel or country pub is in an obvious choice for a reception don't disregard church halls, village halls or your local sports club.

They can cost a fraction of big hotel prices, which are in it to turn a hefty profit. Plus less obvious venues can still look the business once you've decorated.

Even better, if you've family or a friend with a sizeable plush garden, ask if they'd consider hosting it for you. Though do ensure you have a good discussion about what you want so you both have the same expectations.

Make sure you have a good plan for the catering and clear-up if you're worried they might feel imposed on.

Bag a totally free venue!

Some savvy MoneySavers have taken a punt on good weather by having their wedding reception in the park with a picnic-style buffet. It may sound different, but there's no need to follow convention and be forced to spend a fortune.

This isn't an organised thing, it just involves providing blankets for people to sit on, taking a picnic and doing it outdoors. You can cut costs even further by making it a Bring Your Own do on booze and even food, with everyone chipping in - the only thing you can't plan though is the weather. Here's some feedback from MoneySavers.

"I went to a wedding where we picnic'd in the park afterwards and there were several picnic blankets to sit on and each one had a lovely hamper."

"We're having a picnic after with friends and it's BYO food sooooo no spend there."

Think carefully about what you're asking for

It's rather strange, but too many people only consider wedding gifts at the last moment. Actually, you're shelling out a serious sum of cash and lots of people are willing to effectively pay you back in return - think clinically about this. It's a marriage of your expenditure and 'big day income'.

Consider as soon as you can what you want people to get and how that fits in with your own financial plans - so that the two fit together. See Martin's 'Am I alone in wanting to know what to gift couples?' blog

Don't be afraid to ask for cash

Over to Martin for this one...

Read Martin's 'Don't be afraid to ask for cash' blog for his full low-down on this.

How to ask for cash

There are many ways this can be done - envelopes on the day, money into a special bank account, even perhaps a targeted 'honeymoon' fund. Many people find that less clinical, but you don't need to spend it all on the honeymoon.

As for how much they should give, well that's up to the individual. There are a number of factors; the closer they are to you the more they should give, the more expensive the wedding ceremony the more they should give (effectively offsetting the cost), but if they're struggling expect less.

Here's a poem one MoneySaver Luke Pritchard suggested putting in the invite:

"Because at first we lived in sin, we already have the kitchen bin, a gift from you would be swell, but we'd prefer a gift to our wishing well."

Or this worked for MoneySaver slickster:

"As you all know we have lived together for many many years now and so have all the possessions (kitchenware, bedding etc) that we can make good use of. Therefore, we are not intending to produce a gift list.

The one thing which we are working to save towards is a memorable honeymoon, so if you did wish to make a small contribution to that fund then we would be very appreciative.

Ultimately, just attending our wedding is an expense for everyone who is travelling from far and wide and so we really do only wish for you to join with us and share our special day."

Beware vouchers and wedding lists

Gift vouchers are now nearly as popular as gift lists themselves, often to fund the honeymoon or kit out the new house.

Yet do remember, if the company goes bust (as wedding list company Wrapit did in 2008) and your friends have bought vouchers or paid for goods there, the chances of getting all your money back are slim. Secured creditors and employees get first dibs on cash, and only after that will you get a share of the leftovers.

If your guests paid for items over �100 on credit card or with a debit card for items under �100, there is some protection available (see point 8).

�100 custom-made dresses from China

There are several ways to seriously slash the cost of dresses without compromising your sartorial sensibilities.

China has a roaring dressmaking cottage industry you can tap into via eBay. Quality and reliability varies massively, so research is vital, but if you strike it right you can get a made-to-measure dress for around the �100 mark.

Simply search for 'custom wedding dress' on eBay and a raft of sellers offering super-cheap dresses will appear.

On auction type sales, bidding will often start from �1-�15, yet the real cost is in the postage which is usually around �75. Buy-it-now (where you simply click, win the sale and buy) usually cost around �100 all-in.

Each seller offers a variety of styles but often, if you ask, they'll make alterations to the design according to what you want.

Yet it's easy to be scammed on eBay and there are horror stories, so you MUST have your wits about you. Do your research and use this checklist as a start point:

• Ask lots of questions & get samples. Ask plenty of questions about the dress, delivery, measurements and design. Genuine sellers will be happy to help you and good responses indicate you'll get a good result. Most sellers will send swatches so you can check colours and fabric quality before you buy.

• Check reviews. eBay has a prominent ratings system, so carefully inspect what others have said before buying. Have they delivered on time, have people received what they expected, has the seller swiftly sorted any problems?

  If looking at reviews on the internet, read feedback with a degree of scepticism as it could be fabricated; ensure there is a stack of good feedback to go on. Plenty of MoneySavers have bought dresses this way - check the feedback in the eBay wedding dresses forum thread for tips, dos and don'ts.

• Get the measurements right. If ordering a standard size, make sure you're using UK, not US sizing. However most sellers offer made to measure dresses, so get a friend to measure you properly and follow the instructions the seller has given you - good sellers will give precise intstructions.

• Factor in import tax. When buying from overseas by post from non EU countries you usually have to pay VAT and customs duty. An easy rule of thumb is that the charges for delivery, customs and VAT will add around 30% to the list price of a dress from overseas. Therefore only if this is still cheaper than the UK price, is it worth spending more time looking into it; otherwise stick with the UK.

Bear in mind there's little protection here if things go wrong. While you can complain via eBay, refunds don't usually include postage, which is usually the bulk of the cost.

Alternatively, if you're lucky enough to be tripping abroad, or have relatives in the Far East you can ask, source a reliable dressmaker or visit factories or outlets specialising in bridal wear.

Buy off the peg

These days off the peg doesn't have to mean drab, boring limited. Department stores have cottoned on to the budget wedding business and offer fancy frippery at reasonable prices, even better if you can snag them in a sale or with a discount code. See our High Street Sales and Discount Codes pages for deals.

Here's what some of the high street retailers offer:

• BHS. Stocks bridal dresses from �300-�500, as well as bridesmaids' dresses and accessories.
  
• Tesco. Offers occasion wear for boys, girls, men and women. You can pick up a flower girl dress for around �25.
• Debenhams. Has a range of simple wedding dresses starting from around �200. Nab one during sale time and they're as little as �100.
• TK Maxx. Famed for its designer fashion at cut-prices, TK Maxx has a special bridal section online with less conventional dresses from about �40. Visit the bigger stores and you should find more range and better bargains.

Try specialist charity shops

Ditch preconceived ideas of dodgy second-hand wares - it's possible to bag designer frocks new or worn once for a fraction of the price.

Oxfam has eleven specialist bridal departments which stock dresses from around �150 as well as accessories, plus you can get one-to-one help and advice. It says many dresses are donated by designers, straight from the catwalk and over 95% are brand new so you can really pick up a bargain.

Otherwise regular trips to your local charity shop can uncover some hidden gems. Make friends with the volunteers and they may even give you a heads up when one comes in.

Free professional hair and make-up

While some brides go DIY, it may save a lot of stress if you get hair and make-up done by a professional. Before you start cringing at the fees, there are sneaky ways around that could save you hundreds!

Get your make-up done at a beauty counter in a department store, then simply buy the lipstick to 'touch up' (and ask if they'll give you that as a freebie sample). Department stores also occasionally run beauty courses that you could attend - then you learn a new skill, can do your own make-up on the day, and even help out at your friends' weddings.

Here are some success stories:

Alternatively, if there are any local beauty training schools give them a ring as they may do you hair and make-up on the day as part of their training, for free. Check Beautyfinder for a directory of training schools and colleges in your local area.

Cut the cost of diamonds

Tradition dictates the engagement ring should cost two months' salary, yet whatever your budget you can still get bargain bling.

• Trade in Tesco points for Goldsmiths vouchers. Spend Tesco points in-store and they're worth 1p, yet convert them to Rewards vouchers and the value can triple. One reward up for grabs is Goldsmiths vouchers.
  
  Every �10 Clubcard voucher gets you a �30 Goldsmith voucher, so a �600 ring, costs �200 in Tesco vouchers. Rings from Goldsmiths start at around �200, so doing this can seriously shave pounds from your budget. See the Loyalty Guide for full details on Tesco Clubcard.

• Online vs the cheap jewellery quarters. There are two routes to getting a discounted dazzler.
  
  Try a specialist online retailer which has no overheads so passes on the saving,s or a trip to one of the UK's jewellery quarters - Hatton Garden in London or the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter.
  
  If you decide to buy online, it's still important to look in shops to get a feel for the style and quality of what you're buying.
  
  Whatever you do, make sure the ring is properly certified so it keeps its re-sale potential. Some retailers self-certify, which in reality means very little.
  
  Both Blue Nile and Samara James are rated by forumites (these aren't recommendations, just considerations to check out).
  
  If you're not happy with the ring, remember due to the distance selling regulations you have seven days to return the item - see the Consumer Rights guide for info.
  
  Alternatively, going to independent jewellers will give you the opportunity to see what you're buying first, plus don't be afraid to haggle. As a rough rule of thumb you can get discounts of up to 20% - but if you don't ask, you won't get.

• Check diamonds carefully. If you're buying a diamond ring, it's worth noting that the quality and look of diamonds can vary (even in the same range) so it's worth checking the ring for yourself if you can.

There are some very helpful MoneySavers in the Weddings forum - see the engagement rings thread for more on how to buy and what to look for.

Make sure you insure your ring!

It's easy to forget you may have just added a few grand to your personal belongings in one fell swoop. Make sure you call your insurer and check it's covered - you may need to add a separate policy for it. See the Cheap Home Insurance guide for full details on cutting costs.

It's easy to over-invite people

Think very carefully about guests. The numbers soon add up - 70 people may sound a lot, but it's only 15 members of each person's family then ten friends each with partners.

So narrow down your guest list. Stick to close friends and family. One trick many people use to cut the cost is to invite a limited number to the ceremony and wedding breakfast (the meal bit) but invite many more to the evening disco.

Use special wedding planning sites

Sites such as Google weddings and Hitched allow you to be your own wedding planner, and they're free. All you need to do is create an account and login when you want to edit information.

Google lets you keep tabs of the estimated cost different of the wedding (flowers, cake, dresses etc) vs the actual cost. Additional tools help you organise the seating plan, guest list, menu and music playlist. You can also share documents so two people can edit it at the same time. Alternatively, create your own website and update it as you go.

Hitched offers similar tools to Google but also includes ideas on decoration, dresses etc as well as useful addresses of where to buy things. You can't share documents with this one, but you can create your own site and update relatives this way.

A wedding is a negotiation

Frankly when you get married it's all a negotiation, often with each other and the in-laws, yet you need to take that spirit too when trying to sort out venues or gifts. Haggling comes into its own when planning a wedding, and can be the most powerful technique to getting your dream day on a shoestring.

Gather as many quotes as you can, then play suppliers off each other. The mention of a cheaper quote is often a quick way to get closer to the price you want.

Offering a deposit upfront can sweeten the deal. This is a good trick if a supplier's deliberating over accepting a lower price - they'd much rather cash from a serious buyer now, than a promise from someone who could cancel later on.

Plus the further you book in advance the more likely you are to get a decent discount. Suppliers will usually be pleased to have the guaranteed business and will factor it into the price. Prices go up anually so if you're planning a few years in advance, try and bag this year's prices.

Negotiating doesn't always have to be about money. If the supplier won't budge any further on the price, see what else you can get thrown in - whether it's extra flowers or a fancier cake.

Never mention the 'W' word

If there's one thing guaranteed to increase the price, it's when the people you're buying from know it's a wedding. So if at all possible when negotiating, try and avoid the word 'wedding'. Call it a party or celebration, and only once the price is agreed should you mention the word wedding.

Make it a wedding of all the talents

One way to try and avoid the price-trebling effects of getting married is to use the talents of your friends and family, and ask them to provide those instead of giving a gift; examples include:

• Do you know a cake maker?
• Is someone a talented photographer or video cameraman?
• Do you have a friend who is a DJ, muscian or even magician?
• Do you have an aunt or uncle with a landscaped garden they'd let you use for the reception?
• Is your mum a florist in the making?
• Is a relative in the printing trade?
• Does someone have a holiday home your could use for the honeymooon?
• Will your friend do your make-up for you?
• Is a friend handy with a needle and willing to make your dress as a gift?
• Will a friend be your master of ceremonies?
• Does your grandad have a posh car and is willing to chauffeur?

Ask for their help in lieu of a wedding present. It'll cut the cost of the wedding for you and perhaps the gift for them, and will make your big day all the more personal and memorable.

One way to advertise among friends to see who can help with what is to start a wedding blog on a site like gettingmarried, so everyone's updated while you go through the stages of organising your big day. Who knows, someone might know someone who can help with decorations or food.

Do It Yourself invites

Designing and making your own invites is easy, especially using one of the many free sites for DIY printing such as Wedding Crafter, Serif and Mad About Cards. There's also a raft of free software available on the internet. Also, why not ask work if they'll let you use its company discount on stationery?

Try Vistaprint for super-cheap self-designed cards, or scour eBay for cheap sellers.

Free place settings & favours

Place settings can easily be made for free, for example collect pebbles or shells on the beach, write the guest's name on it and you've made a great place tag (plus a great wedding favour!).

For thank you cards, find a really good photo of the two of you, have the negative reprinted as many times as necessary and handwrite on the back of it your personal Thank You's. See our Free Digital Prints guide for ways to print for free.

DIY favours such as paper flowers add a nice touch. Yet many guests forget favours in their hazy state; instead why not donate money to charity and let everyone know where the cash has gone.

Make your friends paps for the day

Many of your guests will record the day for posterity, so why not ask them for a copy of their photos and videos?

You can encourage this further by leaving disposable cameras on the tables at the reception and collecting them in at the end of the night.

Even though they're not pros, if they take enough shots, hopefully some of them will be good ones (just make sure you still do the formal poses though).

Then have them printed for free, or get a deal to make a nice photo book; see our Free Digital Prints guide.

If you want a professional photographer, get your haggling hat on.

This is what our own MSE Dan managed to get after using some charm and chutzpah:

Live in the South-East? Book a booze cruise

This one's a near-must for anyone doing the reception themselves. Taking a quick (and low cost) day trip to France/Belgium will allow you to pick up plenty of crates of cheap booze and champagne. The saving should more than outweigh the travel cost (though do a quick comparison first).

Think of ways to cut back more. Why not go for bellinis for toasts, as it'll effectively cut the quantity of champagne needed by half? Alternatively MoneySavers have told us Pimms instead of champagne is always a hit.

If popping over to France isn't an option, there are still plenty of bargains to be had here. First of all, if you plan in advance you'll have time to stock up when offers are on - see the Cheap Wines discount note for the latest codes and sales.

Whatever you do, avoid buying at Christmas. While retailers ramp up the discounts around this time, number crunching from MySupermarket shows that prices are highest during the festive season, so promotions and discounts are a false economy.

Also check shopping comparison MySupermarket's wine section - it includes all the supermarkets as well as bulk-buy seller Majestic wines.

Ditch sit down dinners for buffets

Food is where most couples go over budget, so look at how many people you've invited for the meal, work out your food budget and divide by the number of guests for your per head budget.

Sit down meals will cost the most, but buffets, hog roasts or even picnics can be just as smart but far cheaper.

High street shops like M&S; and Waitrose have party food sections that can be reasonably priced if you opt for nibbles and platters. Also ask your local supermarket to quote for your reception, it may turn out cheaper to use them. Many supermarkets offer free glass hire too.

Local, independent caterers may trump all offers you have, so check out your neighbourhood cafe or restaurant.

Don't be in tiers over the cake cost

The cake is one of the easiest places to save a stash of cash, as wedding specialists can charge an arm and a leg for these.

• Buy a simple sponge cake, or whatever takes your fancy, from the supermarket and then decorate it yourself. You can buy glitter, sugar flowers and edible pearls cheaply.

• Instead of making one massive cake, make three small ones, or even cupcakes.
  
  To avoid massive cost and waste, you can also have one small cake for show and another plain one in the background to serve to guests. And for a more savoury option, have three tiers of cheese!

Super-cheap decorations & flowers

Flowers and decorations can cost hundreds, if not thousands, if you go to wedding specialists - but with a little time and effort, much can be done yourself.

• Pick a day before or after Easter or Christmas. It often means the church is decorated lavishly.

• Ask friends to help set up the venue. Doing it yourself will take time you might not have, so enlist the help of friends and family. Many hands make light work!

• Make your own wedding flowers. It's amazing what you can do with some cheap vases, spray paints and a bit of elbow grease. The eBay website's a haven for cheap bits 'n' bobs to furnish your venue, tealights, candles, vases and more.
  
  If you're new to flower arranging, handy site Videojug has a mass of how-to videos including How to make a wedding bouquet and How to make a corsage. Also swap tips in the forum thread on Do your Own Wedding Flowers.

  If you're particularly handy, brooch bouquets are popular with MoneySavers. Here you fashion a bouquet from old collected brooches instead of flowers.

• Don't overlook the little man. Good quality flowers can be found cheaply on the village market or down the local grocer's shop.

• Give to Charity. The British Heart Foundation sells fake roses for �1, brilliant for button holes. As well as contributing to a good cause, they don't die or get crushed by all the hugging!

Ask a friend to be Master of Ceremonies

Ask a friend who has a flair for public speaking to be your master of ceremonies. Not only will you save a wad, it's likely to be a crowd pleaser too.

If you do want to hire one, delay the booking until the last minute. Then, if they want the job they'll still do it and this can halve the price. Further down the food chain, trainee cooks and waiters can sometimes be hired cheaply from colleges doing those courses.

Drive down the cost of transport

• Look the part for less. If you don't live in London, go for a London style cab as a wedding car and you'll get the smart black transport type of atmosphere at a much lower cost. Or why not hire a double decker as you can then take the whole wedding party for a ride AND split the cost.

• Don't Drive. If you're having a civil wedding, by using the same venue for all parts of the day, no transport will be needed.

Totally free European flights

A few credit cards give free return flights for signing up and spending a little.

Credit cards are so lucrative that companies are often willing to pay �40 - �80 to acquire a new customer - small potatoes compared to their potential profit from debts - and one way of doing this is by giving away free flights.

It's currently possible to get a free European return flight including ALL taxes and charges, a free business flight to Russia or Turkey or a free European flight with Flybe.

This ONLY works if you pay of the card in full each month, otherwise you accrue interest which wipes out the benefit. For full details see the Credit Card Freebies guide.

Also, if you're willing to 'go anywhere', the Flightchecker searches for cheap sub-�10 flights, and you can always customise your holiday around it if it's cheaper than a package holiday.

Slash 10%+ off the cost of package holidays

Its possible to haggle already cheap package holiday late deals by a further 10%, especially if you're flexible on where and when you're going. This is all about using online brokers to benchmark prices and then scouring agents to see if they can beat the price. Read Haggle Down Your Holiday Cost for a full step-by-step guide.

Blag a flight upgrade

Always make sure you check out 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. See the Flight Upgrades guide.

Is wedding insurance worth it?

Depending on what level of cover you go for, insurance can cost from �15ish to �300+. Here's a quick breakdown of what insurers usually cover, though obviously check before buying:

• Supplier failure:
  If your caterer or florist goes bust, or your photographer messes up the pics, then you'll be able to arrange a replacement without a worry. Same goes if the transport provider fails to meet their contractual obligations.

• Cancellation:
  Sadly this doesn't include cold feet! But if you have to cancel or rearrange for reasons beyond your control (such as adverse weather conditions, illness or death) then any costs incurred will be covered.

• Presents & cash/vouchers:
  Presents'll be covered for loss, damage or stealth, though generally vouchers and cash aren't covered (might be worth mentioning this on wedding invites!)

• Accidents & public liability:
  If you are victim of an accident, die or accidently injure someone else or damage their property during the wedding, and if legal proceedings follow then you'll be covered for that too. For a little extra this can extend to guests too.

• Extra stuff:
  You'll also find policies cover for damages or loss to the wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses and hired menswear, to the wedding rings, flowers or cake.
  
  If you're shelling out on an expensive wedding it is worth considering, as if things go wrong the cost is likely to be heavy both financially and emotionally. Yet do weigh that up against the cost and the risk. Even if you do get it, its still worth using the section 75 protection too (see point 8).

How to get the cheapest insurance

Insurers have different levels or 'tiers' of policies, depending on your needs and how much your wedding cost. If you have a small budget wedding, then you'd be better off going for the cheaper packages that cover up to �5k, or if you're having an extravagant do, some policies cover you up to �50k.

Sadly there are no decent comparison sites out there for wedding insurance, so to find out who's cheapest in your case is a matter rolling up your sleeves and a bit of elbow grease. Just go through as many as possible to see which suit.

To help start you off, we've done a quick table of popular wedding insurances, comparing their packages and how much they cover (as at 3 May 2011). All of these are fully UK regulated by the FSA.

What if the insurer gives you trouble?

In the horrible event that something goes wrong, you need to claim, and the insurer is playing silly beggars, then remember you've an absolute right to complain to the free independent Financial Ombudsman Service, which will review the case and can order insurers to make good.

Better still, unlike the Courts, the Ombudsman needn't just rely on whether insurers fall foul of the law, but can also look simply at whether it's treated you fairly or dropped below typical industry standards.

To go to the Ombudmsn you'll first need to have complained direct to the insurer. For full info on doing this see the Fight for your financial rights guide.

Free Extra protection

Either alongside or separately to the wedding insurance, its worth checking your home insurance policy to see what it's covering you for. If you're keeping things like wedding presents, your dress or flower arrangements in the house, than these may be covered by the home contents insurance. For full info, see our Home Insurance guide.

Share the ups & down with others

The Special Occasions Wedding board is a hub of information for brides/grooms-to-be, whether it's ideas for venues in your area, matching shoes for your dress or even if you need to have a rant.

Enjoy it!

Most of all, congratulations. Enjoy the day, don't stress too much, and we wish you a healthy, fiscally fab, wonderful life together!