How to Have a Cheap Wedding: Get Married for Under £3,000

Planning a cheap wedding is doable but we’re not going to lead you to believe that it’s easy. With the average wedding cost now standing at more than £23,000, organising a wedding under £3,000 may feel like an impossibility – and that’s why we’re here to help. 

Having an inexpensive wedding is possible but it requires couples to do two key things: compromise and prioritise! Taking advantage of any wedding venue discounts and being strict with your guest list are great places to start, and there are plenty more money-saving tips and cost-cutting steps you can follow to stay within budget, such as booking outside of wedding season when prices tend to be lower.

If you and your partner are able to compromise on aspects of the day and prioritise what’s most important to you, you can absolutely plan a wedding for under £3k.

In a hurry? Use the links below to find the solution to your money-saving questions!

• Wedding Venue Hire & Catering
• Ceremony Costs & Marriage Licence
• Wedding Cake
• Wedding Flowers
• Wedding Photography
• Couple’s Wedding Outfits
• Wedding Stationery
• Hair & Makeup
• Wedding Decorations
• Wedding Party Outfits
• Wedding Favours
• Wedding Entertainment
• Wedding Transport
• How to Have a Cheap Wedding: Expert Advice

Cheap Wedding Ideas: How to Plan a Budget Wedding For £3,000

We’ve put together a clear breakdown on how you can get married for £3,000 – read on to discover how and get ready to make some savings! And remember, the free wedding budget planner from Hitched will also help you stay on track.  

Our wedding budget breakdown will guide you on which areas of your wedding planning require more of your budget, as well as which aspects you can easily save on. But it’s important to note that it is just a guide – every wedding is unique to the couple who are planning it, and your priorities are going to be different to that of your friends and family.

While our budget breakdown gives you an idea of what money should be spent where, and how much of your budget you should allocate to each part of the wedding planning, you will likely want to tweak this to suit your personal priorities.

For example, we’ve suggested that wedding entertainment is a part of the day that you can save on – but if you and your partner are music mad and love the idea of a live band or performer, you may choose to cut costs in other areas (such as the wedding cake) in order to be able to afford this.

Whatever changes you choose to make, our guide to planning a wedding for £3,000 gives you a great place to start mapping out your budget allocations.

Want more UK budget wedding tips? Keep reading!

Wedding Venue Hire & Catering – £1,800

Your wedding venue is always going to be one of the biggest – if not the biggest – expenditure when planning a wedding. It’s worth noting that there are a number of cheap wedding venues that offer dry hire for a lower price than we’ve quoted here, but if you choose this option, you will need to budget for drinks and catering separately.

Weddings with a smaller budget tend to fall in line with a more intimate guest list, so looking to hire a room within a venue – rather than the whole place in its entirety – will cut your costs dramatically. Look to venues such as restaurants, pubs and hotels, which often have private function spaces. Town Halls and registry offices with space for informal drinks after the ceremony are also usually well-priced.

Some venues will include décor items as part of their packages, including table linens, cake stands and fairy lights. By all means make the most of these items on the day, but also consider venues that don’t require that much in the way of additional décor. Pubs bursting with character or restaurants with gorgeous artwork on the walls will mean you won’t need to spend a penny on extras.

When it comes to your food and drink options, easy ways to cut down on your catering costs including choosing alternative wedding breakfast options such as afternoon tea, a relaxed finger buffet or grazing station, or even more casual dining options like wood-fired pizzas.

Many venues will offer a basic drinks package that tends to include a glass of fizz per head for the toasts but if you’ve lucked out and managed to bag yourselves a corkage-free wedding venue, you could even opt to BYOB and ask guests to bring a bottle in lieu of a wedding gift.

Not only will that slash your catering costs, but it also means everyone gets to enjoy their choice of drink.

Other ways to save include opting for a twilight wedding – this means you’ll have your ceremony and start the celebrations later on in the day, so you only need to offer one meal rather than an entire day’s worth of food and drink.

Cheap wedding venues under £2,000 you’ll love:

• Devizes Venues Town Hall, Wiltshire
• The Bedford Hotel, Devon
• Morden Park House, London
• Mollington Banastre Hotel & Spa, Cheshire
• The Royal Hotel Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Ceremony Costs & Marriage Licence – £400

Regardless of whether you’re having a cheap wedding or not, you should budget somewhere between £400-£500 for a legally binding wedding ceremony.  

If you’re having a civil ceremony, this will cover the cost of the registrar and the marriage licence, while a Church of England ceremony can cost more.

If you’re tying the knot in a church, you’ll need to budget around £567 if marrying in your home parish, or as much as £675 if marrying away from where you live. This fee covers the cost of the vicar and the church hire, any admin, the banns and the banns certificate. A separate fee is required for the marriage licence.

Wedding Cake – £50

It takes some thinking outside the box to get a spectacular wedding cake for £50, but you do have options. While it won’t be a professionally made, elaborate three-tier design, you can find supermarket wedding cakes for around this price which you may choose to decorate yourself with faux or fresh flowers, ribbons or cake toppers, for example.

Always check any decorations are food-grade and non-toxic before doing so, however.

Affordable wedding cake suppliers you’ll love:

• Ivory Cake Company, Tyne & Wear
• PM Baked Goods, West Sussex
• Whisked Up By LM, Glasgow
• Artisan Cakes of Bath, Bristol
• The Cake Shop, Berkshire

Wedding Flowers – £100

Cheap wedding planning leaves little room for masses and masses wedding flowers, but it’s always worth speaking with your local wedding florist to find out what they can create within your budget.

It may be that you opt for a bouquet for yourself and give your bridesmaids (if you’re having any) a single rose or flower to hold as they walk down the aisle – the same can be done for buttonholes.

Another way to save on the flower budget is to be flexible in terms of the flowers used and the style of your arrangements. Focus on foliage with just a few flower heads for a pop of colour and always pick options that are in season and readily available, as opposed to blooms that need to be imported or specially sourced.

Those on a super strict budget can always have a go at creating their own with supermarket flowers, though we’d only recommend this if it’s something you enjoy and you have someone else who can give you a hand. The last thing you want is to put pressure on yourself before the big day.

We’ve got more information on what your budget may get you in our guide to wedding florist prices – with expert advice from the pros.

Budget-friendly florists you’ll love:

• Blooming Green, Kent
• The Little Tinker Craft Company, Durham
• Wild Flowers of Harrogate, North Yorkshire
• Upside Down in a Flower Bed, Derbyshire
• Duchess & Ivy Floral Design, Oxfordshire

Wedding Photography – £400

It’s not easy to find a professional wedding photographer for less than £1,000 – their jobs entail so much more than just the work on the day – but you do have options when it comes to getting some gorgeous wedding pictures on a budget.

Some photographers offer half-day or stripped-back packages that will still allow you to capture things like your couple portraits and immediate family pictures after the ceremony. If your favourite photographer doesn’t advertise these kinds of packages, it’s always worth asking them if they would consider creating a bespoke option or significantly cutting back on the number of pictures and hours that they are present on the day.

Some may accommodate this – especially if it’s outside of peak wedding season – though do respect their answer if it’s a firm no.

Wedding photographers under £400 you’ll love:

• Precious Moments Photography & Film, Birmingham
• Just About Weddings Photo & Film, Essex
• GLP Image, London
• Bollywood Photographer, Birmingham
• Craig Preston Roberts Photographer, London

Couple’s Wedding Outfits – £250

At first glance, £250 may not feel like much to spend on both yours and your partner’s wedding outfits, but it’s certainly possible. There’s a lot to be said for the formalwear available from many of our favourite high street retailers right now, and you can get high street wedding dresses from retailers such as Monsoon, ASOS, Boohoo.com and Club L London.

Securing a dress for around £100 and a suit for the same price may even still leave some left in the budget between you for shoes and accessories, but the most cost-effective thing to do is borrow, rent or re-wear items you already own. That something old and something borrowed can be from your own wardrobe, after all!

Affordable wedding outfit and bridalwear shops you’ll love:

• Pretty in Preloved Bridal, Buckinghamshire
• Wed4Less Outlet, Staffordshire
• Rewritten, London
• Swagger & Swoon, Worcestershire
• Rathbones Online Suit Hire, London

Wedding Stationery – £0

The most popular option for couples who have little or no budget left for stationery is to send out email invitations or set up a wedding website ahead of the big day which will cost you nothing. There are plenty of free templates to choose from out there covering a range of styles and wedding themes.

You can then direct guests to a wedding website for further information.

Hair & Makeup – £0

Planning a cheap wedding for less than £3,000 often means hair and makeup will be one of those areas where you may need to compromise. If you choose to do your own, you can find plenty of DIY wedding hair and makeup tutorials on YouTube, so be sure to get some practice in before the big day approaches.

Couples and wedding parties doing their own makeup should also invest in the right products if they can – we’ve got the wedding day beauty essentials makeup artists swear by, so you know that what you’re buying is worth the money! Plus, they can be used long after the wedding is over.

Wedding Decorations – £0

Working to a tight budget may mean that wedding decorations aren’t high on your list of priorities – and it may be the case that your choice of venue and wedding package means you don’t even need any additional items. If you know your wedding budget is restricted, keep that in mind when you’re choosing where to tie the knot.

You can find plenty of DIY décor hacks on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, including flower and décor tutorials that you can do yourself ahead of the big day. That said, if you don’t have the patience and you do want to allocate some spend to the finer details, we’ve got cheap wedding decorations from as little as 89p!

Don’t forget that faux flowers and foliage can also look as pretty as their real counterparts and can be picked up cheaply from stores like IKEA. Collect used jars and glass bottles in the months leading up to your wedding and style with candles of differing heights for an easy and inexpensive way to add interest and ambience to your tables.

Wedding Party Outfits – £0

Couples wondering how to do a cheap wedding need to think carefully about priorities, and that includes buying outfits for any bridesmaids, groomsmen or other members of the wedding party.

If you choose to have bridesmaids, best men or ushers, it’s wise to inform them up front that they will need to pay for their own outfits – most are usually happy to, provided you are flexible and reasonable in your approach.

Be mindful of the cost implications on them. Giving a brief guideline on colour or style is fine but ideally choose something they would be able to wear again and which pairs with accessories they already own. Give them time to shop around for the best deals so they can save money, too.

Wedding Favours – £0

Similarly to your wedding décor and wedding party outfits, buying pricey wedding favours just isn’t realistic when working to a £3k wedding budget. There are, however, plenty of ways you can work around the lack of funds for wedding favours when looking for cheap reception ideas.

Some couples opt to hand out slices of cake as wedding favours – present them in small boxes at the end of the night and minimises food waste as well as cuts costs for you!

Wedding Entertainment – £0

There’s no two ways about it – hiring a wedding band or DJ for your evening reception will take up at least a third of your £3,000 wedding budget. However, all is not lost thanks to savvy music apps like Spotify and Apple Music, which will allow you and your partner to create your own wedding playlist.

You might choose slower and more romantic jams for the daytime and then change up the tempo to a more upbeat playlist for the evening. Just make sure you have a charger on hand, someone from the wedding party to help man the device and maybe even a backup on hand just in case!

Involve your guests by creating a shared playlist or ask everyone to submit their favourite tracks before the wedding so you can add them. It’ll ensure every song is a floor-filler and it costs next to nothing!

Wedding Transport – £0

Wedding transport is a luxury that, again, will eat into the budget of a cheap wedding. If you need transportation to or from your venue, the most cost-effective thing you can do is ask a friend or family member if they can drive you. Otherwise, taxis or public transport may be the best option depending on the location of your venue.

If you know someone with a nice car, don’t be shy to ask them if you can have some photos taken with it post-ceremony – be sure to thank them with a little gift or extra slice of cake afterwards!

How to Have a Cheap Wedding: Expert Advice

Wondering how to plan a wedding for cheap? We tapped up wedding expert and Hitched editor Zoe Burke for her budget-friendly wedding tips and take on affordable wedding vendors in the UK. Here’s what she had to say…

How to plan a wedding on a budget?

“Low budget wedding planning means you’ll first need to list your priorities – your ‘must-haves’ for the day,” says Zoe. “Decide which elements are most important to you, and what you don’t mind missing out on, and work from there.

“It’s also important to shop around for the best deals – browse our listings, where hundreds of wedding vendors will add exclusive discounts for Hitched couples,” she adds.  

What are the easiest ways to save money when planning a wedding?

“There are some really easy ways to save money when planning a cheap wedding – I would say if anything doesn’t fill you with joy, simply cut it from your day,” says Zoe.

“You can also get creative with how you plan – skip the starters at your wedding breakfast, serve slices of your wedding cake as favours, and scour sample sales, rental and pre-loved sites for your wedding outfits.

“Always look out of season, too – lots of venues offer amazing discounts for quieter times of the year. If you’re willing to pull it all together quickly, too, you can save thousands by choosing a last-minute, late availability date,” she adds.

How do you throw a cheap wedding that still feels special?

Just because you’re planning a cheap wedding, doesn’t mean it will feel any less special on the day. Remember, it’s the personal touches and memories that your guests will remember – the music that played, the emotion felt during the ceremony, and whether the food and drink flowed.

Don’t forget too, that a cheap wedding usually means a more intimate guest list – an instant way to make your day feel special and more exclusive.

Budget décor ideas that will add to the ambience and perhaps make your day feel more expensive than it is include draped fabric, fairy lights, candles and handwritten notes or poems on your guests seats or place settings. All of these can be done cheaply.

Where can I find cheap wedding venues?

“There are so many wedding venues that can work with smaller budget, it’s about knowing where to look,” says Zoe. “If your favourite venue is listed on Hitched, keep your eyes peeled for its late availability offers as well as packages such as winter wedding packages, twilight or micro wedding offers.

“Elsewhere, venues might promote any offers on their own social media channels.

“If you’re a creative couple, you might prefer to choose a dry hire venue so you can transform it in a way that suits you – and spend as much or as little as you like doing so. If you want to be more hands-off, a wedding package is a great way to score a bargain,” she adds.

Is a weekday wedding cheaper?

Weekday weddings, particularly those held Monday to Wednesday, are often significantly cheaper than weekends!

Can you plan a wedding without going into debt?

Yes, you absolutely can have a wedding without getting into debt – it’s about being clear from the get-go on what you can afford.

“The biggest mistake I see couples make when trying to plan a wedding is thinking they need to have it all,” says Zoe.

“Don’t feel like you need to have things that are going to stretch your budget just because it’s ‘tradition’. Your wedding should be about what matters most to you.

“Don’t seek out too many opinions on things and feel free to ignore those that don’t align with your vision – create a day that represents you both and which doesn’t cause you to overspend,” she adds.

What costs the most in a wedding – and how can I reduce it?

Your wedding venue, food and drink are the elements of your wedding that are going to cost you the most, but they’re also one of the most – if not the most – important parts of the whole event.

Having enough food and drink to satiate your guests is vital, so it’s an area worth spending out on as much as you can. Remember, you’re paying for the service as well as the food and drink, so you could reduce costs by choosing a more informal dining experience such as a buffet, grazing table or afternoon tea, rather than a traditional sit-down meal, which will require more staff. 

“There are also a few costs you won’t be able to avoid – things like giving notice, and the other costs that come with having a legal ceremony,” says Zoe. “However, everything else is a nice-to-have, it’s about deciding which nice-to-haves mean the most to you!”

What is a micro wedding – and is it more affordable?

Those looking for inexpensive ways to get married could look to host a micro wedding – this is a smaller celebration that has anywhere between 10 and 30 guests.

Some wedding venues will offer micro wedding packages which will include ceremony room hire and hire of a private space for dinner and dancing alongside all food and drink. It usually means hiring part of a larger venue rather than the whole place exclusively in a way that still feels private and intimate.

Having a smaller guest list certainly means that micro weddings tend to be more affordable than traditional weddings, but it depends on the venue. 

What is the cheapest way to get married legally in the UK?

A no-frills registry office ceremony is the cheapest way to get married legally in the UK. There are standardised costs you’ll be expected to pay to make it legally binding, but these are significantly less than hiring out a dedicated wedding venue.

Don’t be put off by a registry office ceremony, however – the UK is home to some beautiful registry offices housed in historic buildings, town halls and the like!

Want more budget ideas? We’ve got the ultimate guide to saving on your wedding, with tips and tricks to help you plan the day of your dreams for less.