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A recent survey suggested that the average cost for a wedding in 2013 is a staggering £22,265. In todays economical climate that is a rather costly sum, and it can be a really daunting prospect for newly engaged couples to sit and start to plan their big day.

They key to cutting down costs is in researching before   and talking through what is most important to you both. If you pick our certain elements of that such as photography for instance that is very important and invest some of your budget to that, you can then compromise elsewhere such as making your own DIY invitations etc. as a compromise.

Here are a few handy tips on how to get the most for your money:

• Sit down together and work out how much you want to spend and what you can afford

• Do some research into how much things cost such as photography, cakes etc…

• Once you have some estimates, work out what is most important to you, for some it will be food, others it will be a top notch photographer, it’s your day so only you know what is best for you

• Once you have done that, work out how you can compromise on other areas, by doing as much DIY work as possible.

• Don’t forget to haggle- we all love a bargain, and you are certainly within your rights to argue prices, after all what’s the worst that can happen at least you have tried.

Thankfully, it has become for more accessible and common for brides and grooms to do a lot of the wedding work themselves. From art and craft shops dedicated to all things weddings etc. its far easier to put your own spin on things.

Invitations and order of service can be costly if you are paying a professional to do them for you, so why not have a go yourself? You can get all sorts of beautiful pearlescent card and luxurious decorations for pennies, it’s also a lovely personal twist for your guests.

Cake is another costly item, with the average wedding cake costing £300.00 and more. If you are a keen baker or know someone that is, why not have a go yourself or ask them to give you a hand. And instead of opting for a traditional cake, why not go ultra modern and opt for cast effective cupcakes instead.

It is indeed a very daunting task, but a bit of careful researching and decision making will certainly see you right. Its your day, so ensure that you make it all about you and invest in the things that matter most to yourself.

Plan your wedding on Bride Book and find the best suppliers that match your budget

Written by Steph Payne. Steph is the blogging and PR coordinator at The Watch Hut, the UK’s largest watch website.  Steph is a wedding planner and bride to be herself and is always interesting in anything and everything to do with the world of weddings

Planning a wedding is hard work, and after all of excitement of the engagement has settled down and you have returned to planet earth, it can be a very daunting task, and many couples down even know where to start, after all there are so many decisions and choices to make, but be under no illusion, just because you are choosing for an intimate affair doesn’t mean it takes any less planning.

If it’s a small wedding that you have decided on, then the first place to start, is the dreaded budget!, as your whole day is dictated to by this. But don’t panic its not as stressful as you may think!

• Get some ideas together invidually on what you both would love to have on the day and where you would like to hold your special day, let your imagination run wild!
• Look at both lists and decide on what is realistic and what is important to you both.
• Once you have done that you will get a better understanding of how you want your day to shape up.
• Once you have decided on what things you want to incorporate, do some research and get some quotes so that you can start to form the bones of a budget.
• Have a look at locations at this point also, take into consideration the size of your wedding party, that way you can narrow down your search considerably.

Don’t overstretch yourself, and make sure that you take into account any little extras such as dress alterations, and last minuet fees or guest list changes. Once you have done some in-depth research, its always advisable to have another look around before you make your final decisions, even if you don’t like the look of a place, go and take a peek anyway it may be a hidden gem just waiting to be uncovered.

Once you have a budget outlined, and your venue decided, you can then start to put together your wedding party list, when organising small, intimate weddings, it is advisable to keep the wedding party minimal, as it can look a little crowded with 7 bridesmaids following you down the isle, a simple, sophisticated affair is the way forward.

Once the majority of the big decisions are made, its time to have a little fun at last!, I  always advise couples to make the most of their venues, by putting their mark on things. Get creative with your centrepieces, again the key it to keep things minimal, especially if you have chosen a more cosy venue, but really go to town with breath-taking flowers and personal touches that bring everything alive.

Just because you are opting for a smaller affair doesn’t mean that its any less special or fun, in fact its perhaps more of a challenge to find the perfect, intimate setting, but as soon as you do, start enjoying your planning process, its your day and what you say goes!

Written by Steph Payne. Steph is the blogging and PR coordinator at The Watch Hut, the UK’s largest watch website.  Steph is a wedding planner and bride to be herself and is always interesting in anything and everything to do with the world of weddings .

Bride Book is a free wedding planning website that allows you to plan your perfect wedding day. Use the guest list, seating planner, budget tools to keep track of everything.

This post was written by a guest blogger.Want to write for us? We are accepting guest bloggers. Get in touch.

I came across this discussion on a wedding planning forum recently.

I have intentionally blanked out the name of the wedding planning website because this is not a mud slinging match at the end of the day. We hear these stories on more or less a daily basis from brides who have fallen victim to this.

It goes a bit like this – The bride-to-be goes on a wedding planning site – which is effectively a glorified yellow pages for weddings. They bribe her with big prizes and all she has to do is part with her email. Said wedding site then proceeds to sell her information to every business that has signed up to their service in the form of a spreadsheet. Businesses start a cold calling / emailing campaign and bombard every bride they come across with offers.

What’s the end result – no ones a winner (well , except for the wedding site)

The brides get fed up receiving offers from businesses that they had no contact with and businesses get no ROI (return on investment).

At Bride Book, we set out to do things quite different from whats in the market. Our aim is to help brides and businesses find each other better.

If you look at our site (www.bridebook.co.uk) you will not see any adverts on the front page or any other pages for that matter. This is a bold step. We could make money slapping on adverts left, right and centre but then wheres the value in it?

When you sign up as a bride, you get access to all our tools to plan your wedding.

Now here’s where the magic happens – When you search for wedding suppliers, the results that pop up are suppliers that meet your criteria. Not random businesses but ones that fall within your budget.

You can chose whether you are interested in hearing from this wedding business by simply  shortlisting them. They get an email telling them that you want to hear from them and they can contact you with any special offers they may have. Matchmaking for brides and businesses.

Isn’t that just easy and painless?

No more endless trawling through directories to find that one supplier who may match your criteria and we don’t spam you. Every communication you receive will be relevant to your account.

You can sign up to Bride Book now and start planning your wedding for free.

If you are a wedding business then you can join our exclusive wedding supplier list

Please feel free to share this with people you know – brides or wedding businesses by clicking on the share buttons on the side.

My name is Manuel da Costa and I am the founder of Bride Book – helping you plan your wedding effortlessly!

For those signed up to Bride Book , you will find this integrated into your account area as an interactive checklist.

You can download your free wedding planning checklist by clicking here.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

The ban on 24 hour weddings was in place for 176 years to prevent clandestine marriages.

The change in law, announced in July, means that you can get married anytime in the day and even in the middle of the night, if you so please.

Get married 24 hours at Blackpool Tower

Blackpool tower seems to have jumped to opportunity of hosting weddings and is allowing couples to marry at sunrise, midnight or even 3 am.

Other venues are due to follow suit. However, churches and venues will not be forced to conduct marriages outside standard hours and a notice of 15 days will need to be given.

So, what time of the day will you be getting married?  Leave us a comment below.

Image source: MoneySupermarket;

Kew Gardens

Looking for something green? Then the Kew Gardens is the venue for you. Fitted up for both a daytime and an evening party, it is located at an easy distance from both the Heathrow airport and the M4 motorway. If you two share a love for the nature, then saying your vows being surrounded by the tropical greens would be a treat neither can forget.

Wellington Arch

The Wellington Arch, built to commemorate Britain’s victory over Napoleon, will now be a witness as you and your beloved embark on a new journey. With newly refurbished halls that can hold about 80 guests this would be a very good wedding venue for those who would like to have a grand private wedding party.

The Tower Bridge

Is this where you two first met? Then, it would definitely be memorable to have your wedding reception here. Even for those who didn’t this is one of the most unique wedding venues in London. You can hire the wonderful high-level walkways, the bridge master’s dining room, the majestic Victorian engine rooms or even the North Tower Lounge for the reception party.

Shakespeare’s Globe

Been enamored by his plays? Now, you can get married in the theater hall. The Bard’s hall is now open for hire throughout the year for weddings and other such events.  The “Balcony Room” on the top floor has a panoramic view of both the St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Thames.

Madame Tussauds and Stardome 4D

Love the stars and want to be on the A-list? Tie the knot at the Madame Tussauds. The halls have been recently done up to accommodate anything from a small private wedding to a gala party of 1,000 invitees. With the stars by your side, you can’t help but have a smooth ride into the future.

Spencer House

Have you always dreamt of your Prince charming coming on a white stallion and take you away? Well, you can have the dream partly by getting married in one of the most magnificent Augustan private palace of London, the Spencer House. Built for John Spencer, the first Earl Spencer, the palace has a wonderful terrace that has a beautiful view of the Green Park and looks out to the private garden.

Author’s Bio

The author Stephen Richard has a deep interest in anything and everything associated with wedding planning and arrangements. Here, he talks about some of the unusual wedding venues in London.