SECRETS FOR A LUXURIOUS WEDDING ON A CAREFUL BUDGET
A lavish wedding needn’t break the bank. Some careful planning and clever choices can ensure your day oozes high end appeal.
The secret to creating a budget friendly wedding that feels luxurious, is planning carefully and choosing design elements that reflect luxury without being expensive. These tips will help you on your way to a wedding that will impress.
Savvy Floristry
Fresh flowers increase in price when they’re out of season, with the need for importing from abroad driving up costs. Choose your flowers according to what’s in season in the UK and not only will you save money but your blooms will be full and healthy, giving the impression of great quality. Seasonality is key - think peonies and lily of the valley in May and June; roses and delphiniums in June and July, hydrangeas in August etc. Remember also, lush green foliage can add a luxurious feel to your arrangements any time of the year, giving a fresh modern look that sets off carefully chosen blooms perfectly.
Also take advantage of green fingered relatives or grow your own flowers for addition to wedding arrangements. Peonies and roses are particularly expensive but can be grown easily and most florists will be happy to add them to your bouquets as a personal touch. My own wedding bouquet featured gorgeous peonies from my mum’s garden.
Characterful Venues
Like character houses, character venues are inspiring and bring personality and charm to a wedding that reduces the need for heavy dressing. Choose quirky, historic or rustic venues over characterless hotels or suites and let the design and architecture add its own appeal and style that needs minimal enhancements.
You don’t have to go for a huge stately home, there are some absolute gems of venues that are smaller but full of history and character, like converted mills and barns, manor houses, ancient coaching inns and such like. Choosing a venue with stylish chairs means you can pass on chair covers too, which are becoming dated.
Good quality, heavy fabrics and textures
Wedding attire (especially bridal) can easily break the bank. And whilst we do not advocate for compromising on a stunning dress, a wedding dress by a lesser known designer that uses thicker, heavier fabrics will give the impression of a very expensive gown. Use this trick and your bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses will seem expensive and couture.
Consider fabrics like duchess satin, taffeta and newly fashionable neoprene that hang beautifully and hug the form luxuriantly for a flattering, structured silhouette.
Textures are also key in your venue decor. Layering fabrics and textures in your table dressing will create a feel of opulence and luxury.
Consider Downsizing
You might balk at the thought of downsizing your wedding, but reducing your guest list can dramatically cut the cost of your catering and drinks bill, so you can go all-out on a smaller quantity of exquisite floral arrangements and luxury tableware, for example. Think crystal glassware, chargers, linen table cloths and napkins and beautiful place settings. These are the kinds of noticeable details that separate luxe events from average ones.
Additionally you can look at smaller, cosier venues that can be full of character and charm, and bear in mind that a smaller wedding can also make for a more intimate and exclusive feel.
