Newlyweds Create Their Dream Wedding for £4,000

A thrifty couple from Nottinghamshire has revealed how they managed to create their dream wedding for 130 guests for a mere £1,400 by buying a second-hand dress and making their own invitations.

The Metro reports that Alex and Dan Lilley got married in a church service on 21 August, which was followed by a reception at their home in the village of Harby. The couple, and their four-year-old son Samuel, are saving for house renovations and didn’t want to spend too much on their wedding.

Thanks to some clever money-saving tricks, and the generosity of family and friends, Alex and Dan estimate they saved some £15,000 on their wedding. 

Alex said: “People can pay thousands and thousands for their dream wedding but we couldn’t justify it. Doing everything ourselves was ten times the amount of stress but the end result was amazing. 

“We were nervous but the end result was better than we ever could have imagined. We managed to keep budgets low and still have the perfect day – I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”

After postponing their wedding due to the pandemic, they decided to get married in August, but in order to juggle the costs of a pricey renovation on their three-bed detached home and the wedding they called in favours with loved ones and shopped for second-hand items wherever possible.

The service at the local church cost them £626, and their home was a five-minute stroll away from the reception. A seven-day free trial on YouTube allowed them to stream music at the reception, and Alex’s dress, which should have been £1,800, she snapped up for £220 on Facebook Marketplace but added she paid £60 to get it professionally altered.

They used marquees in the garden they had borrowed from friends, and the bridesmaids prepared a Mediterranean-style feast for the wedding breakfast.

The total cost of the wedding came to around £4,020 thanks to Dan and Alex’s thrifty approach – instead of the tens of thousands many spend on their perfect day.

However, they didn’t skimp on the entertainment, hiring a local musician, a bouncy castle for the kids, and a photo booth!

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