Your East Anglian Wedding - Jun/Jul 2019 (Issue 37)

Local wedding experts share their money-saving tips HOT TOPIC A DREAM COME TRUE We’re on a tight budget for our big day. How can we have the wedding of our dreams, without breaking the bank and counting the cost afterwards? Evangeline says : A little ingenuity can go a long way towards bridging the gap between your bank balance and the wedding you have your heart set on. My advice is to: ❤ Firstly, shop around. Compare prices while weighing up value for money against quality. ❤ Speak to friends, search through wedding magazines and social media and ask people for recommendations. Not only will you get a sense of what’s out there, but this is also a good opportunity to gather ideas and look for money-saving alternatives. ❤ Try to work out what areas are worth cutting back on and which are best left to the professionals. In my experience a cake should be the remit of an expert and by serving it as dessert you can cut down the cost of the wedding breakfast. A professional photographer is also a sound investment, after all you want your photos to last a lifetime. However, do your research and see if they offer any special packages. ❤ Think about the date and time of your wedding. Some venues offer last-minute packages that can work out cheaper. At Ufford Park Woodbridge, we currently have a late-availability wedding package for £2,999 which is proving popular. You could also consider opting for a Thursday or Friday wedding instead of a primetime Saturday slot or tie the knot later in the day so you don’t have to feed your guests twice. Evangeline Wells | Conference and events manager | uffordpark.co.uk A HELPING HAND We’ve only just started planning our wedding and already feel like the cost is spiralling out of control. How can we organise everything and balance what we want with what we can afford? Sandie says : Planning your dream wedding can be daunting and may seem like it will cost the earth, especially if you’re unsure on where to start. Many people think that having a wedding planner is expensive, but not necessarily, especially if you find the right one. An established professional should be able to negotiate prices with their own trusted suppliers to bring you not only peace of mind, but get you the best deals possible without breaking the bank. For time-poor couples, having one company to deal with throughout the whole process is also easier than paying a whole host of different suppliers. Mason’s Great Event Co is a one-stop- shop for weddings and we always make sure we’re fully aware of what couples want at their wedding, the style they’re looking for and the items they’d like to buy. Keeping to a list of needs and wants, will help keep costs down and avoid waste on unnecessary buys. Then, if you have money leftover, you can always add extras on later. Never be afraid to ask suppliers if they can offer a discount either. Keep an eye out for deals, as often companies give major discounts for set packages and even bespoke ones too. Always ask for a full breakdown of the price so you can calculate exactly what you’re saving. Finally the one thing I stick by the most is never be afraid to shop around and do a bit of bartering! Sandie Chivers | Wedding planner | masonsgreateventco.co.uk simonwatson-photography.co.uk 104