A savvy couple has shared how they managed to get hitched while sticking to a tight budget.
Jane and Carl Pennington tied the knot on Saturday (10 August) in front of 120 guests and say their day was perfect.
But incredibly, they didn’t have to fork out tens of thousands or sacrifice any of the usual frills that come with a wedding – managing to spend under £3,000.
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Now, the newlyweds have shared how they pulled off the budget-friendly big day – with DIY décor, and free food and entertainment.
“I felt like a princess,” 51-year-old Jane, a fitness instructor from Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, told What’s The Jam.
“We spent just under £2,950 [in total]– that included a hotel stay for my husband the night before the wedding, and for us on the wedding night.”
The duo bagged a free venue by having the ceremony at their local church, as well as the reception following it.
Luckily, the church choir offered to perform live for them for free – saving them hundreds.
Instead of blowing their budget on food and drink, the savvy couple asked people to bring their own food in lieu of any gifts – something the community rallied together for.
Jane said: “We didn’t have a sit-down meal, we just had a buffet.
“One of my bridesmaids and her husband have got a catering trade and they set aside a list of ideas for people to bring and put their names against what they were going to bring.
“We got married at 2pm, opened the buffet at 5pm, and just kept topping it up – a team of people at the church did that – and people could help themselves.
“Everyone supplied their own drinks.
“We did supply a welcome drink too.
“The cake was made by family from church.
“She makes a lot of cakes and she’s really good.
“She made a four-tier wedding cake, so that was her gift to us.
“It was a four-tier cake for 120 guests.”
To ensure a record of their gorgeous day, they paid a photographer £250, and filmed a free video livestream for family members who couldn’t attend.
Jane added: “We just had to pay for the marriage itself, which was £70, so our pastor did it for nothing for us because he just wanted us to be married.”
The bride also shopped around to ensure she scored the best bargains for things including bridalwear and décor.
She said: “I got the wedding dress at Wed4less outlet in Stockport and I paid £850 for my dress.
“It was definitely a steal and the bridesmaids’ dresses were £140 each.
“The bridesmaids bought their own shoes so it was something they could wear again.
“I made all my own flowers and my own bouquet and corsages.
“I did all the decorations – I bought them from [budget online shop] Temu – and spent £350 for all the decor and flowers.
“I did it all myself, with the help of the bridesmaids.
“That [included] all the flowers for my veil, my headpieces that the bridesmaids wore, and various wedding signs.
“We also had a table with pictures of people that had passed, and a memory sign on it from Temu.”
As for hair and makeup, Jane paid £40 for her and her daughter to have their makeup done, while the bridesmaids paid £30 each for their hair, and covered Jane’s as a treat.
For Carl and his best men’s suits, they paid £400 for five – using a deal online purchasing three suits to get a fourth free.
When speaking of the average cost of a wedding Jane said: “It’s crazy. You could get a lot more.
“I think people getting married, spending that kind of money, are doing it for the show of it. It’s just about what it looks like to everyone else.
“It’s just one day at the end of the day.
“All we wanted was to be married in front of god – it wasn’t done for show.”
To other people, Jane advised: “Don’t stress about the little things.
“Enjoy your day and wear what you want.”
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