We all know weddings are a very expensive business.
The average cost of a wedding day in the UK ranges from £15,000 to a mind-blowing, pocket splitting £25,000 - depending on what articles you read.
With the ongoing credit crunch in the UK, we're wondering how big an effect this can have on your wedding day plans.
The best way to avoid any calamities when it comes to paying the final bill for your big day is effective budgetting of your wedding planning.
Never leave yourself open to falling in the trap of trying to make your wedding day a huge celebrity style event, just because you think this is what your wedding guests expect.
Ensure you're fully aware of the costs involved, double check everything you plan and ensure there are no hidden costs.
For example, a wedding venue may say they'll charge you £1,000 for exclusive access to their venue for the day. Another wedding venue 5 miles up the road may ask for £3,000 to hire.
The first thing you must ask is, what am I getting for my money? The first wedding venue may include hire of their rooms only, leaving you to plan meals, seating, drinks, table cloths & cutlery, entertainment etc.
While the second, more expensive wedding venue may include caterers, the wedding DJ, cake stand hire, all the little things that'll soon add up on your wedding day budget.
If someone is charging you a price per head, spend time to consider how many wedding guests you're planning on inviting. A catering bill of £30 per head may sound reasonable when you book it, but if you invite as little as 10 more guests - you've just spent yet another £300 on your wedding day.
It's important to recognise that it's not the amount of cash you spend on your wedding day, it's the way you spend it that counts. And as the credit crunch begins to have an affect on more and more weddings, even if you only have a £1,000 wedding day budget - with careful planning you can certainly still ensure you and your wedding guests have a fantastic day to remember.
Happy wedding planning !