An Irish bride saved thousands on her dream wedding with some budget-friendly tips.
Lauren and Adam Kennedy got married in July 2021.
Now, they have out-of-the-box ideas to for those looking to save on their big day without compromising on their dream wedding.
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The couple had a wedding budget of approximately €7,000 but they did not want their day to be limited by costs.
Lauren told Diamonds Factory: “When planning my wedding, I was surprised to find how quickly costs started adding up, so my partner and I decided to get creative and find ways to cut costs without skimping on quality.
“We managed to save thousands, and I now have a dedicated Instagram and TikTok to help other couples plan their dream day at the best possible price.”
Here are her four top tips to make your dream day reality without breaking the bank:
Rented suits and gowns
Lauren and Adam saved up to €2,350 on suits and gowns for the groom, groomsmen and bridesmaids by renting them.
Rental shops often offer a tailoring service too.
She said: “We found a local shop that we could hire suits from, and they could adjust them to fit perfectly!
Lauren also saved up €1,750 on her wedding dress by shopping from the sale rack.
“When trying on dresses, I pulled them from both the full price and sale rack,” she added.
“You would be surprised with the beautiful dresses on sale, and they can save you a lot of money. So much so that I even bought an evening dress!”
Shop local and independent
Lauren found “a lovely lady who had recently started her business and after talking about my vision, I decided to book my flowers with her.”
Her top tip is to look for alternatives to real flowers and/or support local businesses starting out as “I was the first-ever bride to book her (the florist), and therefore she gave me a discount.”
For a bridal bouquet, three bridesmaids' bouquets and six buttonholes, Lauren estimates that she saved around €290.
Go digital
Lauren advises couples to create a free wedding website, instead of sending out paper invites.
This can save you between €200 and €400 and is also a more environmentally friendly option than traditional paper invitations.
Instead of sending invitations, Lauren “sent out save the dates with a link and password to our website.
“It's an easy way to keep all guests informed and have all of the wedding information in one place.”
Involve family and friends in DIYs
With the help of family and friends, the couple were able to do a lot of things themselves which massively saved on costs.
Some of her wedding DIY ideas included decorating the restaurant herself, and making a photo booth rather than renting (just find a nice backdrop, add a few props and leave a polaroid camera - you don't need an actual booth!).
Lauren's used social media for inspiration and “created a Pinterest board and follow brides on Instagram; there are endless ideas for DIY weddings.”
She estimates that by doing some of the decorations themselves, they saved at least €1,175.
You can find out more about Lauren and Adam's wedding on Instagram @bridalblog_.
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