The £60 Wedding dress: Ways to save for the big day

H&M has just released a wedding dress for £59.99 in a move that should see many a cash-strapped groom-to-be’s eyes light up with feverish excitement at the prospect a small fortune. Considering how much some dresses cost that would be a sizeable chunk of extra dosh to spend.

But will any bride actually choose such a cheap wedding dress for her big day? That’s debatable, but it does highlight just how much room for manoeuvre there is when planning a wedding. Costs do not have to spiral out of control, providing you keep a tight grip on your finances.

As an H&M spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “Everyone should be able to have a great and affordable wedding dress.”

With the average cost of wedding dress at £1,340, it would certainly make a difference to the wedding budget. Make a few alterations so it fits better and maybe it might just be worth the saving?

Well it would free up some cash to hire a great wedding band or buy in a few more canapés.

But brides, before you go running out to buy your own £60 wedding dress, there are plenty of other ways to keep the costs of your wedding down without sacrificing your dream dress.

Wedding venue

Scouting around for a cheap wedding venue can pay serious dividends. For example, lots of places will charge corkage on top – remember to factor this in at the very least. But you can find some great little venues that let you do everything yourself, minus all the added costs.

Wedding bands and entertainment

Search carefully for your wedding entertainment and think about what you really want for your big day. Will a band have to travel far and will that add significantly to the price? If you’re getting married in Cornwall, for example, think about any additional costs that a London wedding band might have to charge.

Photographer

Ask yourself if you need a traditional wedding photographer or if you can think of some interesting and fun alternatives. Would a photo booth be a better investment? Or would a wedding caricature artist make the images from the day that bit more memorable? Alternatively, rather than a traditional wedding photographer, you could opt for some comedy paparazzi photographers.

There are loads of ways to adapt your budget to suit your needs. You don’t have to go out and buy a £60 wedding dress to save money, though it might help. The point is to think carefully about each part and not let the costs spiral – otherwise you might just have to opt for the cheap dress whether you want to or not.