I planned my wedding in 4 weeks & only spent £2k – I bought loads from Shein but the real money-saver was my Lidl buffet
A BRIDE has revealed how she planned her wedding in just four weeks with a budget of £2,000.
Jodie Cope tied the knot in July last year with her husband Rich after five years together – with the bride being the one to propose back in 2019.
But with her granddad given months to live, the 35-year-old decided to “rush” her big day through on a budget.
Unfortunately, he passed away before she walked down the aisle – but Jodie knows “he was looking down on us”.
The average cost of a wedding in 2023 was £20,700, meaning the couple saved themselves an eye-watering £18,700.
“I proposed to Rich on his 30th birthday and wanted the big white wedding,” Jodie tells Fabulous.
“But looking back now, it was one day spent with everyone who meant the most to us and I wouldn’t change a thing.
“We only had our immediate family there. We have a blended family of eight kids and only one of them is ours together.”
Jodie had her sister beautify her on the big day – meaning she got her nails, hair and make-up done for free in her kitchen.
The average UK bride spends £155 on hair and make-up and £1,350 on their wedding dress.
Jodie purchased her dress for £250 from an online shop called Stacees and accessorised it with £10 Primark shoes and a £5 tiara from Shein.
“The most challenging part was finding my wedding dress on a budget that quick,” she reveals.
“I ordered it from an online site called Stacees.
“It came after 10 days and fit perfectly – I couldn’t believe it.”
She made her bridal bouquet for £10 using faux flowers from Shein, and added leftover flowers to her wedding cake – a decision that saved her well over £1,000.
All five bridesmaid dresses, tiaras, flowers and shoes were purchased from the fast fashion giant for a total of £75 – as were all three page boy suits and shoes.
When it came to rings, Jodie and Rich paid £99 each for matching gold bands from Argos.
As the pair run The Drunken Kitchen Bistro and Bar in Goole, East Yorkshire, the bride put her hospitality skills to the test when it came to the wedding breakfast.
5 ways to save £10k on your wedding
Josie Griffiths, Deputy Digital Fabulous editor and bride-to-be shares her tips to cut the cost on your big day.
“There’s no getting around it, weddings are expensive, but there’s some easy ways to strip back the cost without your guests noticing.”
Ditch pricey invites
We made our designs for free on Canva, and then sent them out on email or WhatsApp. If you want to post invites to important people, VistaPrint is brilliant and cost us less than 30p per guest to sort. SAVING: £600
Cut back on flowers
I was pretty stunned that lots of wedding florists quote £3k-£5k as a MINIMUM spend. Your wedding flowers will be dead within days, save your cash and invest it in pics and video instead, as these actually last. Keep shopping round until you find someone reasonably priced, or speak to your local florist two months out to arrange bouquets. SAVING: £4.5k
Ditch wedding favours
They don’t fit in people’s handbags and were cleared away by catering staff at half the weddings I’ve been to as a guest. The best way to save cash here is just not to bother. SAVING: £300-£700
Be ruthless with your guest list
No one’s ‘entitled’ to a plus one and the groom’s second cousin doesn’t need to come. Your true friends won’t kick off and if anyone chooses not to come over guest list dramas, that just means you’ve saved twice. SAVING: £150 PER HEAD
Do your own booze
Make finding a venue where you can do your own bar a priority, ideally with no corkage or a £500 max cost. Aldi’s £22 Champagne beat Veuve Clicquot in a Which? blind taste test and they have tasty wines for less than a fiver, you won’t do better on a paid bar. SAVING: £2k
She created a grazing table – complete with breads, cheeses, cured meats, fruit, dips and biscuits – for just £200 using Lidl food.
They also hosted their reception at the family bistro, meaning they saved a tonne on venue hire as average cost for this was £8,400 in 2023.
“My grandad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given months to live… and he’s practically been a dad to me growing up,” Jodie says.
“We were supposed to get married this year but I couldn’t stand the thought of him not being there, so we rushed it through on a budget.
“My grandad passed away before we got married so never saw it but he knew we were to be married that day and I know he was looking down on us.
“We had the best day.”