I saved a fortune for my wedding by buying a Costco cake and wearing my grandmother’s old veil – no need to break the bank

A BRIDE has revealed all the ways she saved money on her big day, opting for a £16 Costco cake and homemade invitations.

According to Bridebook, the average cost of a UK wedding in 2024 is £20,775, with the biggest expense usually being the venue, which costs an average of £9,877.

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However, Jess, who married in May 2024, was determined to cut costs as much as possible “to prioritize spending on other, more important areas”.

The average cost of making a wedding cake is £405.

However, super saver Jess took to TikTok to reveal she managed to buy a cake that served 50 for just £16 at Costco.

Wedding flowers can also be extremely expensive, costing an average of £1,182.

Instead of shelling out for fancy flowers, the 30-year-old bought flowers at the local flower market two days before the wedding and found low-priced vases on Facebook Marketplace.

To save money and paper, Jess and her partner designed their own invitations using Canva and sent them digitally instead of printing them.

The Londoner also got a great deal on her wedding dress by purchasing a sample dress.

She also wore her grandmother’s vintage wedding veil and headpiece during the ceremony.

Sharing tips for other brides looking to save money, Jess said: ‘There are lots of cheap vintage pieces on eBay too.’

Jess is a big fan of second-hand shopping and has found hen outfits and wedding pajamas on eBay, Vinted and Depop.

She said: “(marriage) still cost us an arm and a leg but it made us more invested in what he wanted to do.”

The bride explained that with their savings, she and her husband were able to spend on other things, like a great wedding photographer.

Jess’ TikTok, which was posted under the username @jessinspecs, probably impressed many people as it has racked up over 148,000 views on the video-sharing platform.

TikTok users rushed to the video’s comments section to share their thoughts on her money-saving tips.

5 ways to save £10,000 on your wedding

Digital Fabulous Deputy Editor and bride-to-be Josie Griffiths shares her tips for keeping costs down on your big day.

“There’s no way around it, weddings are expensive, but there are simple ways to cut costs without your guests noticing.”

Ditch the Expensive Invitations

We made our designs for free on Canva, then sent them via email or WhatsApp. If you want to post invitations to important people, VistaPrint is great and costs us less than 30p per guest to sort. SAVING: £600

Reduce the flowers

I was quite surprised that many wedding florists quoted between £3,000 and £5,000 as the MINIMUM spend. Your wedding flowers will be dead in a few days, save your money and invest it in photos and videos instead because they actually last. Keep shopping until you find someone reasonably priced, or talk to your local florist two months later to arrange bouquets. SAVING: £4.5k

Ditch the Wedding Favors

They don’t fit in people’s purses and have been disposed of by catering staff at half the weddings I’ve attended as a guest. The best way to save money here is to not bother. SAVING: £300 to £700

Be ruthless with your guest list

No one is “entitled” to a plus one and the groom’s first cousin doesn’t need to come. Your real friends won’t start and if someone chooses not to come and watch the guest list drama, it just means you saved twice. SAVING: £150 PER HEAD

Make your own alcohol

Make finding a venue where you can set up your own bar a priority, ideally with no corkage or a maximum cost of £500. Aldi’s £22 champagne beat Veuve Clicquot in a Which? blind taste test and they offer tasty wines for less than five euros, you won’t do better at a cash bar. SAVING: £2,000

One person said: “Costco cake!” I love that “.

A second person said: “My wedding might as well be sponsored by Vinted and Facebook Marketplace.”

A third said: “Love it all.”

A fourth said: “Congratulations.”

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