Hi LaToyah,

Congratulations on your engagement!
We are a company who particulary like helping brides on a budget! Platinum Wedding Collection specialise in bridalwear and also have a wide range of wedding accessories available to compliment your chosen wedding dress and colour theme.

We stock wedding gowns from at low as £500 and the sale rail has dresses from £380!

We also stock a large selection of traditional mens wedding suits, including both morning suits and dinner suits (wedding tuxedos), for immediate purchase, with a wide range of sizes, from page boy to groom and best man.

Plese have a look at our website www.platinumweddingcollection.com we currently have a FREE DELIVERY OFFER and I am sure we will do our best to fit your requirements wthin your budget.

From 31st Jan – 31st March 2010 we are giving brides free UK delivery on all bridesmaid dresses, mens wedding suits and wedding accessories when purchasing a wedding dress at the same time.

Thanks and hope we can help.
Kimberley
info@platinumweddingcollection.com

Hi La-Toyah,

Congratulations on your forthcoming wedding!

Right, down to business. Having a small budget isn't the end of the world ... I can assure you!

I have planned a wedding for a couple who had a £3,000 budget and it was fabulous, everyone had a great time - so I know it can be done!

1. Firstly, you need to consider your priorities for the day. Do you want all the trimmings but you're prepared to compromise on the venue? Or is the venue the most important part and you aren't too worried about the trimmings?

2. Can friends and family help? Does your mother in law make fabulous cakes? or is your brother great with a computer and printer to make all the invitations? Think about what you can get help with.

3. Consider a weekday wedding. Its usually cheaper on a weekday (and it can quite often limit your guest numbers too as everyone is at work!) Try opting for a thursday or friday when trying out my ideas for creating your own package - you're more likely to get it on a weekday.

4. Consider a £999 package. Britannia, Holiday Inn and Old English Inns all placed adverts prior to christmas for weddings in 2010. Note: Some had to be booked by end of December 2009.

For example - Britannia offered:

"Enjoy affordable luxury and fine food at Britannia Hotels, for only £999

Bucks Fizz welcome & 3 Course Wedding breakfast for 50 guests
Evening Buffet Reception for 100 guests
Room Hire
Red Carpet

http://www.britanniahotels.com/weddings"

Alternatively, I would contact a few of the independent hotels and venues that offer weddings and receptions - I would enquire about their off-peak prices (as you are looking for the date in the next three months) and ask what they can do for you. Some offer late minutes bookings that can save you a fortune. Be clear about what you want included.

I would ask for:

• Welcome drink - whether its bucks fizz or lemonade. You maybe tea and coffee for a colder part of the year.
• The meal - sit down - ask for three courses but you could always have a starter, main and use the wedding cake as pudding
• Room hire and decorations, e.g. ballons on the table
• First night stay for the bride and groom
• Disco

You are looking for a price including VAT for less than £950! You might not get it but you can ask.

5. Go down the old fashioned route. Church or register office followed by a hall or community centre. You can decorate it to your hearts content and do the food yourself (cold style buffet) or get caterers in to do it for you. You can usually get the local pub to run the pay bar and then you need to find yourself a DJ. This type of wedding is great on a budget and you can really make it personal to you.

If you were to go for option 5 - here is a breakdown of costs (that might help?)

• Hire of hall - £100 - Look for one nearby, you're more likely to know the area. Remember to check if they have plates and glasses. If not you'll need to buy paper plates and ask the bar to supply the glasses
• Disco - £200 - Use a recommendation, don't forget to give advance notice for your first dance
• Buffet - £400 - If there is a kitchen you could always make large batches of chilli and curry - or contact your local college they might welcome the opportunity to get the catering students to cater for an event! This needs to include your toast - look for cheap sparkiling wine, as long as its cold no-one will mind!
• Clothing - Bride, Groom, Best Man, Ushers, Bridesmaids and Paige Boys
• Wedding dress - £400 - It depends what you are after but Debenhams have an ivory strapless gown that will flatter most shapes for £120. Monsoon also offer wedding dresses on the highstreet from around the £200 price. Asda have a wedding selection, due to be on shelves in time for valentines day - prices start at £60. Asda budget wedding dresses are part of their new wedding collection where they claim they can dress both the bride and groom for under £200. The collection also extends to bridesmaid dresses for £30 and pageboy outfits from under £20. So you may even be able to dress everyone with accessories for under £400!
• Flowers - £150 - Focus on bouquets for the bride, bridesmaids and button-holes for groom, best man, ushers and paige boys only. Simpler is usually cheaper so are flowers that are in season.
• Cake - £150 - Contact some of your local bakeries, they can usually do it cheaper - or have a look in asda they do standard white iced fruit and sponge cakes for a lot less.
• Transport - £200 - Contact your local taxi companies, some will have silver executive cars that can be dressed up with a bit of ribbon to transport you. Consider just hiring a car for the bride, can the bridesmaids go in someone elses car?
• Rings - £200 Visit the shops with xmas sales still on, try h samuel and argos. Stick to the plain designs to save yourself more.
• Ceremony - £300 - this will depend on your area and whether you are optioning for a church or register office. also opt for a wedding that is later in the day - say 3 or 4pm, as it means you will only need to feed your guests once!
• Table/ room decorations £50 - have a look in your local pound shop. You should manage to mind some sparkly confetti to throw over the tables with a few balloons and some plain white table clothes.
• Invitations £50 - Try Asda and write them yourself or consider making them. Don't forget to remember stamps. You'll need table place cards and a table plan too, but you can make these.
• Photgrapher £0 - Ask friends and family to take as many photos as they can - you can still have arranged shots just get someone to snap it!

Takes us to a grand total of £2000

Savings - Any savings you make - put towards your first night away, if you make £50 in savings its a travel lodge, if you manage to save £200 you can afford to splash out on somewhere a bit special!

And if you look at the budget breakdown - if you can get a venue to include the hire cost, disco, buffet/ food, table/ room decorations and cake - you've made £900 which would make the £999 wedding worth it!! Especially as most include the bride and groom's first night!

I hope this helps in principle - its good sometimes just to know where to start looking and that shopping in places like ASDA you can still have everything you want, no one will even realise!

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Elle xxx