A mum has revealed how she created her dream wedding on a budget for less than £2,000 – including her wedding dress and honeymoon.
When Charlotte Deering started planning her wedding day, she dreamed of tying the knot in an Alice in Wonderland-themed soirée.
But as she and her husband, Caine, 26, live a frugal lifestyle and believe people spending thousands on one day is “ridiculous” the childhood sweethearts got creative and utilised their savvy skills.
The stay-at-home mum, 27, set herself a personal challenge of £2,000 for the entire affair in August 2023, including their honeymoon – with her dress costing only £10 from Tesco.
“I wanted to do it as cheaply as possible and I scoured everywhere for the best deals,” Charlotte, from Cheshire, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“I love to be frugal and show people that you don’t need to spend thousands to have what you like – with a little extra work, it’ll come together without the huge price tag.
“It’s all for one day after all and for me, it’s not worth getting into debt and stressing over.
“I wanted to enjoy every second and know we had done it all our way while ensuring to cut costs.
“I haggled for cheaper prices, used coupons and free trials, as well as any sales, including Tesco, where I found the perfect wedding dress for £10.”
Charlotte and Caine, who decorated their venue, a local hall, themselves and hired the space for £100, kept costs low by asking guests to pay for their own drinks.
In a bid to tie in with her chosen theme, the pair purchased fake flowers, jar lights, and candles from discount site, TEMU, along with scouring cashback websites for extra savings.
She tasked her sister with making the cake, her sister-in-law with making 100 cupcakes, and haggled with the catering company to serve 90 guests with street food for only £760.
And for a DJ, they used a free trial of Spotify premium, with their wedding rings costing £30 from Argos.
She said: “Instead of sending out invites, I created a Facebook group, which saved us hundreds of pounds on postage alone.
“I was able to keep everyone up-to-date and message people easily.
“I bought some Alice in Wonderland bits from Amazon, such as teapots, which really made the whole day feel unique and brought the Mad Hatters’ Tea Party to life.
“I also searched for any discount codes available while shopping around, which helped with keeping the decoration costs low.
“For the sweets table, I bought a tub of them from B&M and dished them out into jars which we gave to children as party favours.
“I popped to Iceland and grabbed some frozen bits for snacks in the evening, which only cost £30.”
Charlotte also hit the jackpot by utilising the 20% off first orders discount from ASOS, with Caine’s suit costing £120 in total – which he’s now using for work too.
She purchased fake nails for 90p, her shoes from Shein for £12, and learned through YouTube how to style her hair and makeup.
The mum said: “I wanted a certain hairstyle, so I watched tutorials online and used an old sock to fix a bun in place.
“YouTube was my best friend for all things makeup, nails, and hair – as with a bit of practice, it’ll save you a fortune.
“I felt so relaxed on the big day, as I didn’t have the rush of getting into the hairdressers.
“I got up early, took my time and I wasn’t worried in the slightest.
“I got to enjoy every second and it was quick and simple.
“I didn’t expect so many lovely comments, but everyone was absolutely amazed.
“The people who run the venue took pictures and said it was the nicest wedding they’ve ever had.
“Our family and friends thought it cost us a fortune and I had so many compliments on my dress.
“People were in disbelief about how cheap it was and quite a few said it’s given them inspiration for their own wedding dress.
“I’ve been wearing it throughout summer, so it’s gotten plenty of use out of it – it was important for me to buy something I could wear again.”
In a bid to keep costs even lower, their ceremony took place at the registry office, costing £150, with only their parents and daughter present.
Charlotte and Caine had no bridesmaids or a best man and asked friends to snap photos of them at their local park to avoid paying for a photographer.
For the mum, her biggest advice is “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
She said: “It’s important to ensure you’re getting the best deal, but at the end of the day, anything off is a saving.
“I asked to pay in full and if they could reduce the cost slightly since they didn’t have to wait for payment.
“It’s also really good to see if you can pull in favours from people you know and ask for their help as a wedding gift.”
Now, they’re looking forward to their mini-moon to Sand Le Mere, Yorkshire, which has cost them £120 through The Sun holidays at the end of September 2023.
The mum, who shares her savvy tips on Instagram, (@themoneyferret), believes her wedding was “better than most” and is gifting centerpieces to family for Christmas as keepsakes.
Charlotte added: “I wanted to ensure that nothing went to waste and had multiple purposes, as that’s very important to us.
“All the decorations are going to be used as gifts to family members and within our own home.
“I have always been savvy and wanted to save money, so I look in charity shops and use discount codes for everything.
“I find it challenging to get the best deals and now, I refuse to pay full price – and I love a good dupe.
“To me, it was super satisfying making sure we saved where we could and everything was completely personal to us.
“It felt good celebrating the day and not worrying about the amount of money it had cost us.
“Don’t worry about pleasing people and just because it’s not traditional, doesn’t mean it’s not special.
“It’s about whatever works for you – but it was a dream come true.”
