Guide to getting Married Of course you want a fairytale wedding, but being up to your eyes in debt isn’t a good start to married life. The solution is to set a realistic budget and manage your money...
Before you sit down and start planning your wedding you need to be realistic about the amount of money you have to spend. The average cost of a wedding in Ireland is £14,500 or €19,000 but this can vary hugely depending on the style, you need to ensure that costs don’t spiral out of control.
SMART WAYS TO SAVE MONEY
THE VENUE – Forget traditional wedding venues and look at hosting a reception in a elegant pub, favourite restaurant, sports club, or even in a family /friend’s house.
 FLOWERS – Flowers are gorgeous but they can be expensive. To save money stick to those varieties that are in season at the time of your wedding and don’t be afraid to recycle displays, for example an arrangement for the church doorway can be moved to the reception. Follow the modern trend for minimalism and use several small vases, each containing just a few stems as stunning table centrepieces. Don’t forget that other natural produce such as fruits, grasses and even vegetables (such as pumpkins in Autumn) can make impressive displays.
FOOD & DRINK – Start by informing your caterer/venue of your food and drink budget and ask what they can do with it – most will be happy to suggest innovative and creative dishes and wines that match your pocket. Buffets are always cheaper than sit down meals and brunch or afternoon tea makes an elegant but less expensive alternative to dinner. You could also hold a Garden Party, picnic or BBQ. Don’t feel that you need to impress your guests – actress Kate Winslett famously served her guests bangers and mash and you’ll find that inexpensive, everyday food always goes down well. Swap champagne for sparkling wine (few will be able to tell the difference) and welcome guests with a fruit punch or mulled wine.
THE CAKE – Designer cakes are works of art and don’t come cheap. You can save a small fortune by buying a plain ‘wedding cake’ from a food store or bakers and decorating it yourself with fresh flowers, feathers of fruit. Alternatively ask your cake maker to create a small decorated cake for the cutting ceremony and some plainer cakes which can be kept in the kitchen to serve to the majority of your guests. Your wedding cake can also double up as dessert, especially if you opt for a chocolate creation, French coquembouche (a tower of profiteroles) or rolled fondant cake.
STATIONERY- Many couples today save hundreds of pounds by making their invitations, orders of service, menus and thank you cards themselves. Unusual handmade paper with hand-written lettering looks great, but takes ages to do. Think about designing your own stationery on your PC or take a more alternative route and email or text your invitations.
THE DRESS - You can spend anything from £200 to thousands of pounds on a wedding dress, but smart shoppers can save hundreds of pounds by browsing the sale rails or buying their dream dress ‘of the peg’ ie buying the store sample which can be reduced by up to 50%. Another money saving option is to seek out hire and nearly new wedding dress stores. If you love the couture look but can’t afford the price tag buy a simple wedding dress from bridal shop or chain store stores (BHS, Debenhams and Monsoon are great) and speak to a dressmaker about giving it that ‘wow’ factor by adding lace, beading and other finishing touches. Evening dresses can also make very glamorous wedding gowns, so go dress shopping in the party season.
FAVOURS– Inexpensive and fun ideas include small potted plants, a scented candle, drink miniatures, fortune cookie, jellybeans, sparklers, chocolate money, foil balloons.
PHOTOGRAPHY– Pictures will last a lot longer than most of your memories, so always try and get the best photographer that you can afford. A good way to economise without compromising on quality is to swap a high-priced wedding photographer with a freelance photographer from a local newspaper - many shoot weddings on the side. Instead of asking the photographer to put together your wedding album, ask for prints of the photos that you like and buy your own album.
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Planning 
I posted 4 photos on Facebook in the album "Bridal inspiration from Cannes...." 
