Your wedding is said to be the most important day of your life, but the build-up can also be a stressful time, especially financially. So, is there any way to make your big day more affordable?
There’s no doubt that hosting a wedding is expensive, but choosing the right way to pay for it could provide you with the wedding of your dreams, still within budget! In this guide, we plan to help you turn your wishes into reality by outlining ways in which you can fund your wedding day.
Look at the average spend
The best place to start is with a bit of research. Look into the average spend of a wedding in the UK or whichever destination you have chosen for your venue. It was reported in The Independent that more than half of married Brits have expressed regret in terms of how much they ended up spending on their wedding day. Do not let this be the case for you – research is the best way to avoid post-martial regrets in the financial department.
According to recent statics, the average price of a wedding in the UK is currently at a record high of £27,161 – which is up 9.6% from 2016. The price takes into account venue hire, ceremony, caterers, photographers, dresses, suits and entertainment.
The average Asian wedding in the UK was said to cost up to £50,000, and Jewish weddings at an average of £55,000.
Get help from family or friends
It has long been the tradition for the bride’s family to pay for the wedding in full, however, in the 21st century, this has become a dying trend. In most cases, the cost is now up to the two people who are getting married. However, it is not uncommon for both parties’ parents to contribute towards the price of the wedding.
If you are lucky to be in a position where friends or family members can contribute or pay in whole for parts of your wedding, this can ease the strain when planning and booking all the elements of your big day.
Work out whether one side of the family is going to cover the costs, or whether both are paying for it. Is it going to be a combination of parental contributions and your own money, or are you solely going to rely on help from family?
Naturally, it will vary between traditions and customs. For Hindu weddings, the groom’s side pay for the reception and the bride’s side pay for the ceremony, and the remainder can be a combination approach.
In Jewish tradition, the groom’s parents are usually required to play for FLOP (flowers, liquor, orchestra and photographer).
Looking at financial products
While many save up for their own or child’s wedding day, it is not uncommon to take out a personal loan to pay for a wedding. In fact, it is now something offered by many mainstream banks and lenders both in branch and online.
Taking out a loan can be an expensive way to pay for a wedding, but it can be an effective way of covering all the costs with the flexibility to repay in monthly instalments over time, making the price of the wedding easier to digest.
If you or your parents have a good credit rating, there are unsecured personal loans available for up to £25,000 or even £50,000 at interest rates below 10% per annum, which are repaid over five years. For those with a less than perfect credit score, there is also a guarantor loan option, where you apply for the loan in your name but use a parent to ‘guarantee repayment’ and agree to repay if you cannot. There is no upfront cost to the parent involved – they are only called upon if payment is in arrears.
Get a new credit card
A credit card can be an affordable way to borrow the money needed to pay for your wedding, as long as you use the card sensibly.
0% purchase credit cards will let you spend without incurring interest on the purchases you make for a set number of months. This essentially means that you can spread the costs over time, which is classed as interest-free.
Be aware that you may only be eligible for this type of credit card if you have a good credit rating in place. Furthermore, do not rely on the credit card limit to be able to cover all wedding costs, and only use it for certain elements of the celebration.
For more information, visit guarantorloancomparison.co.uk
