How to Save Money in Your Wedding, Part 3

Female: Well thank you so much for coming in. So what other things like the cake, the flowers, the DJ all adds up. Michael Taylor: It does all add up, and having a friend or relative who could not make a cake for you as well. You do have to stick with tradition as having something little bit different makes it all more personal. But the DJ in the evening, I think like nowadays, people are getting a bit tired of the idea of having this chaps stood at the front of the room. Nobody can not listen or understand putting together his playlist. Female: Disco day and the lights. Michael Taylor: That’s it. Peroxide perm! Female: Yeah. Michael Taylor: And I think those days are gone. The reality is now and you can plug an MP3 player into any sound system. Make your own playlist. Because even if you go on any major websites they have recommended playlist for weddings, so you can just literally like copy that and put that straight in the MP3 player. Use friends and families coming on to like photography. As I mentioned earlier on, if you have a non-Saturday wedding, in the weekday or Sunday, photographers will typically probably do it for about half the price that they would charge on a Saturday. And what is good is that you probably got friends and family that can take lots of pictures as well that might capture lots of different moments throughout the day. Female: Yeah. I think I have three friends that shoot perfectly fine and in my wedding when it finally arrives then that could be the cameras. Michael Taylor: We can always perhaps rent a few friends out for the day as well. Female: What about florist as well, can you go into florist and haggle for prices? Michael Taylor: Well, one of the most recent tips that I picked up was going to actually quiet a few flower markets that you can get up early in the morning, have a dry run a few weeks before then and what’s fun is you can do it for a fraction of the cost. If you like live out or you’re having your wedding out in the country side, put in together like flowers with light straw and other bits and piece from the country side can also look like really special. And if you are getting married in the church, you can always approach the ladies idea about the flowers and church as well and perhaps what they will charge you for putting together a nice bouquet for you. Female: And I think sometimes as well if you keep it kind of understated rather than going crazy with bouquets of flowers everywhere, just have a few flowers on the table is really nice kind of understated and you can see the other guests across the table. Michael Taylor: It does, and remember it’s you that’s going to notice that not everybody else is going to appreciate all of the time and effort that you’ve put into it. It’s your special day, so you don’t make it count. Female: So obviously, you’ve told us how we can save money on the wedding dress, but what about the bridesmaid and the male as well. Michael Taylor: The man is quiet an interested one because there’s very little cost difference now between hiring a suit and there are so many Indian tailors now in the UK that operate. One tailor who the groom, the best man and two other ushers from the 300 Pound and each had made to measure suits came in measured them up, they got made out in Thailand and they were like shipped out literally a week or two before the big day. Female: That’s amazing. What about though if your man doesn’t ever wear a suit, so that’s going to be the one time he bought—he has to get a suit and then never wears it again, truly you could maybe hire one. Michael Taylor: Hiring one must perhaps a lot of high street retailers now offer specific suits that are very, very cheap and very credit aware not since Ben is now starting to do products that are credit crunch aware and you can actually put together a suit. If you’re hiring it, it runs about 50 to like 80 Pounds you cannot hire the suit and buying actual suits off the tag, cheapest one I’ve seen is running about 114 Pounds for jacket and trousers. Female: I think it’s about to go on hire. You have to get it dry cleaned you can just send it to trade back. Michael Taylor: You do. But the trouble is with the chaps is that we always come away with chucking something down. It’s—but ripping it and all those other unidentified drinking injuries that come along as well. Female: That’s the shoe. What about as well for the bride, because she wants to make herself feel very special for the day there’s lots of pampering and preparation that has to go into it? Michael Taylor: Well, beauty treatments as well a lot of girls even—let’s talk about friends that are not very good at doing makeup. I’ve had a couple of examples where people had paid a professional and really been disappointed and of course they’re too embarrassed to say that they are disappointed with the outcome of it. So have a dry run a couple of weeks beforehand and try a couple of friends and see what works and it’s the same for make up which we talked about before hand. Female: Yeah, and I suppose hair, just get someone’s come out with the —and do it yourself. Michael Taylor: It is. And it’s actually old school hair dressers the ones that you see the old ladies go to they are more experienced in pinning hair up than some of like the modern saloons are. So often, give them a go. Female: Well, Michael thank you so much for coming in and sharing your top tips with us. Michael Taylor: Well thanks for having me on and I just like to say to your viewers at home if they want to get more information they can pull down our wedding planner spreadsheet off the website and also all the tips that we’ve talked about as well are all listed up there. Female: Great! Under five grand, is that the challenge? I’m sure you can do it.