How to save money on your wedding: start with the legal minimum

In England and Wales, both of you must give notice of marriage in person at your local register office at least 29 days before the ceremony. On the day you need two witnesses. Fees are set nationally but rose by about 10% for most marriage services from April 2026, and individual councils may show slightly different amounts, so check with yours.

A statutory ceremony is short and simple, with you, two witnesses and the registrars, but it is the same legal marriage as any other. Some couples do this on a weekday and hold a separate celebration later. Ceremonies at approved venues cost more, and fees for those vary widely by council and day. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own procedures and fees.

Before looking at venues, each write down the three things that matter most to you about the day: the people, the food, the photos, the dress, the party, the honeymoon. Spend generously on those and cut back on everything else. It stops the budget creeping up item by item.

Then set a total budget based on what you can save, not on what other weddings cost. The savings goal calculator shows what you need to put aside each month to reach it by your date.

Almost every other cost scales with numbers: food, drink, venue size, invitations, favours and chairs. Taking 20 people off the list often saves more than any other single decision. Ways to keep numbers down without falling out:

• Agree clear rules and apply them evenly, such as no plus-ones for people you have not met, or adults only.
• Invite a smaller group to the ceremony and meal, and more people to a cheaper evening reception.
• Decide who gets the final say if parents are contributing and want to add guests.

Once the numbers are set, these are the areas where small decisions save hundreds of pounds:

Weddings involve large deposits paid months in advance, so protect them:

• Read contracts for cancellation terms, what happens if the supplier goes out of business, and any extra charges.
• Use a credit card for deposits of more than £100 on a single item (up to £30,000). Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the card provider is jointly liable if the supplier fails to deliver, even if you only put part of the cost on the card. Clear the balance in full so you do not pay interest. See our guide to Section 75 protection.
• Consider wedding insurance once you have paid significant deposits, and check what it covers for supplier failure and cancellation.

A wedding loan or credit card balance can follow you for years after the day. Saving in advance is cheaper and less stressful:

1. Open a separate savings account or pot for the wedding so the money is not mixed with everyday spending.
2. Set up a monthly standing order for the day after payday, sized to reach your total by a month before the wedding, when final balances are usually due.
3. Add windfalls such as bonuses or tax refunds.
4. If you prefer a game, a savings challenge like the 52-Week Challenge can cover a chunk of the cost.

SYM can help here: it tells you how much to put aside each day for your goal and one tap logs it. Our guide to a wedding without debt has more on planning the timeline.

If parents or grandparents are contributing, wedding gifts have their own inheritance tax exemption: up to £5,000 from each parent, £2,500 from each grandparent and £1,000 from anyone else, in addition to the normal £3,000 annual gift exemption. Gifts must be made on or shortly before the wedding.

After the wedding, check whether you can claim Marriage Allowance. If one of you earns less than the £12,570 Personal Allowance and the other is a basic rate taxpayer, the lower earner can transfer £1,260 of their allowance, saving up to £252 a year. Then put any leftover wedding savings towards your next goal.