Weddings are an expensive business, with prices soon soaring when you add up the price of dresses, make-up, food and venue – and that’s not even including any hidden extras.
So we can’t help but give a round of applause to Staci Gibson, who managed to plan her dream day on a shoestring budget of just £500.
We love a thrifty bride.
Newlyweds Staci, 31, and her husband Grant, 37, from the West Midlands, were amazed at the generosity of friends and family when the ongoing coronavirus pandemic meant they were forced to shelve their dreams of a big wedding.
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The pair, who met five years ago through online dating, cut down their planned day, and decided to have a registry office ceremony followed by a reception at home.
Discussing their low-budget ceremony, Staci explained: “It only cost £160 to get married at a local registry, it looks like a church and the building was perfect for photos.
“We are glad it was a small wedding with 30 guests, it was perfect for us, not just for the money we saved, but for how we imagined our day would be.
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“No part of me really wanted a big fancy wedding, it would have been money wasted so I have no regrets on how we did it, It was perfect for us.”
Staci, who is mum to daughters Morgan, 10 and Shelby, eight, as well as the couple’s son Jett, two, also made the buffet that her guests enjoyed at her house.
“I did all the food and drink with my daughters on the morning of the wedding, before we got ready,” she said.
“Our friend is a baker and she made our cake as a wedding gift to us, it was beautiful.”
The couple's family hired a professional photographer and Staci said: “The photos are our memories of the day and that’s something you can’t put a price on, we wanted to make sure we had the photos to look back on our special day.
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“We saved money on the things we thought were unnecessary like favours and gifts for the bridal party. I feel all the added extras are just added stress you don’t need. Focus on why you’re getting married and who you want there not the bits no one remembers anyway.”
Staci saved more money by making the bouquets herself, buying decorations second hand and finding her wedding heels from Primark for just £10.
The bride even bought her wedding dress from Asos and using a promo code she bagged the dress for just £56 – far cheaper than the thousands people often fork out.
Staci saved money on jewellery by getting pieces from childhood fave, Claire’s Accessories, and had a pal sort out her hair and make-up on the wedding day.
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Staci was so money-savvy, she was stunned to realise that the pair received more than £800 in gifts after their wedding - £300 more than what they spent on the big day.
“I was amazed if I’m honest, I opened cards and gifts and couldn’t believe it.
“So many people start married life in debt with a huge bill for the wedding day and we had actually made money from our wedding day.
“We have amazing family and friends who helped us do things cheaply and who were so generous with their gifts. We so are lucky.”
And now, Staci is hoping her money-saving ceremony can encourage those who want to marry but are short for cash that you can still have an amazing day on a budget.
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“If you’ve got the cash and want to spend it then great, but if you haven’t, you can still have the big day on a small budget,” she said.
“A simple wedding isn’t a bad wedding.”
Featured Image Credit: CatersTopics: Life, Real Life, Wedding