ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING FOR FREE

“We booked it from Friday through to Sunday. Jo Dyer, who lives in Plymouth, had her reception in a village hall. Local community centres are also a popular cost-saving option.

ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING FOR FREE

“We played music on our iPods in the garden and borrowed garden games for free entertainment,” she says. Last July, Jennifer Earle had her reception in a pub. You can also cut costs by throwing a garden party if friends or family have a large enough space, having a picnic in the park or beside a river, or hiring a local pub with a garden. “Even the very best venues have quieter times, so check when they are and negotiate costs if you take an off-peak date, or investigate local restaurants that have a private dining room you could use,” advises wedding planner Liz Taylor of the Taylor Lynn Corporation. Opting for a Sunday or off-peak winter wedding will help you avoid the high rates charged for summery Saturdays. This year there are plenty of white and ivory lace dresses in fashion, which may prove cheaper (fingers crossed, though, that one of your guests doesn’t turn up in the same dress). You don’t have to limit yourself to the wedding department of shops, either. Other ideas include making your own (see .uk for ideas) or buying material and paying a local seamstress. Alex Fittonīrides happy to wear “something borrowed” could use a friend’s dress or find an outfit for free on websites such as Freecycle or Freegle. I bought plain shoes from Primark and made them sparkly with glue and glitter. I bought plain shoes from Primark and made them sparkly with glue and glitter.” It was a vintage dress and it cost £45.

She says: “It was a vintage dress in a shorter, informal style, and it cost £45. There are also specialist second-hand websites, charity shops and eBay – which is where newlywed Alex Fitton, a London-based chef, found her dress. If you are willing to wear a secondhand frock, check out Oxfam’s online shop or one of its 11 bridal departments across the UK – grooms can have their pick of suits from just £20. The dressīrides spend an average of £1,098 on their dress, according to the magazine You & Your Wedding, but there are an increasing number of cheaper options on the high street, where wedding dresses start from about £150. If you want a religious service costs will vary again – a Church of England wedding, for example, will set you back £413. If you want to get married in an approved venue (you cannot just do it in your local pub), you will need to pay for a registrar, which can easily run to £400 at weekends, and you will also have to fork out for the hire of a venue. The cost of this type of basic, legal service is about the same anywhere in the UK, including more expensive cities such as London. In Chester, for example, hiring a room in the city centre registry office that seats 50 guests costs £49, and that includes the marriage certificate (usually £3.50). That covers fees for the notice of marriage (£35 for each partner) and a brief registry office service on a weekday.

And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar.To be legally married, costs start at around £120.

And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another.

And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love.

On the way to the wedding