Oxfordshire, the place to marry Oxfordshire 2017 | Page 51

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S
Wedding outfits
Everyone wants to look beautiful on their
wedding day but you don’t need to bankrupt
yourself in the process.
If your budget is very tight, you can easily hire
a dress/outfit from a local shop (look in the
Yellow Pages for information on this). There
will be a wide variety of choices, from the more
traditional styles to those with a modern or
funky twist, with a pleasant price tag attached!
If you are only going to wear it one day in your
life, why spend a fortune on it?
Alternatively, hit the high street in search of a
bargain. Shops like Monsoon and Debenhams
have beautiful gowns/suits to buy from as little
as £100, with matching accessories to boot. If
you opt for a ‘ballgown’ design, you can always
wear it on other smart occasions, thereby
getting even more use out of it.
Finally, for those of you with a conscience,
check out Oxfam’s wedding departments. Some
of the bigger charity shops have a dedicated
section where you might find the dress/outfit
of your dreams at a fraction of the first price.
Not only will you look amazing on your wedding
day but you can feel good that your choice has
benefited someone in need.
Food
The cheapest catering option is to provide your
own food (if you are hiring a hall: restaurants,
hotels and pubs might insist that you use
their catering facilities if you hire a room with
them). A finger buffet can be the cheapest and
easiest option. If you can stretch your budget
more, you can order sandwich platters from
supermarkets or from local delicatessens.
Some supermarkets do wedding cakes at
vastly lower costs than those charged by a
cake maker. Alternatively, see if you have a
relative who is good at baking to come up with
something!
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/registration
Drink
Buying in bulk is the most cost-effective option.
Wine merchants and supermarkets often offer
good discounts on bulk buys, while some places
also offer a glass-hire service, the cost of which
is sometimes refunded if you return the glasses
clean and undamaged at the end. Cava is a
great alternative to champagne, at a fraction of
the price.
Ceremony
If you want a small wedding (yourselves plus
two witnesses) and a short ceremony, you
are able to marry in a register office for the
statutory fee. This is only available on certain
days and times of the week.
Reception
There are various ways of holding a good
reception. You could hire out a room (or
several) in a hotel, and ask them to cater the
event for you. Church and village halls can
be hired fairly cheaply, though you will need
to check in advance if a special licence will be
needed for serving alcohol. Additionally, local
pubs and restaurants often hire out rooms for
celebrations, so look around and see what suits
you best.
Transport
If you want to ride in something unusual on
your big day but your budget is too tight, why
not ask family and friends to see if they can
provide a car (or at least drive you in theirs)? It
is highly likely that someone has a smart sports
car or vintage vehicle that you can borrow. If
not, have some fun decorating your own car, as
Pete did. “We didn’t want to spend a fortune on
a horse-drawn carriage or limo so we bought
some ribbon and balloons and decorated the
car with those. Our friends ‘helped’ us a little
when we drove away from the ceremony to the
reception by adding pots and pans and shaving
foam that said, ‘Just married’ on the back
windscreen. I don’t think a hire car would have
allowed that! It was nice having our car as part
of our wedding day; it made it more personal.”
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