Your wedding day should be one of the happiest days of your life, but unfortunately the pressure and strain of planning your nuptials can be huge. Your wedding budget in particular can be an endless source of stress in the run up to your big day, but it is possible to achieve your dream wedding on a limited budget.

A young bride-to-be who had been scouring the internet in search of her dream wedding gown, finally found one which ticked all the boxes but unfortunately carried a price tag of £1,500. After deciding to explore all her options in the hope of finding a bargain, Mother of two, Emma Dunn came across an accurate reproduction of the dress on eBay. With no reserve price and just 10 minutes of auction time remaining, Emma entered a bid of £2.50 for the beautiful bridal gown.

After an anxious and nail biting wait, Emma picked up an email from her inbox verifying that she had won the auction and that her gown would be dispatched from Shanghai, China in due course.

The elated 23 year old was advised that her wedding dress would be made in China once she had confirmed her measurements, and that she would receive it in approximately six weeks. Emma’s’ ivory coloured satin gown arrived on time via an international courier service, for which she was charged £16.50.

Emma went on to marry her fiancé Paul Worthington in mid-July in the presence of their friends and family. The overall cost of the wedding, inclusive of all outfits, the wedding entertainment and reception was just £3,000.

However, having a limited budget does not necessarily mean that you are limited as to how special your wedding day can be. There are many ways to stay in control of your budget and still achieve the wedding of your dreams.

Contemplate purchasing your wedding invitations online or via mail order . They offer a great choice and the prices are usually unbeatable.

Consider hiring your wedding dress rather than going to the unnecessary expense of purchasing one, after all, its not likely that you will be wearing it again. You could also try shopping at a wedding outlet store, you might find some good deals here and save a fortune against retail prices, remember cheap dresses aren’t necessarily bad dresses. Keep your eye out for bridal accessories here too.

To save money when planning flowers for your wedding, choose flowers can be sourced locally and are in season. Opt for simple, readily available flowers or at least use them for the greater part of the bouquets and arrangements.

Arrange a Champagne reception rather than a sit down meal, but remember to time the reception accordingly to make sure that none of the wedding party expect a meal. Late afternoon would be most appropriate.

Also, find an inexpensive photographer and book them as far in advance as possible. Ask them to take the minimum number of shots that they will consider in one booking and buy some disposable cameras for your reception. Place one at each table and draw on these pictures to complete your wedding album, its probable that many of your guests will find taking the pictures entertaining!