Planning a wedding can be overwhelming. However, for everything you do need to organise, there are things you can do without. Salters Events has over ten years of experience planning weddings on every scale, so we’ve learnt a thing or two about what matters most, and what you can get away without. Less can be more, and letting go of things that aren’t essential can free up time, headspace and budget. We believe planning your wedding should be exciting and inspire joy, not leave you feeling anxious or overwhelmed! So in addition to taking care of the catering, we support our clients throughout the lead-up with our top tips and advice. Here are some ideas of things you don’t need on your wedding day, allowing you to focus on what is most important!

1. You don’t need to invite everyone

Restrictions on numbers during COVID times revealed the beauty of a shorter, carefully chosen guest list. However, you don’t need enforced restrictions to justify your decision to invite fewer people. You have permission to only invite those people who matter most. Try thinking of the people in your life as a series of concentric circles, with the most important people in your life at the very centre, and acquaintances on the outside. Friends, relatives and colleagues will all fall somewhere in between. It’s up to you to decide how tightly to draw your circle when deciding who to invite.

Having fewer guests ensures you’re surrounded by the people you really want to share your special day with. It also helps to keep overall costs down and spend your budget on quality details. There are many ways to acknowledge the people in your life outside of your wedding day. Be open about your intentions, communicate with loved ones, and consider separate, smaller celebrations with different groups of people. 

2. You don’t need to over-cater

No one wants their guests to go hungry, but it can be easy to overestimate how much food you really need. Focus on a high quality, satisfying wedding breakfast that your guests can look forward to and will satiate their appetite into the evening, reducing the need to provide extensive canapés. Focus on a few simple high-quality canapés and consider food stations that can be left up all night, allowing guests to graze as they please, taking exactly the amount they want without having food leftover or going to and from the kitchen. This reduces the number of staff you need too and helps to create a relaxed atmosphere. It’s also more forgiving on quantities.

Different people will naturally eat different amounts, so avoiding serving set portions allows the food to go further and reduce waste. Have a plan for what you will do with any leftovers. Local food banks will often collect surplus but make sure to organise in advance and be aware of any food safety requirements. You could also provide sustainable compostable food boxes so that your guests can take home a piece of wedding cake or cheeses!

3. You don’t need huge amounts of alcohol

Avoid overestimating the amount of alcohol needed by working off this reliable formula: 2 drinks per guest in the first hour, and one drink per hour thereafter. It may sound obvious, but simply ensuring there is plenty of water available will keep guests hydrated and reduce reliance on more costly alcoholic drinks simply for hydration!

Not all guests will want to drink alcohol, and many people like to alternate alcoholic and soft drinks as the night goes on, so providing non-alcoholic options ensures everyone’s needs are catered for. There are now more high-end alcohol-free drink brands to choose from than ever before, or ask your catering providers what they can make in house. At Social Pantry, we have an extensive dedicated non-alcoholic cocktail menu, as well as being able to make seasonal fruit cordials, juices, sodas, lemonades and kombuchas from scratch. 

4. You don’t need a photo booth

We all love having fun, spontaneous, behind the scenes photos to look back on. However, you don’t need a photo booth to capture these moments! Photobooths can be expensive and require space and set-up. Polaroid stations set up around the room, or disposable cameras on each table, make an affordable, interactive alternative. The more natural aesthetic of the photos is an unexpected bonus too! You can hire Instax Polaroid cameras from companies such as Snap and Love. Supplying cameras enables guests to leave their phones whilst still capturing every special moment. However, it’s also a great idea to create a shared album or group where people can upload their own photos too.

5. You don’t need a professional florist

Flowers can be one of the biggest wedding expenses, with professional florists charging high rates to reflect their years of training and ability to access the very best blooms. However DIY flower arrangements are on the rise. What’s more, it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach. For example, consider having a professional florist create your own bouquet, flower crown or wedding centrepiece, whilst putting together hand-tied bouquets and buttonholes yourself.

Enlist the help of friends, family and community members with an interest in flowers, and don’t be afraid to ask if anyone has home-grown flowers they would be willing to contribute. If you are having a church wedding, finding out whether the church has appointed members of the community who have arranged flowers previously is a good place to start. Attending a basic floristry course can pay dividends when learning the basics allows you to order flowers in bulk and cost price and arrange them yourself. The Flower School offer a one day Wedding Flower Course designed especially for beginners.

6. You don’t need to buy your wedding dress

Every woman dreams of walking down the aisle in the perfect dress, whether that is a fairytale ball-gown, elegant form-fitting silhouette or free-flowing bohemian maxi. Given that this dream plays out on the wedding day itself, not in owning the dress only for it never to be worn again, renting a dress is an efficient way to save money without compromising on quality. In fact, renting a dress may allow you to wear a dress by a high-end designer that would otherwise be out of budget. Designer bridal rental site By Rotation has seen the number of bridges choosing to rent its dresses grow by six times during lockdown.

The choice of wedding dresses available to rent is extensive. However, unlike buying a fully custom dress, you won’t be faced with infinite and potentially overwhelming choice. Choosing from a carefully curated range with fewer options can reduce anxiety and indecision, whilst giving you the confidence that your dress is right on style. Choosing to rent instead of buy is also more sustainable and set to be the future of more conscious luxury consumption.

7. You don’t need elaborate favours

Wedding favours don’t have to be costly or complicated in order to delight your guests. The most effective wedding favours are personal yet practical. When contemplating a food or drink based gift, think of it an extension of the food and drink you are already offering at your wedding. By concentrating your business with a single supplier, you may be able to get a bulk discount, as well as streamline your wedding planning and reduce the logistical load!

Miniature gifts can involve a disproportionate amount of packaging materials and associated costs relative to size. A wedge of cheese to reflect your wedding buffet, hand-wrapped in a single piece of wax paper, is going to be much more efficient than a miniature bottle of alcohol. If offering a drink to go, explore whether you can repurpose the already decanted bottles used on your big day. Larger quantities may not be more expensive if you are able to close the waste loop. A single bloom attached to a hair slide or jacket pin is a thoughtful gift. Despite its naturally shorter lifespan, it makes use of natural elements already on hand for your wedding.

Take inspiration from sites like Etsy and consider whether you can recreate the same effect yourself to avoid additional costs.

8. You don’t need a professional cake

Professional wedding cakes can be expensive, and homemade cakes with a more simple design can save huge amounts of money without compromising on taste or enjoyment. Your wedding cake is there to be eaten and enjoyed, so begin with the cake you would most like to eat. It’s likely to be a cake that you or a friend or family member have made from scratch with a more humble appearance but irresistible flavour and texture!

Textured buttercream in rough wavy swirls is an easy technique for an amateur baker and aligns with the trend towards a more naturalistic aesthetic. Wedding toppers and florals can be purchased separately so all you really need to find is a brilliant joke baker! You can also spare yourself the pressure of perfection or the risk of a towering tiered cake toppling over by opting for something simpler. 

9. You don’t need to get married on a Saturday

Saturday is the most popular and therefore most costly day to get married. With the backlog of weddings built up over the past few years, sought after venues and wedding services are hugely in demand so opting for a weekday can increase the likelihood of securing your first choice. As a consequence of being less busy and not having back to back weddings to attend in a single day, wedding services may be able to give you more of their focused attention, resulting in a higher quality experience. Associated costs for your guests such as hotel rooms may also be greatly reduced. 

10. You don’t need an expensive photographer

The wedding photos couples cherish most are often not the formal static shots taken by the professional photographer. They are the more spontaneous shots sent to you in the days following the wedding – especially as it’s common to have budding hobby photographers amongst your guest list.

However, it’s understandable to still want to have a professional photographer in attendance to ensure the iconic moments are captured. You don’t however need to hire a seasoned wedding photographer with pricey hourly rates to achieve the desired result.

Social media is a great way to discover local independent photographers. Instagram offers a realistic portfolio of their style and abilities which should give you confidence. Art colleges are ripe with emerging talent, so are a great place to recruit too. 

The dedicated wedding team at Salters Events is always on hand to offer advice as to what to prioritise and forgo when it comes to planning your special day. To find out more about our bespoke catering options, or if you would like our support planning your wedding, please get in touch! We can’t wait to hear from you.