Wedding Hacks on a Budget – Part 4

In this four-part series we have been looking at the following aspects of organising a wedding:

1. Venue and decoration
2. Food
3. Dress
4. Entertainment

Our last article focused on how to buy your dream wedding dress on a budget. In this, our final article, we are going to look at entertainment.

The kind of entertainment you have at your wedding is totally your choice. Don’t feel you have to follow the crowd or do something just because someone else has. Do what is right for you.

It will also depend on the kind of celebration you are having. For example, if you are just having a lunch party after the wedding then you may decide not to have any entertainment at all. But if you are having an evening party then you may want to have something. Again, it’s up to you.

But if you do choose to have some entertainment at some stage, it doesn’t have to cost the earth. Here are some ideas that may help.

A live band
If you decide to have a live band then the best thing to do is to ask around. There are many function bands around and some can be very expensive. So don’t just go online and book the first band you find. If you enlist the help of family and friends you are likely to be able to get something much cheaper.

Bear in mind that you will need to pay the band something – that’s only fair – and that things will work best if you make them feel welcome, and provide refreshments etc. The better you treat your band the more they will want to make your event really special.

So ask around: does anyone know anybody who could do you a good gig at a good price? If not, try looking locally. There is bound to be a local music scene in your area. Look for Open Mics and bands in pubs being advertised and go along to network and make contacts. You may well find a local band that are prepared to do your event at a very fair price and will be just as good as an aspiring semi-pro function band.

Also try local colleges:  whether contemporary music colleges, universities or 6th form colleges – there is a wealth of talent out there.

DJ
If you prefer a DJ playing tracks then a lot of the above applies here too. Try word of mouth or local networking. Also ask the venue because they may have a resident or regular DJ, or may know of someone to recommend.

Another option to consider here is whether one of your friends would be prepared to do something a little lower key. For example, a specially chosen playlist on an iPod going through some kind of speaker system can work very well; and can sometimes be preferable to someone constantly talking over the microphone!

Background entertainment
For an afternoon reception or perhaps as part of an evening function, you may want something else going on in the background. Whether this is a string quartet, table magician, photo booth, children’s entertainment or anything else of your choosing … anything is possible!

In all these cases the first thing to do is ask around. As we have said in other articles in this series, if there is someone in your circle of family and friends who can help – either by doing it for you or asking someone they know – then why not make this their wedding present to you? Every little helps.

The next step is to go local: your ideal solution may be just around the corner! Be open-minded as to where you find your entertainment and you may be delighted with the results.

We hope that this series has been helpful and that you are now more confident and inspired about arranging your wedding on a budget.

If at any stage of the proceedings you need a short term boost to your finances then contact us to discuss an unsecured personal loan. This is a loan that you can take out just for a short period to cover expenses then pay it back as soon as you finish juggling money around! If we approve your application the money can be with you the same day! You can apply online or call us on 0330 400 0403; so do get in touch if you would like some help.