Even the most standards of weddings can have a budget that runs into the thousands. In today’s tight times our average spend on a wedding is £20,000! There are so many things that need to be done that the cost can soon rise so here are a few areas where you might be able to save. Be warned though you may have to sacrifice some of your ambitions as the real cost comes from designing the dream wedding.

The Right Place

Most people will set out with big ideas of luxury hotels and beautiful buildings. Unfortunately for most of fairy tale simply cost too much. It is not unusual for the top end venues to cost the entire budget of the average wedding. I know of a couple of venues in Ware that charge over 20,000 for the hire of the venue. At this point most people realise that they have to be a little more realistic but there are plenty of places that can provide a beautiful day. The unsuspecting village halls is underused for this purpose but perfect in every way. Okay so they don’t have the grand architecture that stately homes do but they are more often than not clean, tidy and full of space. You need to have the ability to be creative and see some things potential, but with some small tweaks and a bit of love these places can be completely converted into your dream venue.

cakey cakey cakey

A nice designer, handmade wedding cake can set you back hundreds! Heavy wedding cake is often not even what people want after a big meal! They do look great standing as a sculptor, but with so much wastage you have to wonder if it’s worth it. What you are paying for is the time it takes to create these masterpieces which will eventually end up in a belly or in a bin. The cake, like many aspects of the wedding, is a bit of a showpiece rather than a necessity.

An alternative to expensive wedding cake is small individual cakes. The ultimate cheap way to do it is to bake and decorate them yourself. You will quite often find that most people will prefer a lighter cake, so something like a sponge should prove more popular and save feeding the bin. Presentation is key so jazz them up with decorations and icing and show them off by putting them on tiers like the real thing. These little cakes are great because they are easy to cook and can look great for just a few £’s instead of hundreds.

Deciding on an invite

Amazingly it is estimated that the stationary on average will cost £600′s! So if you invite 100 guests that’s £6.00 per guest just to invites them. It really doesn’t need to cost that much.

The cheapest way would be to send an e-mail invite or e-vite. The stumbling block for this is that not everyone is as clued up technologically as us young ones. In order to cater for everyone a physical invite is going to be best. The obvious is to send a card but why?

I would suggest that you buy a some nice paper, nice envelopes and design your own fancy letter invite. Most cards are not kept for long after they are opened so it is not critical that the invite comes in that format. The trick is in the presentation, if you make a nice job then it will be impressive.

Sprucing up the place

It is easy for the flower budget to get pushed. A professional florist can charge a great deal of money. It’s no easy task selecting flowers and arranging them so you’re paying for someone’s skill. The disposable nature of flowers also adds to the cost.

There are a multitude of places from which you can purchase flowers. Florists are the favourite place for wedding flowers but if you’re a little more flexible there may be more solutions. The local superstore always has a great selection of cut flowers so why not to pick some last minute from there. There is always plenty of colour on offer and if you speak to the manager they should be able to order a particular bouquet in sufficient numbers for your wedding. The only thing left to do from here, is set is all up. With even half of budget of the average wedding flowers you should be able to buy a substantial amount . The great thing about this is that the Bunches are already arranged for you so the hard part is already done.

Guest list

Selecting who to come can be a dangerous business. You have to tread the line of not offending anyone but not going over your budget. There is no easy message here, you just have to be brutal. The easy solution would be to invite everyone you have ever known and ignore the budget, but that is just unrealistic. Restrict the invites to just those closest friends and closest family members. It’s easy to get lost in the splendour and forget the point of the event in the first place. The guest list is about quality not quantity. By inviting too many people you will reduce the amount of time you have to spend with those closest to you. A wedding should be a once in a lifetime moment, can you really justify opening that to people you hardly see any more?

This article was written by Adam Barnes of VenueShire

Santander credit card debts and how to help manage them.

Santander are not only one of the biggest banks in the United Kingdom, but have been growing as a company for around one hundred and fifty years. More recently, their branches have started appearing all over the world by buying out or merging with well known brands, such as; Abbey National, Alliance & Leicester and are in the process of taking over 318 Royal Bank of Scotland branches in the United Kingdom.

Like any bank, Santander offer their customers several different methods of credit, ranging from over drafts, personal loans, mortgages and of course, the worlds favourite line of credit, credit cards. If you are having problems with any Santander debt, then it is important to get some free debt advice to see exactly where you stand financially.

Santander offer two main credit cards, one which offers you a cash back facility where when you spend money in certain places, like supermarkets, department stores or petrol stations, Santander will give you a percentage of what you spend back at the end of the year. For example, if you spend money at a supermarket, you will receive 1% of the total amount spent. If you use your 123 cash back card at department stores, then you will receive 2% back of the spend. The same applies for petrol stations, but this time you will receive 3% cash back. It’s quite clever really – Santander know that with the price of petrol going up and up, people are spending more money at the pumps and if they get an incentive to earn 3% back, then people, in theory, should jump at the chance to load the credit card up instead of taking off their bank balance by using their debit card. Because credit card companies, like Santander charge for merchant services, they recoup the money given to you as cash back – and of course making some on top too.

This type of strategic marketing by Santander is very clever and gets their customers using their products – whether they can afford to pay them back or not. Credit card debt is a growing problem in the UK but luckily, getting help with credit card debt is pretty easy these days. There are lots of companies in the UK that can help you with your debts, but before signing up to a company, make sure they offer free debt advice. This way, you can ask the company exactly what is best for you – because after all, everyone has different circumstances. What might be a fantastic debt solution for one person, may be wrong for someone else – that is why a reputable company will take you through different options of help before you sign up to anything – remember, help with debt is important!

One of the biggest investments an individual or business can make is property development. This might entail constructing a complex from the ground up. The process may also involve refurbishing existing buildings or purchasing them in order to convert their original purpose into a new one. Regardless of the reasons behind acquiring the property, money must be exchanged to do so. Ending up in the red is certainly not what an investor wants, and in order to not only stay in the black, but to thrive, one must know how to maximize the return on investment.

Prospective homeowners who know their stuff are aware that it is all about location. Property developers should follow their lead. Take a very close look at the locale of the property you wish to deal with. It must be favorably positioned to allow suitable customers easy access to the storefront, apartment, home, or whatever you are developing. Also, it needs to be in a town or city that is not on the decline. Consider a business you know that has closed its doors and ask yourself why it is no longer in operation. It may be due to poor planning in one of these areas. A good location must be accessible and by a population that is growing.

There is a saying in business that in order to make money, you have to spend money. Anyone who has successfully developed property knows this to be true. Take for instance a rental property. In order to entice tenants who would make ideal renters to the house or apartment, it must be clean and pleasing to the eye. Shoddy conditions will not be attractive to the type of renters who can afford fees that would maximize the return on your investment; unless you wish to be a slum lord, and that is certainly no good. You must do what it takes to fix the place up, whether it is new flooring or fresh paint. The money you spend in refurbishing the place leads to more money in the future.

As lovely as you make a rental or as entertaining as your amusement park is, you cannot expect to drum up interest if no one knows your property exists. Just like in any business venture, you must advertise and market in order for your property to turn a profit. Radio ads, television spots, and internet sites are all effective marketing tools. The process begins when ground is broken as well. Picture the signs that announce what business is coming soon to a particular construction site and you get the idea.

When developing property, the mechanisms behind maximizing the return on investment are the same as many of those for creating a successful business of any kind. Location near suitable customers is essential. The property should also appear enticing. Finally, some money must be devoted to the promotion of your property. If you follow these practices, then you will receive the maximum return on your investment.

Now Try – Property Development