Ask Martin Lewis Anything Live: 'How can I have a wedding on a low income?'

[johnharrison]

Well said Martin. Me and my wife were married in 1984 at the registrar office for £12. Been happily married now 40 years.

[Kincoran]

I have so, so much more respect and admiration for people who can have that low-key, sincere, fun and comfy kind of a wording, happily, than those that feel too weak to stand up to the social pressure to make their wedding look like some sort of epic event, full of stress and immense debt.

[Greguk]

I agree, we spent £1000 on our wedding. Bought my suit and the church flowers from M&S, used a car and driver from a mate to get to the church, bought the wedding dress off the peg in the January sales for less than half price, and booked a room at our local pub for the reception with a lovely fixed price menu. Only first drink was free, everyone had a fantastic day and the money saved bought our first house as a deposit

[NicMG]

We spent less than £500 on our wedding, we had a 2 witnesses at the Cermony ( registry office ), we bought our wedding rings off an independant etsy seller for £80 quid, outfits off Aliexpress, looked the part, wouldn't have even noticed if we didn't tell people. We had the 'Reception' a local pub inviting anyone who wanted to come but it was pay for your own meal affair. It was lovely! The only extra expense was paying for a cheap hotel stay in a local city for our 'Honeymoon'. You don't need to break the bank, It's more than doable.

[chrysalis]

My son married his wife at the register office with just the two mums as witnesses then we went for a meal at an Italian restaurant. It was a nice day and cost hardly anything.

[cindyharrison]

I agree love is all you need to get married. It's a promise not a free booze up.❤

[TheBaldOne]

I literally took my immediate family (around 10 people), wore some new clothes (not suits), and took them with me to the register and then bought them all a nice lunch.

Saved tons of money, enjoyed every moment of it and 17 years later i still love my wife like the day i met her.

I recently went to a wedding were the brides father paid 78k pounds, just to put that into perspective it was the price of my flat back home!

If you can afford it, go for it, if you can't don't do it, don't take loans, don't spend money you don't have, gather your inner circle and celebrate accordingly.

Marriage is about you and your partner, not about having a fancy party.

[timothypeacock]

So true, society has pressured people to have “The Wedding “ but it’s not necessary. It the wedding vows that are important, not the venue, champagne, and posh cars. The making of commitment publicly is the important bit. Rebecca x

[Akimbo]

Spending 20k on 1 day is just a bad financial decision - do the wedding on the cheap and then splurge on a big wedding party which can be as simple as renting a venue with a bar

That's the part people care about - the ceremony itself is boring and drawn out

[jacquelinearcher]

Apparently the Avg wedding is 20k now and the they say people cant afford to buy a house 🤷🏻‍♀️but can a wedding..the world is on its head .

[Anonymouseys]

We got married for very little because we had nothing at the time. We still had a church wedding but we were driven by family and had our reception at home. All the flowers, food and drink came from the supermarket and most of our guests helped out with small things. We enjoyed our wedding, our guests enjoyed our wedding and most importantly, we are still happily married nine years later. You don't need a fancy wedding. That's just your ego speaking to you.

[StevePiner-mx]

Martin get into government your better then these bloody video get into government please tax bills your better than that please stop get your suit on get out there

[gogreengameon]

I wish more women and my gay friends could understand this concept. It shocks me how much needless debt they are in, for no good cause, and the stresses they suffer.

[aaronmccardie]

I did my wedding on a budget of £1500 10 years ago it was the best day of my life you don't need to spend a fortune that's just for show .by all means if you can afford it then do so but it's not needed like most marriages they end anyway.

[nikki_jp]

I had a small wedding, registry office and friends at home, it wasn't expensive. My friends loved it as did we, because it was joyful and relaxed. Truly a wonderful day, and you I couldn't have gone more formal than that!

[Taylor___]

Basically don’t pay for everyone else’s food and drink. 😂 and buy lab grown diamonds and save a fortune. The diamond market is a huge con.

[radfoo]

Completely agree. I said the same thing before our wedding. She overruled.

Its not just a social pressure for some people. For some such as my ex it was a show, a fantasy, a way to create drama when none was needed.

[surchinserenity]

We've been married for 50 years, after the first two weeks I said that it was the worst £3.50 I ever spent.

[angelamacmillan]

How will the new teachers' pay offer affect me as a teaching assistant? I work in an academy.

[JediDarkForce]

You marry the State not the person. Don't get married.