Inside nine Adelaide budget weddings that cost between $4k and $15k
These SA newlyweds pulled off their big beachside wedding for 130 guests under budget and put the rest on the bar. See nine weddings that cost $15k or under.
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A lavish, no-expenses-spared wedding is all well and good but it’s not for everyone – for some, budget aside, a small, intimate gathering is the dream scenario.
And for many in 2023, with the soaring cost of living and well-documented challenges of entering the housing market, planning a wedding on a budget is as important as its ever been, especially if there is no Bank of Mum and Dad helping fund it.
Today nine generous couples allow us inside their gorgeous wedding celebrations – in settings ranging from the CBD, to the beachside, a favourite pub and country retreat – sharing their tips for keeping the big day’s budget in check, each spending between $4000 and about $15,000.
This is significantly lower than estimates of the average cost of an Australian wedding which range from $36,000 to $55,000.
Some have opted for large events with 130 guests, others have chosen to keep it small with a guest list of 20 or under.
From baking their own wedding cake, to creating grazing platters for their guests to share, doing their own flowers and sourcing decorative vintage items online or from local op shops, there are plenty of cost-saving ideas.
“We ordered pizzas for the reception, had a grazing table with Krispy Kremes and kept everything as relaxed as we could,” says one of the featured newlyweds.
Another adds: “If you want a small wedding, just do it … this is about you and your partner, and what you can comfortably afford.”
Adelaide celebrant Victoria Edwards says she’s seeing a trend towards smaller celebrations, including elopements, with up to 20 guests, and “micro weddings”, which typically have between 20 and 40 guests.
“As well as the traditional Saturday afternoon weddings, in the last 12 months I’ve conducted weddings on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday … as well as Friday and Saturday mornings,” she said.
“I’ve definitely noticed a shift in the past few years to smaller weddings … it is coming back to being about the couple, rather than about what everyone else expects from them.
“People are wanting to spend money on a house, saving for an overseas trip … the wedding is a nice thing to have but not something they want to break the bank over.”
Looking for inspiration? Here are how nine couples got their dream wedding while sticking to a budget of around $15,000, or less.
Each week three weddings are profiled in the Sunday Mail newspaper. Tied the knot? Submit your wedding.
Jessica Schuller and Mathew Siddall
This down-to-earth couple married beachside – at North Beach, Wallaroo – with 130 family, friends and kids at the heart of their celebration.
The reception was held at Coopers Alehouse, dubbed “Yorke Peninsula’s premium pub”.
“I have nothing against brides who dream of lavish, white weddings … but I just happen not to be one of them,” Jess said.
“(We chose) Coopers Alehouse for its ocean-side location and the wonderful staff who understood us and nailed the beach vibe we were going for.
“Our wedding was family friendly, guests could bring their children … we had about 110 adults and 20 kids.”
The couple’s wedding day budget was set at $10,000 to $15,000.
“At the $12,000 mark we were having so much fun, we decided to extend the bar tab on the night by $3000,” Jess laughed.
“(We wanted) to keep it simple and laid-back to match our personalities. As blue collar parents self-funding our own wedding, we just had no desire for a magazine wedding.”
The couple is also in the process of renovating their “little fishing shack on Weeroona Island we call home”.
“I realised I would prefer nicer tiles on my new floor than an expensive wedding gown and a new veranda instead of a caviar menu,” straight-talking Jess said.
Cocktail food kept costs down while the bride decorated the venue and created her own bridal bouquet out of “sea shells, corals and hot glue”.
“Good friends handmade the beautiful signs and surfboard bench seats for us, we assembled and painted the arbour ourselves (and) offered picnic blankets for guests to sit on the beach, instead of hiring additional chairs … the bridal entry vehicle was a Kombi van donated by A Little Vintage Dream,” she said.
“I bought my dress ($44) and coat ($30) from City Chic during (chance) 70 per cent-off sale.”
Jess said her advice was to “stay true to yourself”: “Try your hardest … not to be influenced by others’ opinions, pamphlets or magazines; if you stay true to what you actually want, even if it’s a new idea, you won’t have regrets and will love your special day and yourselves more for it. Our vows were full of humour and our personalities.”
Leah Cook and Travis Bedford
This couple, who budgeted for an intimate wedding costing between $5000 and $7000, married at the Modbury’s Sferas Convention Centre which offers wedding packages.
“We knew we wanted to plan a small and intimate wedding … we really just wanted to keep it simple – we’d rather spend money on family holidays, making memories with our kids than splurge on one big wedding day,” Leah said.
“Our celebrant, Victoria Edwards, offers registry-style wedding packages where guests are limited to 30 (so) that made it really easy for us to narrow it down to just our closest family and friends.
“Our photographer, Joey’s Photography, also offers an elopement package … we had the most stunning photos taken among the autumn leaves.”
“After the ceremony and photos we celebrated in one of the small bars at Sferas … we had a cocktail-style celebration with food platters and drinks.
“(We loved) that it was simple, very intimate and we celebrated with our nearest and dearest.
“Some may not support your decision for an elopement or small wedding but it’s your day and whatever your reasons may be – whether it be to save money or because you just want it simple – just do what makes you happy and go for it.”
Alana Thompson and Troy Iveson
This enterprising young couple got the wedding of their dreams while coming in under their $15,000 budget.
The couple married in the Sunken Garden at the Adelaide Botanic Garden, later celebrating with 90 friends at The Rob Roy Hotel, Halifax Street.
“We had originally planned to have a larger wedding but decided on a slightly more intimate ceremony as we wanted to celebrate our day with just our nearest and dearest,” Alana said.
“The Adelaide Botanic Gardens provided the perfect setting for our ceremony … we were married in front of a lily pad pond and the most gorgeous little ducklings waddled in during the ceremony and jumped into the pond.”
Major costs included the bride’s designer dress, a $2600 Grace Loves Lace gown.
To keep the costs down at the reception the couple opted for a cocktail-style affair.
“Not having a sit-down menu really was the best decision … our reception was always meant to be a celebration, rather than a formal sit-down reception,” she said.
“We used (Adelaide-based) specialised vendors which saved us a considerable amount … for example, a balloon garland from a balloon garland specialist, rather than outsourcing to an events planner or venue,” she said.
“I have previously worked with dried flower arrangements, so I made all of the table arrangements myself and liaised with the venue who set it all up for me on the day – this saved so much money … (we) made the boutonnieres for the groomsmen.
“We also purchased much off (global online marketplace) Etsy, there are some really affordable and stunning pieces on there … including my pearl veil for $60; it was identical to a designer veil I was considering for $1500.”
The couple said they are grateful for the things shared by family and friends, including the classic Holden Monaro cars used as wedding vehicles and items a “dear friend” had purchased to use at her own wedding a year earlier.
A photographer friend gifted the couple a wedding shoot.
“It is possible to plan the most incredible day to your tastes, just by researching and planning ahead … and comparing costs,” Alana said.
Elisha and Paul Kennedy
Elisha and Paul opted to marry at the quaint, increasingly popular “one-bedroom home on wheels” at Cudlee Creek, Tiny House On The Prairie, sharing their special day with 20 guests.
“Our ceremony was in a beautiful outdoor spot next to the lake, as was the reception,” Elisha said.
“We picked Tiny House because of the amazing views and (owners) Ky and Dion … they were incredibly helpful and made sure the day was as stress-free as possible; they went above and beyond from the first moment we met them.
“We just wanted to marry each other and decided for a small wedding over eloping because we didn’t want to disappoint our family and friends … we just wanted an intimate and relaxed atmosphere.
“The best parts were, the times we got to slow down and connect with each other in such a beautiful location and the times we got to connect with our family and friends.”
As new parents in the process of building a house, the couple set an initial budget of $10,000 but exceeded this by almost $2000.
To keep costs down, Elisha and Paul organised most aspects of their wedding themselves.
“I ordered my dress online which was just under $200 and Paul wore a suit he already had … we ordered pizzas for the reception, had a grazing table with Krispy Kremes and kept everything as relaxed as we could.”
Her advice to other couples?
“If you want to elope, elope … a wedding is about two people making a commitment together and it should be however they want to do that,” she said.
Jo Butcher and Robbie Friday
The couple chose a daytime wedding, keeping the guest list under 20.
The celebration, which included a small bridal party consisting of a bridesmaid and best man, set them back just $4000 and included DIY bridal bouquets, from flowers purchased at Ikea which cost $50.
They married at the Sferas Convention Centre, in Modbury, celebrating with their loved ones at lunch at the Paradiso Cafe, describing the momentous occasion as a “simple, quiet midday ceremony”.
Costs included ceremony and celebrant for, $750; lunch, $800; dress, $200; suit, $500; photographer, $500.
The couple, who had been together for 12 years before officially tying the knot, said they wanted to prioritise savings for house renovations.
“(Together for so long), we didn’t feel the need to make (the wedding) a big deal … we recently bought our first home and wanted to save money to put towards renovations,” Jo said.
“(What we loved most) was spending the day with our loved ones … we enjoyed having the time to spend time with each and every guest – it really just felt like a big family catch-up,” which was lovely.
And her advice to others?
“Only invite the people who will make a difference to your day,” she said.
Bonnie Jansen and Jayden Skeers
Bonnie and Jayden chose The Barns of Freeling to marry, treating their 45 guests to a host of fun activities including mini golf and “beer pong”.
The couple kept costs to under $15,000.
“We knew we wanted something small and simple and with building our house we wanted to keep everything as cheap as possible,” Bonnie said.
“We (also) loved the simplicity and the carefree environment we created where people could just relax and not be required to do things at certain times.
“To keep costs down, we shopped around for multiple quotes and decided to cut things that weren’t important to us.
“We drove ourselves to and from the venue … bought our dress and suit on clearance, got an Airbnb close by instead of staying onsite.
“(We) created the grazing table and did all the decorations ourselves.”
Bonnie said she spent time “op-shopping” for items to use on the day, including table decorations – and also “used things we already had”.
“My bouquet was made from the flowers my work had given me,” she said.
“The only thing we knew we weren’t worried about (in terms of cost) was our photographer, as this was the most important thing for us.”
Bonnie said if she had her day again, she would have the confidence to back herself – and her decisions.
“Don’t make all your plans based around what you think your guests want … the day is about you, not them,” she said.
“So, if you want a small wedding, just do it. If you want to get takeaway food instead of catering then do it. This is about you and your partner and what you can comfortably afford.”
Rebecca Hobbs and Paul Stephenson
This couple decided to tie the knot after two decades of loving each other and kept their wedding at Modbury’s Paradiso Cafe and Cocktail Bar, which included 26 guests, under $5000.
“We just wanted to keep our day simple and intimate,” Rebecca said.
“We loved that having a smaller, more intimate setting and celebration enabled both of us to mingle easily; to speak and spend time with everybody … we thought with our smaller family circle that an intimate ceremony was the best way to celebrate our love with our loved ones.
“We believe that our day – while not for everyone – was perfect for us.”
The celebration included a three-course, sit-down dinner and drinks.
Instead of a professional photographer, the couple asked guests to capture images from the special day.
“We decided to have our reception on site at Sfera’s (Park Suites & Convention Centres) in a smaller room with a sit-down, set menu … we made our own table centrepieces, supplied our own music via the function room’s sound system,” Rebecca said.
“We had a wonderful experience … (it was) intimate, joyous with lots of tears and laughter from all.
“(We had) great food, plenty of drinks and dancing.”
Costs included, $750 for their marriage celebrant of choice and about $2500 for the reception venue and a meals and drink package.
Her advice: “If you are wanting a small beautiful ceremony, this is definitely the way to go”.
Tahlia Forrest and Harley Bodger
We’ve previously celebrated the gorgeous wedding of Tahlia and Harley, shared with 100 guests, but it is so good, it’s worth including in this list also.
The bride looked stunning in a $400 dress from online site Hebeo, worn with white Converse sneakers.
“Our wedding was a beautiful magical day, filled with laughter and love … we did a massive budget wedding for just under $5000 (so) you can definitely pull it off,” the proud bride said, adding her and Harley’s amazing mums were pivotal to the day’s success.
“(My dress) was everything I wished and hoped for … I bought the bridesmaids’ black dresses from Shein for $16.95 and they were absolutely beautiful … (with) beautiful bouquets costing $9 each from Kmart.”
The couple married in a park at Hyde Park Lane followed by a reception at The Highlander Hotel, with all food and drinks supplied for wedding guests.
Tahlia said there were lots of subtle but special touches throughout, including her bridal bouquet created from three bunches of flowers from Kmart, costing $9 each, to “represent” the couple’s three daughters.
“(A highlight) was having our beautiful three daughters a part of our day,” she said.
Kylie Nankivell and Craig Burford
OK, so Kylie and Craig budgeted for between $15,000 and ended up spending $17,000 but the effort is nevertheless impressive.
The couple opted for a daytime wedding with high tea at the heritage-listed Carclew House in North Adelaide, holding the reception for about 80 between 12pm to 3.30pm with guests helping shift the chairs from the ceremony to the reception area.
“Being (in our 40s and) a little wiser, we couldn’t see the benefit in aiming for a typical, expensive wedding event … we just loved getting together to celebrate our love for one another – and the relaxed and fun atmosphere,” Kylie said.
“(Craig) had recently completed a patisserie course and made a lot of the desserts himself … (he and his) 20-year-old daughter made the wedding cake, which was extra special for all.
“We purchased all the high-tea food from the lovely Perrymans Bakery in North Adelaide … (it cost us $800) and they delivered small sandwiches, fruits and additional sweets on the morning of the wedding.
“We got our guests to self-serve, taking out the high-tea trays for their tables during reception … we didn’t do table decorations (with) the high-tea foods on different trays becoming the focus.”
The couple spent $900 on alcohol, pre-purchasing wine from a “small-to-medium” Clare Valley winery, while also offering gin and vodka.
While being budget conscious, the couple ensured the wedding had everything they wanted including live music by duo All About Her which played throughout the reception and cost about $3000.
Kylie ordered her flowers a few days before the wedding, spending just $50 which included delivery.
“It was cheap as we didn’t request specific flowers … we just asked for pastel pink with some greenery,” she says.
Her advice: “Enjoy the celebration … don’t worry about the small stuff, it doesn’t matter. It’s your day, do what makes you happy.”
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