Just two years ago, we were coming out of lockdown in the UK and Covid rules were relaxed, allowing up to 30 guests at a wedding.

According to Hitched, last year was very different. They place the average cost of a wedding at £18,400 (up from £16,005 pre lockdown), excluding engagement and honeymoon costs.

Bridebook too has run research, (The UK Wedding Report) which shows that couples take an average of 31 months from engagement to wedding .  Staying within budget is their biggest single challenge.

Bridebook also found that increasingly people like to add their own stamp to their wedding (although around one in five let a hotel venue take the strain, and 74% of people choose to have their ceremony and celebrations in the same place.)

As preparation time progresses into years, happy couples’ homes fill up with packing boxes that get tripped over, used as drinks tables, damaged, sat on, living spaces start to feel like storage units and for that average of two to three years, wedding planning dominates their lives!

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With people increasingly choosing to put their own stamp on their wedding, the time from engagement to wedding can be put to good use, hand making and carefully sourcing items to help save money. Where a wedding is being held outdoors, an increasing trend (and a brave one given the great British weather), there’s even more scope for adding your own stamp.

easyStorage has put its collective thinking hat on. We made a list of things that could be handmade in advance – perhaps with friends to make them even more fun – or bought in sales, and carefully stored in order to help keep costs down.

·         Balloons and ribbons. Often balloon and ribbon colours at weddings are not dissimilar to those used at Christmas, so scouring the January sales may save you money, as may buying in bulk.

·         Catering items. If you’re doing your own catering, there will be lots of things to bring in, from cake stands to crockery, from tablecloths to cutlery.Buying in bulk may save you money.

·         Place names. Place names can be created and decorated well in advance based on your invite list  – some people won’t make it, but they’ll be done, taking some of the strain away when it comes to seating plans closer to the wedding date.

·         Room decorations. Sourcing and hand making room decorations in keeping with your theme, including more traditional ones themed by colour, can be fun, especially when friends are roped in to help.

·         Table decorations. Table decorations are easy to make, and hand made ones are often more unique. For example, filling net bags or pretty fabric matching your wedding theme with stones in order to hold down the balloons on tables looks stunning, and costs very little. Candles can be bought in bulk at lower prices. And saucers to hold decorations in can be sourced in charity chops or bought cheaply online.

·         Wedding favours. Whether you’re making them, or buying them bit by bit to spread the monthly costs, having a space to keep them safe, dry and untouched will save your nerves - as well as allowing a cost saving by making your own, and delivering something totally unique to you..

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Sourcing items from overseas to get great prices can take months for delivery. Ordering well in advance may save a fortune, and if the items aren’t quite as advertised, you still have time to put things right.

And if you want great priced self-storage to keep all of these things and more in the run up to the wedding, easyStorage is on hand, all across the UK. They are also a great way to keep wedding gifts safe until after your honeymoon. Simply get in touch, and the team will do their best to help you get the best deal for you: https://www.easystorage.com/quote/contact.