And what about the "W" factor? The unwritten rule which seems to say that florists, cake makers, photographers and venue hirers will all seek to charge more because they know it's a wedding?

Some of this is unavoidable, and often, the pressure to spend more than is perhaps entirely sensible comes from the couple themselves. So if you are both agreed that you want to be frugal with your nuptials – here are some of our top tips on how to. And this is just a start; there are hundreds of other tips and suggestions online – it all depends on how far you want to go.

Never on a Saturday

A combination of supply and demand factors and the cost of staff means that venue hire costs, and all the other services that require a supplier being there before or during the wedding, means that Saturday is the most expensive day; as much as three times the price as other days according to surveys. If only inviting your closest friends and family, then as well as being a smaller affair, they will be much more likely to be happy to take a day out of work if you book for, say, a Friday. They can also recover from any excess over the weekend.

Similarly, everybody wants to get married in summer. Whether it's worth paying thousands more to get married in July is doubtful – especially given the uncertainty of British weather. On the other hand, booking in the winter months of December, January and February can make a huge difference or even at the end of the off-peak season can still cost much less.

Choose a budget venue

Village halls, church halls, sports clubs, small hotels and pub/restaurant dining rooms can offer cost-effective options. Keep an open mind about the place you get married. 

Avoid mentioning it's for a wedding until you've secured the venue if possible.

Do away with wedding cake

Any friends and family tried out for bake-off? Maybe they would be happy to show off their skills. Ask them to mix up something weddingy (well, we think it's a word) instead of a wedding present.

If you do use a baker and want the "traditional" mutli-tiered look ask them 'fake' a couple of cake tiers for you, giving you the look of a three-tier cake

Forget the traditional cake altogether and serve your guests something delightfully different. What about cupcakes or doughnuts instead of cake?

Careful who you invite

Of course, everybody important to you needs to be at the wedding. That doesn't mean everybody you've ever met . Families tend to be smaller these days, and will your second cousin twice removed hold it against you forever if they didn't get invited? More likely, will they even know?

Block-book hotel rooms

If you're staying somewhere prominent and you have lots of guests, booking large numbers of rooms at once can make for significant savings.

Choose how they booze.

The venue you choose and how you handle alcohol will significantly impact your food and drink budget. Choosing an all-inclusive venue means that you can haggle on the overall cost. However, even "all in" the venue knows that most people's sense of a "fair price" for wine for the table is often informed by what is paid when going out for dinner. For that reason, investigate using a venue where you can bring your drinks and look to buy in bulk. The supermarkets offer discounts if you buy this way, as do the specialist wine retailers can also advise on the best combinations of bottles to buy, based on your menu.

If you'd prefer to supply the drinks, set a limit on what alcohol you want to pay for. For example, pay for the toasts and alcohol with the meal and set up a cash bar. 

Buy your dress second-hand

Not an easy one this. For many brides, part of the excitement of getting married involves going to the dress shop, choosing and getting fitted. Shop owners know this. The time they spend with you, you will pay for in the end with ready to wear dresses often retailing with colossal markups – it's the "W" factor again. But let's be honest – you're going to wear it once in your life (well, let's hope so). So you may as well find a beautiful gown that's been worn already; nobody will know the difference.

You've got a lot of time to plan, so if you're set on buying a new dress, hit up the summer or Boxing Day sales to get a significant discount.

Hold the stag or hen do closer to home

A 'lads' blowout or a girly weekend abroad will set you back some serious money. However, getting married is about the big day itself – so opt for a big night out closer to home. And what's wrong with Blackpool..?

It's just another project.

Do you manage projects at work? Most people do some planning in their jobs. Maybe you've organised an office move or the induction of a new member of staff. Using project management software like Trello allows you to keep track of your to-do lists and get the important stuff on time, including everything that depends on someone or something else to happen. You can share updates with your partner and assign tasks between yourselves. Yes, we know - it doesn't sound very romantic…..

Spend the honeymoon somewhere cheap

If you've already settled on an "off-season" wedding, then your honeymoon may well be cheaper anyway. A beach location towards the end of the UK summer or even in Autumn will be perhaps more comfortable and temperate. If you fancy a bit of culture and intend to honeymoon in a city, as much as Paris and Rome have the allure of romance and history, a trip to Riga, Belgrade, or Budapest will provide all the history and beauty for a fraction of the price.