I saved £1k on my wedding using cheap Temu and AliExpress buys for decorations – it was so easy
A BRIDE has revealed that she was able to save £1,000 on her big day, by making DIY decorations using Temu and AliExpress bargains.
Olivia, who got married two weeks ago, dreamed of having a wildflower arch for her wedding ceremony.
Traditional flower arches can cost up to £1,000, so Olivia decided to make her own, using artificial peonies, roses, violets and hydrangeas, all of which are priced between 70p and £6 on Temu.
The bargain-loving bride also picked up a cheap frame for the archway from AliExpress.
Documenting her DIY project via a video posted to TikTok, Olivia said: “I started off by building the arches.
“They were supposed to be two different heights but they ended up coming in at the same height.”
“We attached the floral foam to the arches just using some zip ties.
“And then as the base, we had some of these flower garlands.
“Originally we started off hot gluing them on, but in the end we found it was better when we cut them up smaller and just tucked them in with the wire.”
Olivia and her friend then decorated the archway with dozens of pink, white and blue flowers all in different shapes and sizes.
Showing off the final result, she said: “I think they look so good.
“I’m so happy with the result”.
Olivia’s adorable dog Lola was the first one to try the flower arch out.
“Cute little demo from Lola first, walking down the aisle”, the bride said.
Olivia’s video, which was posted under the username @o1viasmith_, has likely left many people feeling impressed, as it has racked up over 538,000 views on the video sharing platform.
5 ways to save £10k on your wedding
Josie Griffiths, Deputy Digital Fabulous editor and bride-to-be shares her tips to cut the cost on your big day.
“There’s no getting around it, weddings are expensive, but there’s some easy ways to strip back the cost without your guests noticing.”
Ditch pricey invites
We made our designs for free on Canva, and then sent them out on email or WhatsApp. If you want to post invites to important people, VistaPrint is brilliant and cost us less than 30p per guest to sort. SAVING: £600
Cut back on flowers
I was pretty stunned that lots of wedding florists quote £3k-£5k as a MINIMUM spend. Your wedding flowers will be dead within days, save your cash and invest it in pics and video instead, as these actually last. Keep shopping round until you find someone reasonably priced, or speak to your local florist two months out to arrange bouquets. SAVING: £4.5k
Ditch wedding favours
They don’t fit in people’s handbags and were cleared away by catering staff at half the weddings I’ve been to as a guest. The best way to save cash here is just not to bother. SAVING: £300-£700
Be ruthless with your guest list
No one’s ‘entitled’ to a plus one and the groom’s second cousin doesn’t need to come. Your true friends won’t kick off and if anyone chooses not to come over guest list dramas, that just means you’ve saved twice. SAVING: £150 PER HEAD
Do your own booze
Make finding a venue where you can do your own bar a priority, ideally with no corkage or a £500 max cost. Aldi’s £22 Champagne beat Veuve Clicquot in a Which? blind taste test and they have tasty wines for less than a fiver, you won’t do better on a paid bar. SAVING: £2k
TikTok users raced to the video’s comments section to share their thoughts.
One person said: “That looks stunning!”
Another person said: “This is so pretty! I want to do this for my wedding next year!”
A third person said: “This turned out amazing!”
A fourth added: “Gorgeous”.
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