Want to get married in style on a super tight wedding budget? Our £6k wedding series is here to help. We’ve got six fully-costed wedding budget concepts for under £6000 for you to choose from complete with a superstar list of suppliers. To plan a glamorous cinema inspired wedding ceremony for a star-studded guest list, read on…
Who is this low cost £6000 wedding budget perfect for?
This is for the film lovers. This concept provides a stunning cinematic backdrop to a wedding celebration that will make you feel like 1930s Hollywood stars. Guests recline on rows of red velvet seats to witness your epic ceremony. After this you all celebrate your marriage with popcorn and gin cocktails before heading to a bar for dinner, drinks and dancing.
The Cinema Wedding Concept
Celebrating your marriage in a cinema means you don’t have to worry about the weather. And a late afternoon ceremony means people can eat lunch before they arrive. So before you even start planning this wedding you’ve removed two of the biggest causes of stress right away.
With £6000 wedding budget to spend on one day you can create a truly magical experience. If you invite an intimate crowd and concentrate of the details that really matter.
The Cinema Wedding in Detail:
Entrance:
Ideal for a mid-winter wedding, aim to arrive at your chosen cinema for a 4pm ceremony. Then when you step out of your gorgeous vintage car the cinema will be all lit up. This really adds to the glitz and glamour of the occasion.
Inside, your friends and family listen to your prepared playlist. At the same time, watching a slideshow of black and white photos of you both on the big screen. If you’ve got iMovie you can turn your images into a mini film with title and credits. You can finish with a slide that swaps ‘The End’ for ‘The Beginning’ as your audience await your arrival.
Whether you chose the traditional walk down the aisle on your father’s arm or with an entire entourage Dirty Dancing style, entering the screen room from behind the curtain will be a real wow moment. And the cinema setup means you can play your ‘special song’ in surround-sound as you step up to meet your partner on the stage.
Outfits:
Take inspiration from Hollywood’s Golden era and choose a floor-length ivory silk dress and stunning gilded headpiece. Then save your wedding budget by wearing a pair of your own shoes (that won’t be seen) and borrowing a vintage or faux fur from a friend to keep you warm and glamorous. This cinema wedding is the perfect opportunity for a groom to wear a classic dinner suit. And if you’re a same-sex couple you could go for double the glamour with another show stopping dress.
Ceremony:
This concept is all about drama, glamour and ritual. So make sure you choose a celebrant who is happy not only to conduct your marriage service but play the role as Master of Ceremonies. Free from the time constraints of a registry office you can truly indulge when it comes to your ceremony, taking the chance to show off your personalities, tell your unique love story and involve your audience in a cinematic way.
Maybe your celebrant can interview certain friends and share their stories of you both, you could have important people up to do readings, play film clips of family unable to make the day and even have your speeches at this point too.
Reception:
Once you’ve exchanged rings and kissed, you can enjoy a standing ovation full of whoops and cheers to celebrate your union. Then press play (and mute) on an old black and white movie (preferably Some Like It Hot), put an appropriately jazzy playlist on and mooch about chatting to your guests whilst drinking gin cocktails and eating popcorn.
Independent cinemas often have small screening rooms for private hire that can keep your wedding costs low. They are a flexible space for events. Some even have a bar. But if not, hiring The Lucky Pineapple Bar will ensure you have a lovely person serving you cocktails from a golden trailer.
If you’re lucky, your local cinema building will be an art deco gem. If not, even the most contemporary space can be given some 1930s glamour if you hire a couple of ‘cigarette girls’ to hand out popcorn. To keep your wedding budget costs down, why not contact your local drama college to see if you can find any students prepared to play the part?
Dinner and drinks:
Once you’ve all had enough cinema snacks head to the bar and restaurant to enjoy proper food and some fine wine. A few of the Picturehouse cinemas have a restaurant or tapas bar attached. This makes an ideal intimate wedding meal as people can mill around and chat while eating. Just put £1500 behind the bar for food and wine. Then let your friends know there’s a cash bar for post dinner drinks.
For extra cinema inspired fun swap a photographer for a videographer. They can make a movie of your marriage that you can watch over and over, forever and ever.
Gifts vs. Honeymoon:
If you want to continue your art deco inspired journey, ditch the traditional gift list and set up a honeymoon fund for a minimoon to Paris. Then instead of buying you department store wedding gifts, your friends and family can treat you to dinner in a beautiful brasserie, a night at the Moulin Rouge or a romantic ride on the Metro.
The Budget Breakdown:
Invites £350:
This sophisticated wedding requires proper printed invites. For art deco inspiration check out The Golden Letter’s designs. They can create and digitally foil 50 invites from around £350.
Classic car hire £495:
Bespokes Sports Car Hire can organise a classic car for you with packages starting at £495. Alternatively book a black taxi or find a friend with a classy looking car who’s prepared to drive you.
Cinema hire £480:
Compare local prices but as a guide the small screen at the Greenwich Picturehouse seats 50 people and costs £480 for two hours.
Celebrant £750:
Getting the right person is crucial so take your time. Expect to pay £750 from your wedding budget for a celebrant.
Wedding dress £614:
If you’re lucky you might find an original 1930s dress that fits and looks fabulous. But you’ll also find vintage inspired dresses at Reformation. This Veria silk dress in ivory will look stunning on stage.
Head piece £285:
Feel like Liz Taylor as Cleopatra in the gorgeous Dawn Headband by Kelly Spence. Handmade with gold plated leaves and Swarovski diamantes it’s an investment piece you’ll treasure forever.
Suit hire £215:
If you have a partner happy to play the part choose a tuxedo and black tie. If they’re not likely to wear it again save money by hiring one from Yardsmen.
Rings £280:
For a theatrical take on the classic gold band check out Phoebe Coleman’s Brave Heart Warrior ring. Beautiful detailing and affordable at £140.
Video £300:
Instead of a wedding photographer consider asking a few creative friends to film the day with a Super 8 camera – the vintage aesthetic is the perfect compliment to this glamorous day. Cameras can be hired from as little as £60 per day, then send the film off to an online processor who can edit and load on to USB for you to share after the big day.
Gin cocktails £500:
The Lucky Pineapple can serve you delicious cocktails from a glamorous golden trailer – price starting at £500.
‘Cigarette Girls’ with popcorn £200:
It’s an acting job with a specific outfit required. Enquire with your local drama school or university and expect to pay £200 for two local actors for two hours.
Popcorn £20:
Order a bulk bag from one of the many wholesale suppliers on eBay and pack into paper bags yourselves.
Dinner and wine £1500:
Ask the restaurant/bar you’ve chosen if they can reserve a section of the space in advance and budget £1500 to provide food and wine. For 50 people this works out at £30 per head.
Honeymoon fund:
Check out the readymade honeymoon templates on Patchworkit.com, customise our Paris patchwork and invite guests to fund your trip – piece by piece.
TOTAL WEDDING BUDGET COST TO YOU: £5,989
COSTS TO YOUR GUESTS: £10 – £50
If guests want after dinner drinks then they’ll need to buy their own. They can then contribute as much or as little as they like to your honeymoon fund.
See the other wedding concepts in our £6k wedding series here.