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      The High Street Bride’s Guide

      Samantha Birch

      A division of HarperCollinsPublishers

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      Contents

       Samantha Birch

       Dedication

       Chapter 1: The Basics The best ways I know to save big

       Chapter 2: The Venue Eat, drink and be merry for less

       Chapter 3: The Dress Designer, high-street or affordable W-day brand – you can afford your dream gown

       Chapter 4: The Groom Truss up your man without emptying his wallet

       Chapter 5: Bridesmaids & Best Men Your grown-up entourage gets gorgeous – on budget

       Chapter 6: Pageboys & Flower Girls Turn them into little angels for heavenly prices

       Chapter 7: Shoes & Accessories Put your best foot forward, but don’t pay top dollar

       Chapter 8: Hair & Beauty Putting your face on needn’t cost an arm and a leg

       Chapter 9: The Rings Just because it’s preciousss doesn’t mean you should be out of pocket

       Chapter 10: The Cake Luscious layers that won’t pile on the pounds

       Chapter 11: The Flowers Blooming good deals on everything from bouquets to buttonholes

       Chapter 12: The Entertainment All that jazz. . . but not for all those pennies

       Chapter 13: The Photography Happy snaps at prices to smile about

       Chapter 14: The Stationery Paper prettiness that doesn’t cost folding money

       Chapter 15: Style Details Little bits and pieces with teeny-tiny price tags

       Chapter 16: Inspiration Now you know the numbers, go forth and get your ideas on

       About HarperImpulse

       Copyright

       About the Publisher

       Samantha Birch

      So far I’m the author of one book. This one. I’ve written about dresses, bridesmaids and cake toppers for magazines such as Brides and You & Your Wedding, and regularly contribute to the likes of GLAMOUR and Love Baking – often while eating cake in my pyjamas.

      I live with my husband in a chaotically untidy flat in Letchworth, which I pretend is an artfully unkempt writer’s loft in St. Albans.

      For wedding advice, handy tips or general chat about all things bridal follow me @SamBirchWriter or @HighStreetBride!

      To Darren, for our life together.

      Chapter 1

       The Basics

       The best ways I know to save big

      I love giving people good news. That’s probably why this is my favourite bit. Because this is where I tell you that an amazing wedding – yes, designer dress included – isn’t just for actresses and heiresses.

      You can say your vows in a catwalk gown so beautiful it reduces your mum to tears (and not because she paid for it). You can style a reception so stunning your guests won’t believe you didn’t hire an A-list planner. And you can sprinkle the day with personal touches that make everyone feel like you gave them special attention before they even got there. Without spending a house deposit on it. Honest.

      All you need is to be a little more savvy, a little more organised and a little more open-minded than your average pop princess. And that’s not too much to ask for a beautiful day you’ll show pictures of to your granddaughters, right?

       The Golden Rules

      There are four top secrets to saving money on your wedding – and I’m not suggesting you go for all of them. Some of them won’t be for you, and some of them don’t go together, but if you can even manage one or two, in all honesty, these are the biggest, simplest ways to save the maximum amount of money before you even start planning.

       1. ’Tis the Season

      Summer weddings are the most expensive. Fact. Everybody wants one because you’ve got more chance of sunshine – but you’ll pay hundreds of pounds more to get hitched in the warmer months, and since we live in good old Blighty, chances are the heavens could open on you anyway.

      So consider the overlooked options: pretty spring with its freshly sprung flowers and vintage-y golden lighting; autumn with its colourful rush of auburns, oranges, yellows, reds and golds; or winter – my personal favourite for the excuse to cover everything in glass and glitter, bright reds and sparkling silvers, and wrap up in cuddly faux fur. Because who cares if, baby, it’s cold outside and the rain is pouring down when you’re posing under a super-cute brolly or huddled round a crackling fire with a toasty mug of rum and hot chocolate?

       2. Monday’s Child is Full of Grace

      I’ll give you one guess which day of the week is most popular for weddings. Ding ding ding, we have a winner! Saturdays, what a shocker. No-one needs to take any time off work, everyone can sleep off their aching heads on Sunday, and all your little cousins and second cousins can be there because they don’t need to

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