A mother has revealed how she created her dream wedding on a budget for less than £2,000 – including her wedding dress.
When Diana Hill, from Portsmouth, started planning her wedding day, she dreamed of tying the knot on a sandy beach while wearing her fairytale dress and sipping champagne.
But as she and her husband, Ray, 47, started visiting venues along the southern coast, they quickly realised their dream location was out-of-reach – with an average hire price of £10,000.
Feeling hopeless, Diana, who is a stay-at-home mother, decided to utilise her crafty and savvy skills to create her special day on a budget.
She set herself a personal challenge of £2,000 for the entire soirée.
When Diana Hill, from Portsmouth, wanted a fairytale wedding but felt deflated when she realised their dream location was out of their price range
In total, the whole day cost £1,700, including her wedding dress and their cake – which they made from scratch themselves.
‘I created my own bouquet and Ray got busy in the kitchen whipping up our wedding cake,’ Diana said.
‘The night before, we headed down to the venue and decked it out with pound shop candles and balloons.
‘It was really magical seeing all of our personal touches come together.
Husband Ray was tasked with baking their wedding cake in the kitchen, adding to the total savings
Diana got her wedding dress from Ebay for just £60, after she went in to bridal shops to find the type of dress she wanted
The mother bagged herself a bargain when she found some white heels in a bridal shop for only £25
‘I didn’t really have a budget for my dress, but I knew I needed it as cheap as possible, but still quite nice.
‘I was a little bit cheeky, as I visited bridal shops and tried on various dresses until I found a style I liked.
‘Then, I went home and trawled through secondhand websites and newspaper adverts to find an exact match.
The money-saving duo managed to spend £1,700 for their wedding day which included all costs, after setting a budget of £2,000
This pretty pink cake which features iced flowers is one that Diana has made for another family wedding entirely from scratch
Diana and Ray got their balloons and decorations from the poundshop and went into the venue to decorate it themselves
This impressive blue cake is one that Diana has made for another family wedding entirely from scratch
For wedding favours, they created a ‘bag of randomness’ filled with a piece of string, a marble, a gobstopper and a penny
‘I had only been looking for a couple of days, but I started to grow fed up as nothing ticked the boxes and everything I did want, was out of budget.
‘Until I came across the perfect dress on eBay.’
With ‘gorgeous’ bead detailing and the fairytale style she had always hoped for, she snapped up the wedding gown at a bargain, for just £60.
Diana, aged 41, also hit the jackpot with finds such as a £3 tiara, shoes from a bridal shop sale at only £25 and a replica ‘Heart of the Ocean’ necklace, which retail for £600, for just £2.
Their venue, a seafront hotel, cost them just £500, including a hot buffet and DJ.
Diana made her own bouquet, which consisted of beautiful different types of navy blue and white flowers
Bride Diana bagged her Tiara for just £3, and got her necklace – which is a of replica ‘Heart of the Ocean’ necklace which retails for £600 – for just £2
For wedding favours, they created a ‘bag of randomness’ filled with a piece of string, a marble, a gobstopper and a penny – each with their own special meaning.
She said: ‘We came up with the idea, as we wanted something meaningful for our guests to walk away with.
‘The string is so you can always hold things together, the marble in case you ever lose yours, a gobstopper to stop putting your foot in it and a penny, so you’re never broke.
‘While I was terrified about the whole day, once we said our vows, I felt relaxed and like everything had finally fallen into place.
‘All our guests were amazed and couldn’t believe we had done everything ourselves, especially for so cheap.
‘They kept saying: ‘We can’t believe you’ve made this, it’s so professional’ and it made us feel so proud.’
Diana and Ray met in 2010 after exchanging messages on dating website, Plenty of Fish, before he proposed in March 2011.
Just two months later, they found out they were pregnant with their first child, Ellie-Mae, now 11.
While the arrival came as a shock, the pair were overjoyed and went on to have Karalyn, seven and Eithan, one.
But as their first born came as they were planning the wedding, their savings quickly dwindled – and they were left with little hope of having a baptism, which they had always wanted.
Luckily, their reverend pitched the idea of doing the religious ceremony at the same time and the couple believe the ‘unconventional’ plan saved them £500.
Diana said: ‘It was a grand idea, as it made our special day even more special and we were able to ensure all family members were there for both occasions.’
Diana made her daughter’s christening cake from scratch and saved herself a lot of money
Diana said she had her wedding and her daughter’s christening on the same day, which she estimated saved them around £600
Since her wedding has even been given the task of creating street parties for royal occasions where all her neighbours get together and celebrate
Diana and Ray are pictured dressed in England flags and Union Jack flag clothing when they attended their street party
Ray poses next to a pop out picture of the Queen – at a street party which costed them less than a tenner
Now, the family-of-five practice frugality in their daily lives, learning how to upcycle pre-loved furniture and create their own Christmas decorations.
Diana has also been tasked with decorating her cousin’s and auntie’s weddings on a tight budget, costing £100 each, as well as street parties for royal occasions – with her next mission, the King’s Coronation for less than £30.
She added: ‘Our wedding has taught us that you can do anything with a little budget.
Diana said: ”If we find a piece of furniture we like, we will upcycle it into our own creation’
The mother has up-cycled pieces of furniture and given them a new lease of life – such as this pink table and chair set
Diana said she’s managed to find items such as a life-size Grinch for less than £10 – perfect for Christmas
‘If we find a piece of furniture we like, we will upcycle it into our own creation and with Christmas, we’ve created our own decorations, including a life-size Grinch for less than £10.
‘For the Queen’s Jubilee, I managed to do a whole street party for under £10 and I can’t wait for my next challenge with the Coronation.
‘I loved our day and it was everything I could have imagined – it was my alternative fairytale wedding come true.’
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