A couple from Melbourne has revealed how they saved more than $3,000 on their dream wedding by adopting a series of thrifty tricks and handy Kmart hacks.
Sam Willcocks, 29, and her husband Andrew tied the knot in February at the picturesque venue of Terindah Estate in a dreamy ceremony set amongst the vines with panoramic views of Port Phillip Bay.
And while the stunning event looked as though it was straight from a magazine, there were a number of DIY elements that saved the pair a small fortune.
‘I like to think I’m a pretty creative person and love the opportunity to DIY and get creative for birthdays, Christmas, baby showers and our wedding,’ Mrs Willcocks told FEMAIL.
Sam Willcocks, 29, and her husband Andrew tied the knot in February at the picturesque venue of Terindah Estate in a dreamy ceremony set amongst the vines with panoramic views of Port Phillip Bay

‘In total our wedding cost us around $40K, which probably isn’t considered a “budget Wedding” but we saved a few thousand dollars with a few tricks and tips,’ she said (pictured is one of the tabled decorated with a number of Kmart items)
‘In total our wedding cost us around $40K, which probably isn’t considered a “budget Wedding” but we saved a few thousand dollars with a few tricks and tips.’
Mrs Willcocks’ love for Kmart and budget decor started when she bought their first home in 2016.
‘I follow quite a few Kmart Hack and Kmart Styling pages on Facebook and Instagram and got a lot of inspiration for our home decor and styling from these pages,’ she said.
‘When it came time to start planning our wedding I knew I could save a few dollars here and there, and really make it my own.

‘I also bought Kmart robes for bridal party to wear while getting ready,’ she said (pictured with her bridal party in the robes)


‘We also used light up numbers for table numbers – we had three long trestle style tables rather than smaller tables, A-frame signs to help direct guests that I wrote myself, navy linen look table cloths that I had a friend cut and machine sew into napkin size,’ she said
‘When we started to get ideas together of what we had envisioned for our big day I started looking at prices to buy/hire specific decor prices and I was actually really shocked at the price tags so I knew I could find similar pieces for a much better price.’
Mrs Willcocks bought a lot of the items she liked ahead of time because ‘if you don’t buy them when you see them they’re gone’.
‘I worked out a styling theme early on – I wanted a mix of classic (white/gold/navy) and rustic (natural timber/greenery) – and I loved getting ideas from Pinterest,’ she said.
‘We used Kmart candle holders, two sided photo frames for table menus and on the reverse an “in loving memory” to our grandparents that couldn’t be there with us so this saved doubling up on frames.

‘We used Kmart candle holders, two sided photo frames (pictured) for table menus and on the reverse an “in loving memory” to our grandparents that couldn’t be there with us so this saved doubling up on frames,’ she said
‘We also used light up numbers for table numbers – we had three long trestle style tables rather than smaller tables, A-frame signs to help direct guests that I wrote myself, navy linen look table cloths that I had a friend cut and machine sew into napkin size and also Kmart robes for bridal party to wear while getting ready.’
Mrs Willcocks also made her own guest favours with jars she sourced online and filled them with Pistachio Dukkah that she made herself.
‘We printed, cut and hand painted our gift tags (Kmart craft paper, twine and paint) and also designed, printed and made our own ceremony programs and made them into fans for the guests as it was a hot day,’ she said.
‘As well as Kmart and budget decor and DIY-ing a few things ourselves, we saved money in other ways too.’

When it came to the menu, instead of having individual plated desserts, the couple figured a lot of guests would be up on the dance floor by the time they were served so they chose to have their wedding cake served on platters on the table

‘We printed, cut and hand painted our gift tags (Kmart craft paper, twine and paint) and also designed, printed and made our own ceremony programs and made them into fans for the guests as it was a hot day,’ she said
For her wedding dress, Mrs Willcocks went to a bridal boutique and tried on a few different styles to find one that she loved and once she knew what she was looking for she signed up to Still White, an online marketplace where women sell their pre-loved wedding dresses.
‘I searched for the designer and dress that I loved and I found a lady selling her dress brand new with tags, unaltered and never worn for one third of the price new,’ she said.
The pair also decided against dancing lessons for their first dance and instead watched YouTube videos of other couples and taught themselves the moves.
‘Not only did this save us hundreds of dollars in dance lessons, but it was a lot of fun for my soon to be husband and I,’ she said.

‘Don’t get too caught up on the little things that might not fit into the budget, your guests won’t remember or probably even notice if you hire a calligrapher to hand letter all of your envelopes,’ she said

Pictured is one of the A-frame signs that she wrote herself to direct guests
When it came to the menu, instead of having individual plated desserts, the couple figured a lot of guests would be up on the dance floor by the time they were served so they chose to have their wedding cake served on platters on the table and saved money on their overall food cost.
They also worked with a friend who was a photographer who offered them complimentary prints of their wedding photos and slideshow of their wedding day which also saved them a lot of money.
All in all, Mrs Willcocks said while the DIY tricks did save her money, it was also a great way to create her dream wedding on her own terms.
‘Don’t get too caught up on the little things that might not fit into the budget, your guests won’t remember or probably even notice if you hire a calligrapher to hand letter all of your envelopes, or if you have written them yourself,’ she said. ‘
‘What they will remember is the heartfelt ceremony and a great atmosphere.’