Free tool

The F*ck-It List

Every wedding 'must-have' you're allowed to skip — and exactly how much you save by not giving a f*ck.

Go down the list and flip the switch on every 'must-have' you're happy to bin — watch what it saves you. Prices are honest mid-range averages for your country; tap any price to set your own real quote.

Stationery & paper

Save-the-dates A second 'you're invited' before the real invite. Your guests own calendars.
Paper invitations + RSVP cards Printed, posted, half of them lost — a free wedding website does it for nothing.
Printed menus, programs & place cards Lovely for four seconds, then litter on the table.
Paper thank-you cards A heartfelt message lands the same gratitude.
Wedding favours Tiny trinkets left under 80% of the chairs.

Ceremony

Church fee + aisle carpet Going civil skips the parish fee and the paid-for aisle carpet entirely.
Live ceremony music Organist, cantor or string quartet — a speaker and the right song do the job beautifully.

Décor & flowers

Fresh flower centerpieces Thousands on flowers that wilt by Sunday. Greenery and candles cost a fraction.
Ceremony arch / backdrop florals One hour of photos for the price of a holiday.
Bridal bouquet Hundreds on flowers you hold for an hour, then toss into a crowd.
Flower-girl florals Petals and a mini crown for someone who'll wear it for ten minutes.
Chair covers & sashes Nobody has ever remembered a chair.
Decorative aisle runner You walk on it once, for twelve seconds.
Full signage suite A sign for every sign.

Food & drink

Formal plated service Waiter-served courses cost a fortune over a buffet, food truck or family-style.
Premium open-bar upgrade The top-shelf upgrade nobody can taste by 11pm.
Tiered wedding cake Priced per tier, eaten by a third of the room.
Separate champagne toast People toast fine with whatever's in their glass.
Late-night snack station A second dinner for people who just had dinner.

Entertainment

Live band A great playlist or a DJ fills the floor for a tenth of the price — grab a free playlist instead.
Photo booth rental Everyone already has a camera in their pocket.

Attire & beauty

Designer dress Sample sales, second-hand and high street look incredible on camera too.
Second outfit change One outfit can absolutely last the whole night.
Special bridal shoes Nobody sees them under the dress, and you'll be in flats by 10pm.
Hair & makeup for the whole party Treat yourself; let everyone else do their own.
Bridal-party gifts They're there for you, not the engraved tumbler.

Photo & video

Full-day videographer Be honest about how often you'll rewatch the 45-minute film.
Second photographer One good photographer covers a normal-sized wedding fine.
Engagement / pre-wedding shoot A whole extra shoot before the actual shoot.
Printed wedding album You'll view the gallery on your phone every time anyway.

The extras

Full-service wedding planner Worth it for some — a day-of coordinator costs far less.
Extra pre-wedding events Engagement party, two showers, a sendoff… keep the ones you'll enjoy.
Couple's wedding car A nice normal car gets you there just as married.
Guest coach / bus hire A kind touch, but a shared cab or clear directions cost far less.
Bridal suite for the night The fancy suite you'll see for six hours, most of them asleep.
Guest welcome bags Bottled water and a map nobody reads.
Bathroom amenity basket Mints, hairspray and plasters most guests never even notice.
Guest book A book of signatures you'll open again approximately never.
The one thing worth keeping? It's free. Skip the paper invites and RSVP cards — your wedding website does invitations, RSVPs and the guest list for nothing. Build your free site →
How it works

Three quick steps

1

Pick your country

Choose from 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Oceania and every item gets honest mid-range local prices in the right currency — or tap a price to enter your own.

2

Flip the switch

Switch off anything you don't actually want. The savings total climbs as you go.

3

Pocket the difference

See what you saved, share the damage, and spend it on something you'll actually remember.

How to plan a budget wedding (without it feeling like one)

Most budget-wedding advice is written by people who've never actually been broke. The real trick to a wedding on a budget isn't endless DIY — it's deciding what genuinely matters to you and saying f*ck it to everything else. Here's how to do that without your day feeling cheap.

Decide what actually matters

Before you cut anything, agree on the two or three things you both truly care about — maybe it's great food, an open bar, or a photographer you love. Protect those. Everything else is negotiable, and that's where your savings live.

The stuff almost nobody misses

A huge slice of the average wedding cost goes on traditions guests forget within the hour:

  • Save-the-dates and invitations (a free wedding website does both)
  • Wedding favours left under the chairs
  • Chair covers, aisle runners and a sign for every sign
  • A separate champagne toast and a tiered cake nobody finishes

None of these make anyone love your wedding more. Tick them off the list above and watch the total climb.

Where the big savings really hide

Cheap wedding ideas usually focus on pennies. The real money is in the big-ticket upgrades: a live band over a DJ or playlist, a full-day videographer, formal plated service over a buffet or food truck, a full-service planner. Trimming even one or two of these saves more than a hundred DIY centrepieces ever will.

Spend it on what you'll remember

Saying f*ck it isn't about having less — it's about putting your money where the memories are. Cut the noise, keep what you love, and start with the easiest free win of all: a free wedding website that handles your invitations, RSVPs and guest list so you never pay for paper.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What can you skip at a wedding?
More than you'd think — favours, save-the-dates, a separate champagne toast, chair covers, a videographer, a second outfit. This tool lists 30 common 'must-haves', what each typically costs, and lets you bin the ones you don't care about.
How much does a wedding cost?
The average wedding runs well into five figures, but a big chunk of that is tradition and pressure, not things you will remember. Skipping even a handful of items on this list can save you several thousand.
Is this wedding budget tool free?
Completely free, no sign-up, no email. Flip the switch on what you would skip and your savings update instantly. Nothing is stored except on your own device.
Are the prices accurate?
They are honest mid-range averages for 15 countries across Europe, the Americas and Oceania — pick your country at the top and the right currency is applied automatically. Real quotes vary by region and vendor, so tap any price to enter your own real number; use the rest as a budget-wedding guide, not a formal quote.
Will a budget wedding look cheap?
No. Guests remember how a wedding felt, not whether the chairs had covers. Cutting the stuff that does not matter to you frees up money for the things that do.
What is the easiest way to save money on a wedding?
Start with the guest list and the venue, then bin the small recurring extras — stationery, favours, upgrades. Swapping paper invitations for a free wedding website alone saves the printing, postage and RSVP cards. Build your free wedding website
More tools

More free tools like this

More free wedding-planning tools to use alongside the F*ck-It List. No signup, ready in minutes.

Build your wedding website in 10 minutes

Beautiful designs, RSVP, gift list, photo gallery and more. No design or tech skills needed.

Start free →