Cotton On outfits, bulk bought beer and homemade cake: How this couple got married on New Year's Eve for just $8,700 - and how you can too
- Caitlin McKeown, 27, and her partner Joshua had a wedding that cost $9,000
- The couple from New South Wales revealed how they did it to FEMAIL
- Caitlin revealed she kept costs down by roping in friends and family
- They prioritised on what to spend the bulk of the cash, and cut costs elsewhere
With the average wedding in Australia setting a couple back a staggering $65,482, any measures that can help to cut costs are beneficial.
Which is why this couple's wedding - which they pulled off on New Year's Eve for the grand total of $8,700 - is all the more impressive.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Caitlin McKeown, 27, and Joshua, 32, revealed exactly how they did it, and how you too can get married on a shoestring.
Caitlin and Josh (pictured) managed to get married for just $8,700 - they shared exactly how they did it with FEMAIL
The average wedding in Australia sets a couple back a staggering $65,482, but this couple (pictured with their son) introduced DIY elements to make sure it was cheap
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One of the ways they cut the costs for their wedding was that they asked a friend to make their wedding cake (pictured) - which was then topped and a sign was added to it
The young couple from New South Wales said they always wanted to have a relatively cheap wedding - they said they knew it was possible to do it for less than $10,000
The young couple from New South Wales said they always wanted to have a relatively cheap wedding:
'We knew we could achieve what we wanted for under $10,000 but we never really put a budget in place until halfway through the planning process when we started to prioritise what was important for our day,' Caitlin told Daily Mail Australia.
The couple decided to wed at the back of their rental property, before adjourning to their backyard for the reception.
The couple decided wed at the back of their rental property, before adjourning to their backyard for the reception (pictured: Josh and wedding guests)
They kept costs down by utilising any contacts they had in various areas, who might be able to help out with specific things
'Instead of gifts, we asked our friends and family to help out with the wedding. My father-in-law used his contacts to get us seating, our electrician friend found us cable drums to use as tables,' Caitlin said
They held the wedding on New Year's Eve and had 118 guests.
'We kept costs down by utilising our contacts,' Caitlin said.
'Instead of gifts, we asked our friends and family to help out with the wedding. So, for example, our friend made our cake, my father-in-law used his contacts to get us seating, our electrician friend found us cable drums to use as tables.
'Then, because I work in events, I used my work's audio equipment to set up a sound system.'
Because Caitlin works in events, she said she used her work's audio equipment to set up a sound system for their reception
The 27-year-old said her brother-in-law, who is a carpenter, built their arbour from recycled timber, while colleagues helped as 'event managers' (pictured: Caitlin and Josh)
It wasn't only these areas where the couple were helped out.
The 27-year-old said her brother-in-law, who is a carpenter, built their arbour from recycled timber, while colleagues helped as 'event managers' meaning Caitlin and Josh didn't have too much to do on the day.
'It really helps to cut costs if you do your research,' Caitlin added.
'Ebay is your friend for things like lighting and favours.'
She also said there are plenty of nuptial elements that you can do yourself:
'Can you print and design your own invites (Canva is great for this)? Do you have infrastructure you can use to seat guests, such as rugs, pillows, chairs and tables?'.
Caitlin said they asked guests to bring their own (BYO) drink if they wanted something specific, and then bulk bought 'beer, wine and soft drink'.
When it came to their outfits, Caitlin said her best advice is to 'think outside the square'.
'We had a summer wedding so the shorts and linen shirts from Cotton On for Josh and our son Cyrus were more than suitable for the day,' she said.
The 27-year-old also bought her wedding dress online for just $150, before having it tailored by Stephanie's The Perfect Fit.
Caitlin said they asked guests to bring their own (BYO) drink if they wanted something specific, and then bulk bought 'beer, wine and soft drink'
When it came to their outfits, Caitlin said her best advice is to 'think outside the square' - Josh was dressed in Cotton On while her own wedding dress cost just $150
The most important thing if you're planning to have a cheap wedding, Caitlin said, is that you prioritise what's important to you and limit the rest - for them, this was photos and food
The most important thing if you're planning to have a cheap wedding, Caitlin said, is that you prioritise what's important to you and limit the rest.
'We knew we wanted great photos and good food,' she said. 'That's where the majority of the $9,000 was spent.
'Decor and signage was next, so we decided the next portion would be spent on achieving our look and feel.'
'Decor and signage was next, so we decided the next portion would be spent on achieving our look and feel,' Caitlin said
Caitlin said she and Josh spent the 'bare minimum' on everything that was left, including clothes, furniture and favours
'Looking back, there isn't much I would have done differently,' Caitlin said. 'Maybe the only thing would have been I might have found the budget for a videographer'
Caitlin said she and Josh spent the 'bare minimum' on everything that was left, including clothes, furniture and favours.
'Looking back, there isn't much I would have done differently,' Caitlin said.
'Maybe the only thing would have been I might have found the budget for a videographer.
'Everything was exactly how we wanted it, but it would have been lovely to have a videographer.'
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