You don't need to spend lots to have a beautiful wedding, less is definitely more

With a guest list rumoured to be around the 300 mark, you'd be forgiven for thinking the rapper and reality star would be keeping a close eye on the budget – but apparently not.

The total spend of their wedding has been estimated any where from $3 million right up to $75 million. Jeez.

The pair are said to be spending $125,000 on each guest, giving them goodie bags containing $500 bottles of Bollinger Champagne, $200 Creme De La Mer products, handmade souvenir trinkets with their initials etched in Swarovski crystals and bottles of local perfume.

Kim's said to be wearing three different designer gowns, the swimming pools have been dyed pink, guests are being flown in by private jet and special forces are on standby in the bushes – all in all, it's set to be the flashest, most bonkers celeb wedding we've ever seen.

However, is any of it really necessary?

When it comes to a couple's big day, is less more?

The average UK wedding costs £20,000 and, while that seems like pocket change compared to Kimye, it's still an incredible amount of money in the real world.

With that in mind, we've spoken to a bride on a budget to see why you don't have to spend big bucks to have a beautiful day and we've also enlisted the help of wedding experts Jo Parker and Samantha Birch, who share their top money-saving tips and advice.

After all, it's about the marriage, not the wedding. But you just try telling Kim that . . .

The bride-to-be:

Name: Lauren Gillies

• Age: 29

• Fiancé: Marc Pearce

• Wedding theme: City Chic

• Location: Birmingham Registry Office and Metro Bar & Grill in the city centre

• Budget: £10,000

We got engaged on Christmas Day in 2011 and originally we had planned a big wedding. We were looking at Mount Stuart House in Scotland, which is where Stella McCartney got married, and they were quoting prices between £30,000 and £40,000.

However, we employed a builder to do some work for us and it turned out he was a complete cowboy. All the work went wrong and we actually ended up losing our wedding fund to that.

After that, I decided to go for the less-is-more approach and have the entire wedding for £10,000 or less. People said it couldn't be done but I'm proving them wrong!

We're getting married in August and the theme is City Chic. We're getting married at Birmingham Registry Office, which is only £120, and having the reception at a bar in the city centre with the venue, food and wine all in for £4,000. That's our biggest expense. To carry on with the city theme, we're going to London on our honeymoon.

All I want is a nice day, a relaxing day: I don't want a big OTT wedding. Marc's suit is from M&S and my dress cost £700. A huge wedding can be really stressful and competitive but we just want it to be relaxed and personal.

I can't even imagine spending the kind of money Kim and Kanye are – especially seeing as it's her third marriage – but I suppose it's different if you have it in the first place!

But you don't need to spend lots to have a beautiful wedding – as I'm finding out, less is more."

The wedding shop owner:

Jo Parker is the owner of Your Wedding Shop on Pershore Road, Birmingham, where dresses start from as little as £99. As well as from all over the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire, brides-to-be travel to the outlet store from as far afield as Cheltenham, Shetland and even Dubai.

"We have more than 200 styles here, most of which are half of the Recommended Retail Price but they're all brand new.

Brides come to us if things are a bit last minute and they haven't had time to save or if they're on a budget because there's more vital things for them to spend their money on, such as their family life and kids.

I really value the sanctity of marriage and respect that people have other priorities in life than just spending money on a big wedding.

But just because you don't have a big budget, that doesn't mean you can't have a beautiful day. The women who come to us are very savvy, they know how to get a bargain, like baking their own cake or booking a venue off-season for example: you can save a lot of money that way. And one woman even flew to us from Dubai. The dress she wanted was £6,000 over there but £1,350 here and she worked out it was cheaper to fly over and buy it here than just stump up the cash there.

The average spend here is £500 but people can go much higher or much lower – there's plenty of options. The most expensive dress we have is £1,800.

But I'm definitely noticing a trend for people being more sensible with their money. The other day we were only open for four hours and we had 22 brides through the doors, it was crazy. In fact, demand is so high for budget dresses, we're actually expanding because we need more changing rooms. We also have a monthly 'win a wedding dress' competition and we get so many entries from brides looking to make that extra saving.

Lace is always in fashion – that classic vintage look will never go out of style – and we're also noticing that shorter dresses are becoming more popular. There really is some stunning designs out there. But whatever style they're after, brides come here because they know they'll get a bargain."

10 tips for saving money on the big day:

By Samantha Birch, author of The High-Street Bride's Guide

• WHIRLWIND ROMANCE - Dare to plan your wedding in three to six months or less? Venues with gaps in their schedule will often offer whopping discounts.

• GO LOCAL - Suppliers like photographers and bands coming from far and wide expect you to pay their transport and even put them up (yes, really). Go local instead and cut these costs.

• LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION - Once you’ve done the legal bit, anywhere can be a reception venue – think about when it would work best for them, like bars on a Monday night or uni buildings in summer.

• IN TRIM - Guest list pushing 250? Here’s why you should cut it back: think food, drinks, chair covers and table decs per person. Now imagine shrinking the size of your venue. Take a deep breath and cut, cut, cut.

• ’TIS THE SEASON - Why get wed in summer when the rain could come down anyway? Opt for off-peak dates like winter and you could save on venues and suppliers.

• IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S THEM - Don’t let one pricey wedding boutique put you off – there are affordable bridal brands, so if they only sell dresses for upwards of not-on-your-life prices then that’s their choice. Ring ahead to your local dress shops and tell them your budget in advance, then sidestep the costlier customers.

• MONDAY’S CHILD - No teachers on the guest list? Then why aren’t you tying the knot on a weekday? Venues, suppliers and even your registrar could cost less when it’s not on the weekend.

• THE WHOLE HOG - Swap the silver service wedding breakfast for a fun, lower-cost alternative – hog roasts and barbecues are popular, and they’ll seriously slash your price-per-head.

• SWAPSIES - Just have to have three courses each? Keep the options down – veggie or non-veggie, that’s it – and consider subbing dessert for a slice of that oh-so-special wedding cake.

• DO TELL - Your suppliers, that is. Before you agree a price, bring up details like day of the week and season, and don’t forget to describe your day – pictures of a cool, themed wedding they were a part of could help them sell their services to the couple after you.

* Samantha Birch – @HighStreetBride – is the author of budget wedding guidebook, The High-Street Bride's Guide. Published by HarperCollins, it's available on Amazon now for £2.48