A clever couple spent less than £3,000 on their wedding by renting an Airbnb for the reception and ordering Domino’s pizza for their guests.

Jamie-Louise Phillips, 22, and Sam Phillips, 25, from Norwich, Norfolk, wanted a low-key wedding and were looking for ways to tie the knot without breaking the bank.

The couple were amazed to discover that the local registry office was in Norwich Castle and spent just £270 on the legal ceremony.

They struggled to find an affordable venue for their reception and ended up renting an Airbnb for three days for just £600.

They only had 50 guests and made sure the Airbnb hosts were okay with them having their wedding reception in the garden.

Jamie-Louise Phillips, 22, and Sam Phillips, 25, spent less than £3,000 on their wedding by renting an Airbnb and ordering Domino’s for their guests

The bride and groom wanted to get married without any fuss and began looking for ways to tie the knot without ruining themselves financially.

The couple were amazed to discover that the local registry office was in Norwich Castle and spent just £270 on a legal ceremony.

Jamie and Sam decorated the Airbnb garden themselves, renting furniture for £300 and buying flowers for the tables from a local farm for £85.

They decided to forego the caterer and spend £200 on food, including a £130 Domino’s pizza, which the guests “loved”.

There was also bread and salads and some guests offered to bring home-baked goods.

The bride and groom saved a whopping £17,000 compared to the average UK wedding of £20,000.

Jamie, a pastoral counselor, said she and her new husband did not want to be financially burdened by their wedding celebrations.

“We just looked at how we could do it on a budget. Everyone said it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to and they felt so relaxed,” said the bride.

Jamie and Sam hit it off immediately after meeting on Tinder four years ago and bought a house together in the summer of 2022.

They both decided to get married after talking about marriage for years.

Jamie and Sam decorated the Airbnb garden themselves, renting furniture for £300 and buying flowers for the tables from a local farm for £85.

They spent £200 on food, including £130 worth of Domino’s. They also provided bread and salads and some guests offered to bring home-baked goods.

Jamie and Sam hit it off instantly after meeting on Tinder four years ago. They both decided to get married after years of talking about tying the knot.

“I thought, ‘Let’s just get married.’ I didn’t want to make a big fuss. We’re so close on a personal level – we could never keep such a big surprise to ourselves,” Jamie said.

“We agreed to get married in 2023. We went to the beach one day and he gave me a ring that I had already picked out. It was very casual the way it happened. It felt like there was no pressure.”

The couple booked their wedding in January 2023 for just £270.

“It’s in a castle. It’s breathtaking,” Jamie said.

Each month, the couple spent whatever amount they could afford on the wedding, giving it their own personal touch.

Jamie designed the wedding signage on Canva and found stickers for the candy jar-shaped wedding favors on Etsy.

She found the wedding dress, which she had “pinned on Pinterest for years,” online at For Love and Lemons.

The bride found a discount code that allowed her to reduce the price of the £470 silk dress and had some minor alterations done, spending just £500 in total.

Although Jamie and Sam had groomsmen and bridesmaids, they allowed them to wear whatever they wanted instead of paying for dresses and suits.

Each month, the couple donated what they could afford to the wedding, adding their own personal touch.

She did her own make-up and spent £80 on eyelashes and nails and £210 on a bouquet of flowers from local business Posy Flwrs.

“You don’t necessarily have to get things that have the word wedding in them. That drives up the price,” Jamie said. “Our wedding suited us. It wouldn’t suit everyone.”

They found a local Airbnb that allowed them to hold their wedding reception there.

The day before the wedding, the couple prepared the garden with tables, chairs and flowers.

On Tuesday, August 22, 2023, Jamie got ready with her bridesmaids and took a first look at the garden with Sam.

She did her own makeup and spent £80 on her eyelashes and nails and £210 on her bouquet of flowers from local shop Posy Flwrs.

“It was the most relaxing morning. We spent an hour apart. We drove to the venue together,” she said.

The couple then had some photos taken around the city for just £150 before returning to the Airbnb at around 4pm.

“I loved the walk around town – everyone applauded us,” Jamie remembers.

The newlyweds originally wanted a pizza van to serve their guests, but did not want to pay more than £1,000 in rent.

“We ended up ordering from Domino’s. Everyone loved it. It was such a good idea.”

Their best man took the rest of the photos for free and the couple ended the evening at 8 p.m.

The reception lasted until 7 p.m., after which Jamie and Sam headed off to continue the celebration with friends.

“You don’t have to get anything that has the word ‘wedding’ in it. That drives up the price,” Jamie said.

“Our wedding suited us. It wouldn’t suit everyone.”