'Extra' bride splashes out £77,000 on wedding day even after 'cost-saving'

Christina Theofanous and James Dodd tied the knot on April 5th at One Great George Street in Westminster, London, surrounded by 130 of their friends and family.

The couple, who both work in marketing, say they first began saving money together in 2021 to go travelling but say this slowly turned into a wedding fund.

And when James, 30, popped the question to Christina on holiday in Dubai in September 2023, the pair spent the next 18 months 'making sacrifices' to afford their big day.

The couple splashed out £33,000 on their wedding venue, which included a £18,577 wedding breakfast and a £7,836 bill on flowers.

They spent nearly £2,000 to ensure the bridal party's hair and make-up looked picture perfect, including four make-up trials, which she jokingly explained on social media as being 'just extra'.

Despite forking out the average price of a flat in Blackpool on their one-day celebration, 29-year-old Christina insists they've no debt or regrets on their decision.

This month, Christina shared a TikTok post with a breakdown of her wedding expenses and while some said it was a 'shocking' amount to spend, she claims it was 'worth every penny'. Christina, from Hitchin in Hertfordshire, said: "There wasn't a budget.

"We decided to have our wedding in London and had an idea it was going to be expensive. "I knew exactly what I wanted so when I started researching I found that these were the costs.

"We had a savings pot before we got engaged that we wanted to use for travelling but this turned into the wedding pot and we naturally started saving from this point.

"If we wanted to spend this amount, we needed to make sacrifices and save hard to make it happen and this is what we did.

"The cost for the venue was just over £33,000. This included the venue hire, the canapes, drink reception, wedding breakfast and evening buffet and we also extended the venue to 1am which was an extra cost.

"The wedding breakfast was £18,000 which included a three-course meal for everyone, half a bottle of wine, one glass of prosecco for everyone for the toasting. "It included teas, coffees, soft drinks and some truffles with the coffees. I think it was around £130 per person.

"Hair and makeup cost £1,640 and this included hair and makeup for me, my mum, my sister and my best friend and my flower girl's hair. "In this total I had paid £180 for a bridal hair and makeup trial but it was my decision to pay for an extra three trials.

"It was a lot of money for sure but it was worth it for me to feel good on my wedding day. "The flowers, which included three bouquets and decorating the whole venue, set us back £7,836.

"This was quite a shocking amount and we did make changes to bring the cost down to this." Christina says a family member gave them £5,000 to help towards their big day and her dress, heels and veil were also gifted by family.

The bride said she understands why people were shocked they had splashed out so much money on their wedding but says they had worked hard for their savings. Christina said: "I completely agree and I'm not stupid and think it's not expensive.

"We saved for 18 months and we had a plan. Some people said it's just one day and that is a waste of money and that's fine as it's not for everyone.

"But growing up I always wanted to get married and have this kind of wedding, and for us it's worth it and we were both on the same page.

"I lived up north for three years and when I was looking for houses I did see some for £60-£70,000 so I do get people's perspectives for sure. "But, as bad as this sounds, this is our life and we work hard to do what we do.

"It was worth every penny and we have no regrets and we're not in debt from it. The wedding day was perfect." Christina's TikTok video racked up more than 190,000 views and while some users didn't see a problem with the couple's spending, others thought it was excessive.

One user commented: "My house cost the same as your wedding," Another wrote: "It was your day. If you can afford it, enjoy it. Ignore the haters."

A third commented: "Sorry but this is a shocking amount to spend on one day! Each to their own obviously but could buy a house with that. And, let's be honest, there's a 50/50 chance of divorce."

A fourth wrote: "If you didn't go broke or into a lifetime of debt to pay for this - you win. Your money, your wedding. Absolutely stunning and I wish you both love and happiness."

WEDDING COSTS:

Venue hire: £10,800

Wedding breakfast: £18,577

Supplier meals: £74.40

Kids meal: £25

Venue extension until 1am - £900

Evening buffet: £2,670

Bar tab: £1,500

Dress & alterations: £8,800 (dress gifted)

Second dress: £85

Heels and veil: £850 (gifted)

Hair and makeup: £1,640

James' custom suit: £2,150

Rings: £2,300

Perfume: £278

Wedding cake: £290

Photographer, videographer and content creator: £6,850

Flowers: £7,836

Music (Pianist and DJ): £3,495

Bar: £864

Registrar: £1,000

Honeymoon: £5,500

Two night hotel wedding stay: £590 (hotel stay gifted)

TOTAL £77,074.40

(TOTAL minus gifted items and £5,000 from family £63,224.40)