Photo by Stephanie Williams

While spring and summer are usually the seasons for love, winter weddings are an increasingly popular option and can help with the all important budget.

With the venue and catering taking up a whopping 50% of a couples average wedding budget, it certainly pays to shop around. It's generally easier to find a wedding venue in the slower winter season. And while we've seen a huge increase in the number of weekday weddings, if you're set on a certain venue on a Saturday, a winter wedding may provide you with more options. Other suppliers such as photographers and bands may also be far cheaper and more available.

There are plenty more ways to save with a winter wedding. Colder weather will mean comfort food which can often be cheaper but certainly no less appreciated by your guests. Consider a fun hot chocolate toast rather than a champagne toast - a wedding tradition that eats into the budget big time! Instead of one expensive wedding cake offer a selection of yummy pies. And as for the honeymoon, well winter here means summer there! Popular overseas honeymoon destinations like Hawaii are perfect this time of year. Happy planning.