WEDDING costs are becoming increasingly expensive - currently exceeding £27,000 in the UK, often causing couples to reach deep into their bank accounts.

But one Farnham couple proved it is possible to hold a wedding for under £2,000.

Newly-weds Amanda and Jeff Carter, aged 29 and 35 respectively, grew up together locally and had been together for 14 years before getting married on Saturday, August 26.

They felt it unjustifiable to spend a fortune on a wedding when they had already been “going out” for such a long time.

A charming home garden wedding allowed the couple to save money on the venue.

The groom, Jeff, transformed their back garden into a beautiful venue fit for a wedding in just three months.

The garden was landscaped and a white, wooden gazebo was built by Jeff and painted by Amanda with the help of her family.

The gazebo was dressed with voile and pink ribbon.

Amanda and her mother made their own bunting to add to the decoration.

A lot of money was saved through buying the necessary items second-hand and reselling some of the items, such as the chairs and their covers.

The wedding seated 50 guests, all local friends and family, including their two children.

Amanda wore a beautiful second-hand wedding dress, which she had stumbled upon across the internet.

It was bought with the perfect fit - no adjustment was necessary.

Her friend, Leah, styled her hair and Amanda’s sister in law, Suzie Carpenter, made up the bouquets.

The suits were reused from previous family weddings, rather than buying anew.

The wedding reception that followed took place in the garden also.

A buffet for the reception and an evening barbecue was prepared by Amanda and some guests, with a helping hand from Costco.

Amanda and her mother also baked a delightful home-made wedding cake.

Their children’s playhouse was transformed into a fully stocked bar for the evening.

Amanda’s brother, Christopher Carpenter, being a photographer himself, caught the memories on camera for the couple.

Some wedding shots were also taken in Farnham Park - the couple had fun posing on the swings and zip-line.

The largest wedding expenses resulted from the wedding rings and hiring the humanist, Ed Hardy from Farnborough, who conducted the ceremony.

The final cost fell upon the legal side of the wedding, conducted at the Winchester Registry Office.

Even with the risk of having an outdoor wedding in England, it coincided with one of the hottest August bank holiday weekends on record.

The couple’s wedding was all they had hoped for and more at an impressively low cost with many thanks to the help of all their friends and family.