Bride reveals how she had her dream wedding for under $5000 – including old shoes and a $90 dress

An Australian bride has shared how she kept her dream wedding budget under $5000, from scoring a $90 wedding dress to ensuring her guest list was just 20 people.

Alana Russell decided to have an intimate wedding after COVID-19 meant some loved ones couldn't make it, and found ways to cut costs to keep her nuptials budget-friendly.

Speaking to 9Honey, Alana explained how she hired a venue, organised food, cake, drinks and hair and makeup for an incredible $4350, meaning she and her new husband had leftover money to spend on their lives together.

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"We live humble lives and it was just us two paying, and what we do have, we need it to pay our rent, car and try to save," Alana says.

"With COVID I didn't work for a while, and being back at work now it didn't seem like a wise decision to spend so much on something that we can enjoy just as much if done on a budget."

Alana says while she and her then-fiancé knew it was the right decision to keep things simple, they also realised they would disappoint some people.

"The most difficult side was knowing I was going to let people down," she explains. "We originally started with 10 people. Then guests wanted to bring partners and we wanted some best friends there, so we ended up with 20 guests including us."

While originally planning their big day, Alana remembers feeling overwhelmed by the average cost of a wedding.

"We looked at two venues and I did the budget. One place was all inclusive for almost $25-$30k and I couldn't justify that. The other option was the 'budget' option, which came to $15k," she says.

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The newlywed had her own "non-negotiable" costs for her dream wedding, so after laying out the unavoidable prices, the couple could stick to a tiny budget.

Alana didn't want to marry in a registry office, wanted to have a "fun" party vibe and needed an amazing photographer to capture the day.

"We decided on a set menu so we knew exactly what we had to pay. But we chose to forgo the drink packages because they all seemed expensive and basic (wine, beer)," she says.

"In the end, drinks were $900 and that was a lot of margaritas for everyone. So well worth it!"

Alana also managed to score a gorgeous $90 wedding dress from ASOS and wore $50 shoes from The Iconic, while they splurged on a $750 suit for her husband and he wore a pair of old shoes.

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The couple found an incredible venue in Victoria called 'The Altar Electric' for just $1000 — an impressive feat considering the average venue hire cost in Australia is $6000.

"[It was] easy to go cheap, for me a dress and shoes. I didn't need something I'm going to wear once to be that expensive. I was allowing myself up to $500 but found the one for way less," Alana says of her gown.

"My advice would be think about what is truly important to you both. If having 10 people is what you truly want, go for it! If you want to splurge on that amazing dress, do it!"

All up, Alana's wedding vendor cost was whittled down to just $4350 — not including outfits and photography.

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The beaming newlywed says she is glad she and her now-husband kept thing budget-friendly and aren't drowning in credit-card repayments.

Because they saved so much cash, the couple were even able to treat themselves to a lavish lunch two days after the wedding.

"We are beyond happy we did it this way. It allowed us to start married life truly relaxed and with no wedding bills to pay," Alana says happily.

"We're slowly fixing up our apartment, we have a little dog who we love to buy treats for and we want to travel. So many things are possible given that we don't have any wedding debt!"