Dress, cake, flowers, even the bride’s garter …Can a £1000 wedding from M&S …

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Wedding season is upon us. But with the average British affair costing more than £18,000 and more lavish events running into the tens of thousands, getting hitched can be an eye-wateringly expensive affair.

From the dream dress to endless pristine flowers, there seems to be no limit to what we will shell out when there are nuptials in the offing.

But could you save thousands by simply heading to the High Street and buying the whole shebang off-the-peg?

For the first time, Marks Spencer has entered the wedding fray and now offers everything from wedding bouquets to the cake, the big white dress to the bridal lingerie. So, should you organise your big day the MS way — and how much would you save if you did?

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Could M S cater to all of your wedding needs and save you money? From the £99 bride’s dress to the £199 morning suit (both pictured) choosing the high street store could save you thousands. But can they deliver the goods? GEMMA CHAMP finds out

£99 Bride’s dress

With its rich duchesse-satin-style finish and classic draped cut (main picture), this is a great dress — and you don’t have to order it six months in advance, unlike most wedding dresses. It would certainly work for a low-key wedding or a civil ceremony, but dressed up with the right accessories and veil, it could pack a real punch in church, too.

Bridal designer Catharina Eden is seriously impressed with the price. ‘The finish is excellent, with good detailing,’ she says. ‘There’s a good-quality close-fitting lining under a stretch-satin outer layer which stops it from clinging and means it fits beautifully. This is such a simple dress, but it could cost £1,200 in a bridal shop or as much as £2,500 for bespoke. It’s a real bargain.’

And while it might be cheap, it’s a universally flattering shape, gently skimming the hips and hugging the curves without revealing too much. The wide V-neckline gives a hint of decolletage without looking tackily buxom, and the subtle ruching hides any lumps and bumps. It is,  however, a bit short if you want to wear sky-high heels or have always dreamed of a fairytale train.

£199 morning suit

While this suit (right) might not have the perfectly slippery silk twill lining of a Savile Row number, the cut is as classic as you could hope for. A bespoke version on the famous street could cost anything from £1,500 to £5,000. Made of a wool/polyester mix, it’s less likely to crease.

And add the right pocket square and cravat to this one and it could easily pass for a far more expensive suit. Any bride would be delighted to see her groom so finely dressed.

£89 Bridesmaids dress

This delicate blush dress is the perfect summer colour and will work well with most skin tones. And it costs £89

The choice of dress for an adult bridesmaid is one of the great dilemmas of a wedding: do you put them in a hideous frock to make the bride look better, or risk going down the Pippa  Middleton route with something a little too flattering? And if you have more than one, how do you make sure they all look good, when they have different figures?

This delicate blush dress could be the answer: a perfect summer colour, it will work well with most skin tones, while the shape will flatter even the hippiest of figures.

The fabric’s sunray pleats skim over any faults, while cleverly  creating slimming contours on the bust, waist and hips, but it remains demure. No chance of rear of the year awards here.

The downside? It’s sleeveless, so does nothing to mitigate the dreaded upper-arm flab. If your bridesmaids fail to banish their bingo wings before your big day you could always opt for a lace shrug — much classier than a stiff bolero jacket — to temper the issue. As this simple gown costs just £89, as opposed to the many hundreds you could pay in a specialist wedding shop, it might be well worth doing just that.

£150 flowers

For £150, MS can provide a bridal bouquet, two bridesmaids bouquets and four button holes

MS has long been known for no-nonsense, affordable flowers, but wedding bouquets are a different area. This classy collection costs £150 for a bridal bouquet, two bridesmaid bouquets and four buttonholes.

As the average bride spends £560 on wedding flowers, with designer arrangements running into the thousands, you’re already winning. According to Judith Blacklock,  principal at the Judith Blacklock flower school, the MS arrangement arrived as fresh as a daisy.

Bunches — available to order only online — are delivered within 21 days in cardboard boxes using  modified atmosphere packaging that seals the flowers in airtight bags, using no water, keeping them fresh during transportation by  slowing down their respiration rate.

‘All stems look beautifully  prepared. They are clean, free from thorns and have been carefully arranged. If you squeeze around the bottom of a rose and it feels firm and solid, you’ll know they’re only days from being picked. These were, and I’d wager would last at least a week, although I was disappointed that some of the roses were a little small, not symmetrical and looked to have lost a couple of petals.

‘I was extremely impressed with the button holes though,’ adds Judith. ‘They’d used green stem tape to secure the arrangement and seal the ends and fine wiring to keep everything neat and tight.

‘The ribbons used to secure the bouquets were a bit of a let-down. They were rough cut and too thick to look truly elegant.

Other than that, MS has done well with blooms more than  adequate for a wedding but without the creativity and flair that can be given by a designer florist.’

Birdcage wedding cake

Peggy Porschen, who made Sir Elton John’s cake, said MS’s offering is both delicious and a great centerpiece