Credit Crunch Wedding 'Costs Just £500'

A credit crunch hit couple plan to get married next weekend - on a budget of just £500.

Odette Fenwick and Christopher May have protected their personal finances by shopping around for bargains in thrift stores and auction website eBay, the Daily Mail reports. As a result, the Devon couple have spent just £52 on a wedding dress, £43.50 on a civil ceremony and an astonishing £40 on the buffet.

Their achievement is all the more remarkable when recent research from You and Your Wedding is taken into account. The bridal magazine found that the average cost of the celebration comes to over £20,000, despite the tough financial times currently being experienced.

Talking to the newspaper about the cut-price nuptials, 19-year-old Miss Fenwick said: "It's surprising how cheap things are when you look around. The budget kept threatening to creep up, but I wouldn't let it. Most of the things are from eBay. I don't know where we'd be without it."

Mr May, 21, also explained how the couple managed to keep to such a restrictive buffet budget. "Most [guests] will bring a plate of snacks and some booze," he said. "Nobody minds - they all think it's a great idea."

The couple, who live in Ilfracombe, maintain that they are not bothered that their ceremony will not be more lavish. "Our credit crunch wedding is going to be the best day of our lives - without breaking the bank," Miss Fenwick added.