If you recently got engaged, congratulations! Planning for your wedding is exciting but can be daunting and darn expensive too! The average cost of a wedding in Canada is over $ 30 000, but it certainly doesn’t mean you have to spend that much. Here are a few savings ideas.
Date & Planning
- Skip both the Summer season and the Saturday: these are the most expensive. Opt for out-of-season instead. Sunday is the cheapest day of the week to tie the knot. Serving brunch or lunch instead of dinner will save you big bucks.
- Shorten your engagement: instead of waiting for a full-year, aim for 6 to 8 months. It will help you zero-in on what is important to you.
- Consider hiring a wedding planner: it seems counterproductive but it can actually be worth it. Wedding planners can save you both time and money. They know vendors, how to negotiate and work on a budget.
Clothes, shoes & jewelry
- Rent your dress and tuxedo or buy second-hand.
- Buy shoes you can reuse.
- Borrow items from family and close friends, such as the veil or jewelry
Food and Alcohol
- Limit both food and beverage choices. Instead of having an open bar, stick to the wine-beer-bubbly. Same with food, have 2-3 options, instead of never-ending menu choices.
- Have a buffet instead of a sit-down service.
- Go to a restaurant instead of having caterers. Restaurants won’t charge you for the chairs and tables, transportation and set-up.
- Have a smaller, simpler cake. Wedding cakes are expensive because of labor costs.
Guests and invitations
- Be selective. Do you absolutely need your co-workers to be present? What about that third cousin you haven’t seen in 10 years?
- Stay in town. Destination weddings cost a ton.
- Go digital and online. You can create your website and e-mail invitations instead of mailing them. You will save on both stationary and postage.
Flowers and accessories
- Keep it simple. The more elaborate , the more expensive.
- Stay in season and local. You will save a lot if your florist doesn’t have to import exotic flowers. Use your flowers for both the ceremony and reception, or you can have a single centerpiece.
- Use candles instead of flowers at your reception
Photographer, hairdresser, make-up artist etc…
- Hire a student or a recent grad
- Ask a relative or a friend
These are only a few examples. The most interesting tip might be to avoid saying the word “wedding”. It does end-up costing you more!
How did you save on your own wedding? Please, let us know.
The Money Savvy Blog 