There’s no doubt wedding planning is fun, but it can also be expensive. As the average wedding cost in Canada continues to rise, brides and grooms are looking for ways to save while still getting everything they want on the big day.
For savvy money-saving wedding planning advice, keep the three tips below in mind.
1. Consider Your Guest List
The guest list easily increases other wedding costs because it dictates every other part of the wedding. The total number of invites creates a domino effect: the catering menu and amount of food to provide, the maximum venue capacity, the number of chairs and tables needed for the floor plan, how much furniture must be rented, the number of invitations to print and mail, and more. The simple act of shortening the guest list can quickly save you money because it reduces the other services needed at the wedding.
Think about who you really want at your wedding and who you could live without. It’s your special day, so there’s no obligation to invite everyone.
Here are a few people you could cut from the guest list. Omit children: They’re extra heads at the dinner table. Axe coworkers: You probably aren’t close enough with them anyways. Don’t give all guests a plus-one option—especially those who aren’t in serious relationships. A lower head count gives you more money to spend on other parts of the wedding.
2. Shorten the Timeline
Weddings typically have a twelve-month run-up, where everything, from the venue to the caterer to the dress, is booked far in advance. Consider this piece of wedding planning advice and plan the wedding under a reduced timeline. A shorter timeframe pushes you to have everything ready for the date and gives you less time to consider unnecessary add-ons.
There simply isn’t enough time. If you only have six months, for example, instead of twelve, you won’t have time to wonder about adding more flowers or booking a second limo. Opting for a “last minute” wedding forces you to streamline the necessities for the big day and leaves you less likely to get sucked in to extra wedding features that chew into the total budget.
3. Go Offseason
The wedding doesn’t have to take place during the most popular time of the year—the summer. Savvy wedding planning advice includes booking your wedding during a quiet, non-traditional time of year when you aren’t competing with other parties for venues, caterers, and the rest of it. Not only will you save yourself the stress and competition, many creative wedding ideas exist regardless of the time of year.
There are twelve months in a year, yet those summer Canadian months, with their beautiful warm weather, happen to be the busiest. Make the most of a winter wedding, for example. Tailor your wedding to a different seasonal theme while lowering the overall costs. Booking the ceremony and reception at a different time of year means you’ll spend less time clambering for the attention of wedding vendors and increase the chances of getting the vendors you want from the start. With less competition, you’ll find yourself with more negotiating power and date availability.
Offseason includes specific days of the week too. Saturdays are still the number-one fan favourite, but Friday and Sunday weddings have a lower price tag, and they’re slowly becoming more common options as guests are coming around to the changing date.
Following this money-saving wedding planning advice can help you save money while still creating the beautiful wedding you imagined.
