Congratulations, you’re engaged! Welcome to one of the most exciting times of your life. Exciting … and expensive. But … does it have to be?
Early into wedding planning, you are usually met with a reality check of what you can and can’t afford, which can lead to disappointment. Not exactly how you want to start off your engagement. However, with a little bargain hunting and saving tips, it doesn’t have to put you into a massive amount of debt or jeopardize having your dream wedding.
Planning the wedding of your dreams doesn’t have to break the bank. Check out our rentals at http://www.swrentals.ca. Here’s some of our best tips for planning a practical wedding on a budget:
Make a priority list
What is worth spending the money on and what isn’t?
For some it will be “the look”. For others, it will be “all about the food”. Some will focus on the dress and for many others it will be something different. Decide on your priorities, decide to DIY and give a little or bargain for the items lower on your list of priorities. Once you have your non-negotiables you can plan the rest of your wedding budget around these expenses.
For items that are not as high-priority for you, find ways to get it done for less. One example is flowers. Choose between real, artificial or DIY from the dollar and craft stores. You can make similar decision trees with just about every item in your wedding.
Do it yourself — when it makes sense
Most brides-to-be can attest to becoming Pinterest fanatics from the minute the ring hits your finger — or even before. Pinterest is amazing for all your wedding DIY projects. However, sometimes when looking at all the supplies you would need, plus the time, it didn’t always make sense.
Now that you’re engaged, you can also make DIY and wedding preparation into a fun wedding party day and have everyone over for appetizers and crafting.
Gently used wedding items
Buy and sell groups, Facebook Marketplace, garage sales — these are all your friends! It goes hand in hand with a lot of the DIY you might be doing and is one of the keys to creating the perfect low-budget wedding.
Consider getting married “off-season”
Once you’re engaged, consider getting married in the Spring, Fall or Winter. By not having your wedding during the Summer, you’ll save a few thousand dollars and have a better choice of your vendors!
Use your connections
If there is ever a time to call in favours or have your family and friends call in favours, it’s for your wedding. Your social circle may save you hundreds or get you upgraded for free.
Save, save, SAVE!
Before you even start planning, you need to save up for the big day and here are some tips and tricks.
Set up a designated wedding savings account and start automatic, regular transfers to it.
Inquire with your financial institution about a “Round-Up” feature on your chequeing account. This feature rounds up your debit card purchases and deposits and can deposit that extra change into your wedding account. An easy way to save!
Lastly, you don’t need to be engaged to start saving for your wedding – it may seem premature to some but your partner will love that you’ve been pre-emptively saving for your big day when it comes time to cough up the dough.
Wedding shows
Not sure where to begin with your wedding? Your local wedding show is a great place to start. They are super fun and usually offer lots of deals and coupons to the attendees to help you save on your wedding.
Wedding Planners
Do you really need a wedding planner or coordinator? For some, the answer is yes, but if you think you can do it on your own, that can save you thousands of dollars. Designate willing friends and family to oversee different aspects of your day or to coordinate with vendors so that if something does go wrong – and something will! – then it isn’t yourself or your partner that is dealing with it. Your friends and family will be happy to help. Just make sure they get to enjoy your day too and aren’t saddled with work!
Additional ways to save for a budget wedding
Open bars at weddings are expensive. Consider opting for table wine and a cash bar.
When shopping for wedding bands, visit a wholesale jewelry store and find some savings there.
Be strict with your guest list and open the reception up rather than have every single person there for dinner.
Planning a wedding on a budget is completely doable, it just takes some extra planning and considerations. What better wedding gift to give each other than a beautiful start to your new life that you don’t need to spend the next 10 years recovering from?
At the end of the day, all that matters are that two people who love each other are starting an exciting new journey. Happy planning!
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