2023-06-02 23:30:00
A wedding is very expensive. With starting prices of around $18,000 to $25,000, you still have to add other costs that can drive the bill up to $45,000 or $50,000.
And we’re talking regarding a standard wedding here, since you can reach astronomical sums of $150,000 to $200,000 for a high-end wedding, says Annick Patry, wedding planner and co-owner of Au Jardin d’Emmanuel. , an orchard-vineyard in the Oka region that offers turnkey service.
If your financial resources are not unlimited, here are some great tips for saving.
make a budget
First advice from the planner: make a budget and, as far as possible, stick to it. Expect to dedicate 50% of the amount allocated to the wedding for location, food and alcohol.
“When choosing your site, check what is included in the price or not: tablecloths, chairs, tables, decoration, etc. Some offer an all-inclusive service, like us, for others it will be necessary to provide extras. We can expect an average of $185 to $300 per guest,” says Annick Patry.
She recommends shopping around and contacting multiple vendors so you can compare. “The bride and groom can also decide to ask the guests to pay for part of the meal or not, which lightens the budget,” she specifies.
Then you have to think regarding the various suppliers, such as the DJ, the photographer, the videographer. In total, this represents approximately 25% of the budget. For a DJ, prices usually start around $1700 and go up to $5500, depending on the options chosen. For an orchestra, it will cost around $10,000.
For photos or video, a full day can cost up to $5,000. In order to reduce the bill, opt instead for a block of a few hours which will allow you to immortalize the key moments.
- Listen to the advice of Valérie Bigras, wedding planner on Yasmine Abdelfadel’s show via QUB radio :
Still other expenses
Added to this are the costs for the flowers (centerpieces, bouquet, buttonholes, etc.).
“For fresh flowers, it starts at $500-600 up to $2,000 or $3,000, depending on the choice. To reduce costs, we replace the centerpieces with candles, we add a lot of greenery and we buy our own plants in the nursery,” advises Annick Patry.
A wedding dress usually starts at $2,500 and can go up to $5,000 or even $10,000.
“Why not opt for a used dress, which has only been worn once anyway? Boutiques specializing in less expensive prom dresses are also a good idea for dressing the bridesmaids. They might also simply wear a chic and understated little black dress that they probably already have in their wardrobe,” she says.
As for the groom and groomsmen, renting is arguably the best bet.
Fireworks are very popular, but expensive ($1700 and up), so it’s a good idea. As for the dessert, save money by avoiding ordering a spectacular three-tier cake (up to $1,500) and instead opt for a very simple white cake on which you place a figurine of the bride and groom.
“When the desserts or the sweet table are included in the meal, we will therefore have a cake for the cut and desserts for the guests which will not cost anything more”, mentions Annick Patry.
One last tip: focus on the essentials (location, food and music) and forget regarding the superfluous, because in the end, that’s what your guests will remember.
Advice
- Beware of the influence of social networks. Currently, there is strong pressure and a tendency to compare oneself because of the images circulating on the networks. It’s the race to have a highly Instagrammable, and obviously, increasingly expensive wedding.
- Get creative and don’t hesitate to buy inexpensive decorative items (lanterns, candles, vases, etc.) from stores such as Dollarama, Renaissance and Village des Valeurs. On the Etsy site, there are also original products at a fraction of the price in store. We also unearth treasures on Amazon (clothing, decoration, etc.).
- Call on friends and family members: there may be a photographer, videographer or amateur DJ, for example.
- Get married on a Friday, Sunday or a public holiday, venues are usually cheaper on those days.
- Book the location two years in advance: you will have time to prepare, buy as you go and spread the expenses over a longer period.
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