Break the bank or save the coin How to?

We chose our top three priorities on where to spend our money and save on the rest. Our top three were venue, food, photographer. We didn't hire a DJ, my SIL made the bouquets, we used the same decor for the ceremony and reception. We didn't do a cake.

I have ordered a lot off amazon. So far our decor has cost under $200 but that is because I have spend a lot on lighting. We are also using flowers from Costco, and baking our own cake. A lot of our decor is items we have or someone we knows has to help save some money.

Honestly all my decorations are going to be from wish.

Check out marketplace. Brides sell stuff for super cheap after their wedding. Sometimes the item has been used once! You may find something totally done in your colours saving you lots of time and money. Make sure you know what you want before you shop so you don't end up with items you will never use.

Skip flowers. i ordered a fake bouquet online and it was $30 and looks amazing. before you meet vendors ask them for your pricing and stick to your budget or ask them to work within your budget! if theyre oout of your price range forget it. there are so many vendors willing to comprise and work within a couples budget.

View quoted message This is such a good point and my FH and I were actually talking about that last night. All the things we remember about other people's weddings and the stuff we really didn't care about. We are currently putting together a list of things that are super important to us and stuff that is less important to see where we can cut costs.

Pick your top 3. What is most important to you. For us, it was venue, food, photography. That is where we spent the majority of our budget.
We chose a nice venue that didn’t need lots of decor so we just had to make centrepieces. We provided a small variety or drinks instead of a full bar.
We did have a Saturday summer wedding because that was convenient for travel for our guests. But, we cut out the cake, we had friends do the music and my SIL did the flowers.A big way to save is to have a later ceremony (around 7pm) then serve apps or desserts instead of a dinner.The fewer hours you have the photographer the cheaper it is. Honestly, there are very few photos from the reception I actually like. And I’m not a big fan of getting ready photos. A few pics of the dress and accessories hanging is really nice, ceremony pics and formals are really what we have hanging up now.Chair covers are not needed. We have a handful of pictures where you actually see the chairs.
Our motto was if I don’t remember it, we don’t need to spend money on it. This was regarding what I remembered from weddings I’ve been to. I remember where people get married and I remember who I was with. I don’t remember centrepieces, I don’t remember their cake, I don’t remember the flowers, I don’t remember what colour of linens or what colour the chairs were. So, we didn’t spend a lot on those things because if we couldn’t remember what it was like at someone else’s wedding, they won’t remember what it’s like at ours.

A few things I've used to save money:


Don't get married during peak time. We're doing a Friday in October instead of a summer Saturday.
Don't use the word wedding. "we need a cake to feed 100 people for an event" can save a lot.
Also with cake if your venue will cut the cake use sheet cakes as they cost significantly less than tiered wedding cake or cupcakes. If you still want one to cut get a small round one for display and have the sheet cakes served right after.
Shop second hand decor on Facebook yard sale or Kijiji. Stuff like glass vases or even once used pillar candles (they'll be lit when your guests see them anyway!) can save money, and you might be able to sell them to another budget savvy bride afterwards.
Costco! You can order bouquets, centerpieces, and cut flowers online. If your venue allows outside food Costco can be great for making your own charcuterie trays or "grazing tables" as people are calling them lately.
Ditch favors. Most people don't want a mason jar or a magnet with your wedding date on it, and favors are often left behind at the venue.
Lastly, track the budget and stick to it. If you have a big save on an item move those funds to another item if it needs it (like save on flowers and add to the dress budget!)

I know the feeling! Generally, my FH and I are pretty frugal, and don't want to really want the wedding to be a super financial drain unnecessarily.
First and biggest tip: Start as early as possible then sit and wait like a crouching tiger waiting out your prey until you find the perfect moment to strike! Silly and dramatic but true... .

It gives you more opportunity to find sales, clearance items at end of season, research different vendors/venues, etc.

Tip Two: Sign up for e-mail subscriptions/flyers. The best deals usually get offered here; better than the general flyers - Micheals and Vistaprint especially. If you are DIY-ing, 50% off coupons single item or 30-40% off an entire order at Michaels are the best! Vistaprint will send out 24 hour deals via e-mail blasts only. Taking advantage of those will save you a ton. I have literally gotten everything for my invitations for 65% off. I am waiting for the next one to order table and misc. signs.

Tip Three: Like Genevieve mentioned, draw on friends and family members. Even if no one has the skill to replace a baker, there are a lot of things they can help with like decorating on the day of that would otherwise be a cost.

Tip Four: Hire students. I use to play weddings as a music student, and I guarantee you I was less expensive than a non-student but playing at the same level certification-wise. Photography students with a solid portfolio looking to build experience can be a great way to save money and still have amazing pictures.

Tip Four: If you don't already have a venue/a specific one in mind, try looking at less conventional ones. The casino here hosts a lot of business events, but only a few weddings...so they don't jack up the price because the "w" word was dropped or have food minimums. (Also, same thing about a date, unless you have your heart set on one, ask if different days have different rates....I got my venue at 50% off because we are doing Sunday instead of Saturday)

Last, more a word of caution than a tip, DIY-ing can save you a lot of money, BUT there are a lot of craft projects that, if you don't do it already, you may have to do it a couple times to get it right or have to pick up additional equipment. Just account for that before doing a DIY project.

(Sorry this was so long)

2 major ways that may be helpful to look into savings are:

1. RENTING: The price is so much lower than making purchases of higher pricing in the retail stores. I did my research and did find it amazing this way. The other reason is the space at home is saved from storing since you pick it up and drop off after the event is done.

2. DIY PROJECTS: Thrift stores and Dollarama have great items for inexpensive costs that can be put together at home and in your spare time. Your wedding party can be of help if needed. Another source is the internet to find template for gift boxes and printing as many needed for favours (going that path). I did this recently a week ago for Christmas gifts saving to buy online and paying for shipping (less time on waiting to arrive).

OPTIONAL CHOICE: FB market is also great to see if anyone is selling their bouquet, centerpieces, flowers and other items not needed for less price if that works for you. Check this option out to see if it fits into your budget.

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another view of my bouquet which was all made from Dollarama. For a amazing total of only 22.00

View quoted message I just recently DIY'd my bouquet and it's absolutely beautiful and plan on doing a few more just to try and cut the bill lol however my fiance is a little theatrical and wants to really have a glam but elegant wedding so we are trying to figure out how to do that but without sacrificing an arm or leg to make it really elegant and chic it's kinda hard lol but I think I found a few ideas.

DIY absolutely everything and enlist the help of friends! If you have people that have a space, do makeup/hair, officiate, cater/cook/bake, craft, them helping tends to take a lot of money off the table and can really unify your day as a group effort. The more you or friends can do, the less you’ll spend for sure.