Staying On Budget

Shop around and ask vendors to reduce their fees!!!!

View quoted message Yes in Mississauga. I would use her services in the future for anniversary event. Floral Design Inc. Is the name.

View quoted message Do you know if there is anything in Canada

Yes!

I did my research and found places that rent not only centerpieces, florals of all kinds too. Believe it or it only cost $11 about per (vase + floral ball) as shown before. Cake + Assorted pastries cost us $400 to give you an idea too.

In the Wedding Vendors there is a place in Mississauga listed that you can look up. Its called Floral Design Inc.

View quoted message You can rent flowers ?! 😱😱

We opted to rent our floral balls, vases, money box and backdrop saving half the cost. DJs can start at the cost of $1000 and go up based on the package you choose and time frame. Bakeries charge depending on your choice of cake tiers, frosting and work that is done of your choice. Simple can be less if you go regular icing. Fondant does cost more considering the option. When you book a consultation with the baker, they will give you a better idea of what your looking at cost wise and what they can do within your budget and amount of guests.

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I am struggling to figure out what is a reasonable price for things like DJ's and cakes and such.

If I had an idea on that I think the budget would be easier.

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Did you purchase your flowers from a local florist and make all the bouquets and centre pieces yourself or did you hire a florist ?

I know how crazy budget gets when small things as SOCAN fee come along with venues which I had to pay too. Its just one catch that they put on their contract because of their rights to do.

Where you don't need to spend the extras, allocate the cost to other areas that are important knowing how much you are sticking to amount wise. Cutting costs is something you will occur as you overspend on things not thought about.

Making a list of things for yourself and Groom helps to know what is to get and research on renting vs. purchasing. This allows you to make the best judgement call when costing out pricing of décor, vendors and clothing.

View quoted message Some vendors won’t do it. You have to ask.

View quoted message You can pay in cash to avoid taxes??

Congrats to you as well!

Like the others say, budget is there for a reason and the best way to go about it is to include these fee's in what you are wanting to pay per vendor. If your budget for a DJ was say, $2,000 then try and only spend $2,000 all in.

Of course, there will be added things that you don't even know you want/need yet - but that's where you can save money other places and put it towards there later.

Make a budget and keep to it! I know everyone is mentioning the budget tracker on here and it's for a reason. It breaks down where you should be allocating your budget to and can keep you on track. That's not to say that there can't be wiggle room. My original budget said I only had $3000 for flowers, and I'll admit that I went over, so I had to find something else to save on. It's all about give and take!

I actually used the budget planner on here and it was pretty helpful. You definitely should aside party of your budget for the "unexpected" for that exact reason. I did the exact same thing, budgeted the big, obvious stuff but didn't think of the little things that add up in the end.

Here is an article that might be helpful with you planning out a budget.

Creating a wedding budget

View quoted message Thank you !

I will definitely try that as well !

DIY when you can! Centerpieces, backdrops, decorations it cost me around 60$ in materials for my tabletop centerpieces/decorations. I made geometric shapes himmeli style, more than enough for 8 guest tables, head table, and every other surface (dj booth, bar, favour and sweet table). The sale section at your local home decor store is your best friend! Found pretty vases at Bouclair 90% off so it cost me 1.70$ each! Buy in pack on amazon, and if you can wait , there are great cheap finds on aliexpress.com, however delivery can take up to 2 months. Hope this helps!

View quoted message This was really helpful! Thank you !

Try to avoid the wedding word when discussing costs with vendors. (Sounds weird, I know.) Particularly with things like transportation, the costs are different for a wedding vs. a family reunion/gathering/group event.

Also, once you've set your budget, try to find a vendor at 20% lower than your budget (and when they ask for your budget, quote the lower amount) so that you have a cushion for incidentals like SOCAN and ReSound, mandatory gratuities, rental fees, delivery costs, storage costs etc.

Welcome to Wedding Wire!
Like Kelsie said, use the budget tracker on here, it’s very helpful breaking everything down and seeing how much you are spending in each category.
Try to think outside of the main payments, the little things add up. For example, gifts for the wedding party, your FH, parents, your dress alterations, tips for vendors.

The WeddingWire budget planner is super helpful! You can divide your budget into different areas. Sometimes having the numbers in front of you help keep you in line!

Also negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. If you can pay cash and avoid taxes - do it! Save some money for elsewhere!