At the peak of summer, wedding season is in high gear. In tough economic times, many newlyweds-to-be are searching for ways to tie the knot on a budget. Elopement is on the rise among Canadian couples and the pandemic gave way to micro weddings.
In Canada, the average wedding costs around $32,000, depending on location, number of guests and the style of wedding, according to planning website, Your Wedding Atlas.
Jyoti Saini, owner and principal planner of SJ Soirée, said on average, her clients spend anywhere from $120,000 to $140,000 for a 150-guest wedding in Toronto.
For couples trying to cut down on those costs, some decorations can be DIY-ed and the bottom tiers of the wedding cake can be cardboard cosplaying as spongy chocolate decadence.
However, certain wedding must-haves are worth the splurge. The Globe and Mail talked to wedding planners, brides and a vendor to find out what’s worth indulging in for your big day.
SPLURGE: The venue
It’s well worth the funds to say “I do” in a fairy tale setting. “A great venue sets the tone for your celebration – it’s the backdrop to your memories and often the biggest ‘wow’ factor for guests,” said Ms. Saini.
But any decent place can also eat up half of your budget. Depending on the type of venue, such as estates, breweries or barns, Ms. Saini said couples can pay as much as $50,000 for a wedding venue in the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. Devoting most of your wedding budget to the location could leave little room for other wedding expenses.
“It’s like buying a very expensive house in a very rich neighbourhood but you have no money for furniture,” said Carmen Luk, principal planner and creative director at Devoted to You.
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While she doesn’t recommend bargaining on the quality of the venue, Ms. Saini said there are certain workarounds.
She said restaurants are an increasingly popular alternative for the reception as opposed to a banquet hall, because food and drinks are already covered. Ms. Saini suggests reducing the guest count, allowing couples more wiggle room to splurge on the kind of space they want.
SPLURGE: Photography and videography
Post-wedding chaos, couples want to look back and remember their day. A recent survey by The Knot found that photographers continue to be the top priority in terms of vendors hired, with 89 per cent of surveyed Canadian couples relying on them to capture special moments.
Maria and Adam Levitt say hiring a wedding videographer was worth the extra money.Supplied
Toronto-based Maria Levitt and her husband Adam had three main splurges in mind for their wedding, which took place a year-and-a-half ago: the venue, a band, and a photographer, costing them a total of around $48,126.
But after hearing from friends that their biggest regret was not hiring a videographer, the couple decided to take a chance and add one to the budget.
“The videographers will put together a five-minute video summary of the day, it just captures everything well,” Ms. Levitt said. “We show it to our friends, who weren’t at the wedding. We sent it to family members who weren’t able to attend the wedding because they’re overseas. It’s just a good memory.”
Mark Relf, videographer and creative director at Kismet Creative, said that hiring a wedding videographer is worth the bucks for an overlooked reason.
“A lot of people don’t think about the sound recording aspect of what we do,” he said. “There’s the speeches and the vows, but there’s also just the ambient sounds of people laughing or clapping. Sound invokes a lot of memory.”
SAVE: The dress
As for the dress, the decision to splurge or save is a mixed bag. While shows such as Say Yes to the Dress have glorified the gown, it is typically a garment worn once and some advocate for buying it second-hand.
Denica Bleau’s wedding dress ended up being a bigger expense than she expected.Ödet/Supplied
Denica Bleau, who got married in April in Splatsin, a First Nation reservation next to Enderby, B.C., had an initial budget of $500 for her dress. Still, she ended up spending $1,000 at a consignment store.
In hindsight, Ms. Bleau wishes she had spent more time searching for cheaper dresses online.
The 30-year-old said to watch out for alteration costs and advised getting the quoted price in writing so you won’t be upcharged later.
“I wish I would have clarified with the individual that did my alterations,” Ms. Bleau said. “I was told alterations would be about $100 and when I went in, she said it’s going to be $400. I asked her to go down, and she went to $300.”
SPLURGE: Hair and makeup
Ms. Bleau decided to cut costs on hair and makeup, having her maid of honour do it for her instead. “That is something I’m really glad we did and saved money on, because I barely wear makeup.”
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But not everyone is fortunate enough to have a built-in makeup artist in their bridal party. When it comes to hair and makeup, it’s usually worth the expense.
Ms. Saini advises to always book one or two trials beforehand to avoid a disaster on the day of. “Your beauty team ensures you not only look your best, but feel confident all day long,” she said. “And that glow shows in every photo.”
Hair and makeup trials are a notorious hidden cost that many forget to consider, with trials costing up to $500.
SAVE: Decor and flowers
For their wedding of approximately 80 guests, Ms. Bleau and her husband handcrafted virtually everything.
“My husband created our cake stand,” said Ms. Bleau. “In the territory of B.C. that we were in, we responsibly harvested some flowers and my husband created my bouquet.”
The couple used Canva to design their own wedding programs and table questionnaires.
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Ms. Levitt didn’t make her own decorations, but was able to save some money on floral arrangements by finding a lesser-known florist online. Still, she said she regrets spending as much as she did on decorations as a whole.
“I focused a lot on making sure that we have bar signs with a theme, and florals, where in reality, those items don’t contribute much to a guest experience,” Ms. Levitt said.
“Looking back on it, I don’t remember what the table setting looked like.”
The personal (budget) touch
All things considered, the ultimate splurge is intentionality, which you don’t always have to pay extra for. Ms. Luk suggests personal touches such as handwritten thank you notes, or creating a menu or serving signature cocktails that represent the couple and their story.
When it comes to wedding inspiration, Ms. Saini recommends couples ditch the Pinterest board.
“There’s always something that’s going to be trending, but how do you imagine your wedding when you look back at it ten to 20 years down the road?”
Whether they’re budgeting or not, it’s all about the vibe the couple sets.
“At the end of the day, if you want to have a really fun party, you and your husband better be on the dance floor and having the best time, because that energy carries on to other people,” said Ms. Levitt.
