Budget Wedding Bells

Save with Planners

Hiring a wedding planner may seem like an unnecessary expense, but there’s a lot of work to be done and they can save you big money by negotiating discounts from preferred suppliers. Many will charge 10 per cent of your wedding budget. If this is too steep for you, go for a partial package at a reduced rate, where they take care of the matters that you know less about and you take care of the rest. It is also possible to hire a planner for the day of the wedding only, for about $500. This way someone else makes sure everything goes smoothly, allowing you to fully enjoy the day without having to worry about the details.

A Special Invitation

Instead of choosing traditional engraved invitations, check out your favourite stationers. Staples stores offer reasonable printing prices. Or consider the homemade approach.

Printing vs Engraving

Good printing looks handsome and costs about half as much as engraving. Paper quality affects cost, too—a pretty, lightweight paper can be per cent cheaper than heavy card.

Your Own Fair Hand

A hand-written invitation reflects who you are and is more intimate than a printed one—and costs much less. If you cannot hand-write your invitations, ask a friend who is good at calligraphy. You can buy exquisite stationery and even good-value do-it-yourself invitation kits.

Special Effects

To dress up plain invitations, add foil or ribbon. Sprinkle a little confetti inside the envelope before you seal it.

Hi-Tech Invites

Design and print your invitations on a computer —you can download graphics from the Internet and use a fancy font. You could also scan in images of the venue.

Move the Date and Get Half Off

Instead of getting married on a Saturday in June, which is popular and so costs more, choose another month and day—January, February, March and November are quieter times for suppliers. With less competition for the resources you want, you can get a much better rate, saving to 50 per cent of the cost. Your honeymoon will cost less too, if you go out of season—Mexican and Caribbean holidays are much cheaper in the spring and fall than in the high season winter months. It may also be cheaper if you choose a Friday night, as opposed to the ever-popular Saturday.