Beach Weddings on a Budget – Planning Series
Welcome to our video series of the top 20 questions brides ask when planning their wedding. One of the questions I regularly get is “How do I have a wedding on a limited budget?”
Read along with the text published below:
The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada states that in 2009, the average cost of a urban wedding is $25,000 and a rural wedding is $20,000. How much you spend depends upon many things, but the biggest expense is your wedding reception. The number of people you are inviting to the wedding will have a big impact on that figure. The average cost of a wedding reception —that includes food, alcohol, tips, rentals, and miscellaneous fees—is approximately $50 per person. Large cities and upscale locations may cost more, and rural locations will cost less, but $50 per person is the average reception cost.
SLIDE: Where does your money go? Let’s take a look. A full 37% goes to your reception & catering. A $10,000 budget means that $3,700 goes towards your reception, which is approximately 75 pp attending your wedding. A $15,000 budget means that $5,550 goes towards your reception and catering which means approximately 110 guests, family and bridal party members. A $20,000 budget means that $7,400 goes towards your reception which means approximately 150 guests.
24% of your budget goes towards wedding rings; 8% is for Miscellaneous (things like bridal party gifts, gifts for parents, gift for spouse, etc.); another 8% for Photography, 7% goes to Gown & Tuxedo, 4% to Videography 4% to Flowers, 3% for Music, 2% for Invitations, and 1% each for Cake, Limousine, Ceremony costs.
The number one way to save money on your wedding is to educate yourself on all your options. There are always less expensive ways to do everything, so you need the guidance of someone who knows. You might find these less expensive ways through some research on the internet, or through the many wedding books available on the market, or you can use an online bridal coach to advise you of all your options.
At The Bridal Coach DOT Ca, our membership site has lots of great video interviews with wedding vendors who not only inform you of the things you should know when looking at their services, but they also talk about the many ways for you to cut costs. In addition, we arrange for periodic discounts for our members when they purchase their wedding supplies.
There are many ways to save money—from choosing alternative services to choosing different ways to celebrate your wedding with your family and friends. All you need to do is research your options or find someone who has already done the research to guide you through the wedding planning process. The choice is yours.
Good luck, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
