The True Cost of a Wedding By: Dahlia Rideout

At my first consultation with new clients I always ask the couple what they have planned as their wedding budget. It's at this time that the bride and groom look at each other and throw out numbers they "think" a wedding will cost. As their Wedding Planner, it is my job to be realistic, to advise and to guide them so that they can stay within their budget and not go broke before their Wedding Day.

For those who are engaged, this online blog post "The True Cost of a Wedding" by Dahlia Rideout is worth sharing with you. Although it presents the average "American" wedding budget spent in 2010, it is somewhat similar to an average "Canadian" wedding budget (give or take).


Each couple is different and the allocation of their wedding budget will reflect this. Some couples want fresh flowers whereas other couples would prefer to spend more money on photography. This difference is significant as fresh flowers and professional photography can be expensive. Planning is key to your wedding budget and hiring a Wedding Planner to track and manage this budget (and more importantly...be objective) is money well spent.

Planning a Beautiful Wedding on a Budget

A few tips for planning your beautiful wedding on a budget:

1) Plan your budget – Be realistic and determine how much money you have available for the wedding. This will include your own savings and any gift money from your family. Don’t consider credit cards and money that you don’t have access to right away as part of your budget, otherwise you will find yourself going into debt even before you’re married; that’s not a good way to start off married life. Stick as close as possible to it and track it frequently to see where you’re spending the money. This way you will be able to organize all of the details according to the budget you have set aside and can afford.

2) Use Wedding Planners – Experienced wedding planners will be able to offer support by providing tips and ideas to save money and cut costs on your wedding. With their expertise comes a larger network of contacts and it’s their experience dealing with reputable vendors that helps you to avoid throwing away your money – they will also help you stay on budget and be that voice of rationalization when you want to blow all your money and some.

3) Do your research – As with anything else, do your research, ask family and friends for referrals, take the time to look into your different options before making a final choice for everything from flowers to transportation. Ask questions, make site visits, shop around and get a quote from each vendor making sure to consider and compare the quality, type of service, and determine if there are any hidden costs or exceptions to the pricing. Understand how much things cost and what you get for that price. Shopping around can help you add up the little bit of savings as they will quickly add up making a difference in your overall budget. Be wise in your choices.

4) Prioritize – Determine what your priorities are when it comes to your wedding. Some couples consider the flowers and décor their “must-haves” while others might spend the money on their photographer and food. Since there are so many aspects to a beautiful wedding, the details quickly add up and so does your wedding budget. When planning for the big day, make sure to you decide on your top 3 things where you want to spend more and 3 things you wouldn’t mind spending less. Figure out the areas you want to focus on first and always weigh your options. Weddings are not meant to be cookie-cutter; the best ones are personalized to the couple.

One thing to remember is that the wedding day is for you as a couple. You can’t please your Mom or Aunt and make decisions to please everyone if it isn’t what you want. If you plan, research, prioritize and stay on track, you will be happier with your decisions; this is, at the end of the day, your wedding and your money. Even though you your family and friends are important, you can’t be wasting money to make everyone happy. If it’s not in the budget then let them know but be nice about it…don’t turn bridezilla on everyone. All in all, enjoy the day because you deserve it…Happy Wedding Planning on a Budget!