Couples who plan their weddings usually set up the wedding budget first. How much is “enough” and how much is “too much”. Obviously, nobody knows the absolute cost, but in Canada, weddings averagely cost between $20,000 and $30,000. Of course, if you are not planning to get married in Toronto or other major cities, because in that case, an average cost is higher.
Couples who do the calculations in their head or do not plan ahead usually end up spending a lot more money than they anticipated. So, write it all out on the paper: make a list of everything, even the smallest details, you would like your big day to include. Check out other couple’s lists and do a small online research in order not to forget to include everything in your wedding budget. It’s not only wedding dress you need to buy, but the shoes, the veil, tiara and similar bridal accessories. Don’t think these accessories are tiny details, because their overall cost might be close to the price of your wedding gown.
When you make a list of every single thing you’d like to have at your joyful ceremony, make another list with two columns: “things I must have” and “things I’m ready to compromise on”. This is the way to cover all the wedding essentials and see how your wedding budget can cover things from the other list. Next stop is calling wedding vendors to ask about their prices. Even though if you don’t consider hiring and buying anything at this moment, you have to know price ranges if you want to budget properly. If you, for example, budget about $400 for a photographer, you will be unpleasantly surprised when you realize professional wedding photographers range between $600 and $5000. Anyway, do the research in your own area. Langley Wedding reception venue will not cost as much as venue in Ottawa. Try to deal with wedding vendors and don’t be afraid to lower their prices. In fact, they do expect that from the couples.