Wedding Planning?

[avrose]

We are getting married next year, wondering if people have any ideas on how to save money while planning? Also trying to find the best ideas for wedding favours.... We will be getting married in late summer, and probably having our social in the spring.

[thriftygranny]

For favors for my daughters wedding we made home made strawberry jam and put it in small specialty bottles and the label said........ SPREAD THE LOVE
Very similar to these ones

[Natalka]

Congrats! What an exciting time!

Ooo, I love the above jam idea!

Lots depends upon what type of wedding you are having - formal, casual, etc.; how many people; ethnic, etc.; what are your colours?

Some older threads I found with great ideas

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/124198-...deas-canada-2/

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/131683-...budget-canada/

[Angela273]

I just got married a year and a half ago. I attended the Welcome Wagon Bridal Shower and won a couple of different DJ discounts, we used one for the reception. We booked the limo & church in advance, which locked in their prices even when they had already increased by our wedding date. For the flavours, I bought small draw-string mesh bags off the Internet. Close to our wedding date I used Bulk Barn coupons to purchase wrapped candy. I had a few family members help fill the bags & it literally took minutes. I had my makeup done at a counter in The Bay, purchasing a couple of their products made the service free. Keep in mind that the price of things, such as flowers, can be negotiated.
Good luck with the wedding planning.

[Angela273]

I found my wedding dress and then purchased it at the store's sample sale. It was exactly my size and required no alternations. My gown was Winnie Couture, I received 75% off my gown and 50% off my matching veil. Both were hand beaded and embroidered.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Do you have Pinterest? They have some great ideas! Wish I had it when I got married 5 years ago. lol

[avrose]

Thanks ladies, and thatks for posting those threads, I was trying to find some!

[avrose]

I am also going to check out Michael's for favour type stuff, so any hits on getting good deals there would be appreciated.

[jasperandchar]

I went to a wedding this past summer and they had a candy table, I loved loved loved it and so did everyone else.....relatively inexpensive as a wedding favour, especially if you have a bulk barn and can use the weekly coupons or have a student or senior do the purchasing with their discounts.

Is your wedding a formal wedding, how many guests and is it a brunch, lunch or evening wedding?




http://ca.images.search.yahoo.com/se...va=candy+table

[jasperandchar]

IS your venue in a rental local hall or are you planning to have your dinner & hall through 1 business.

If you rent the hall yourself you could possibly have your groomsmen uncork and serve home-made wine talk this over with your caterer because if your caterer or venue place does the bottle uncorking there is normally a substantial fee which in the end makes it cheaper to just get the wine from them in the end.

Best of luck

[Granger]

The weddings that have had candy bars we have really enjoyed. Some ppl get candy crazy so it is good if you can have parameters, like a sign that says candy bar open during dance or hours listed, one bag each. Although, watching bridesmaids scowl, refill and then police the area was entertaining for a nursing mom who was missing out on speeches.

[jasperandchar]

I went to a wedding this past summer and they had a candy table, I loved loved loved it and so did everyone else.....relatively inexpensive as a wedding favour, especially if you have a bulk barn and can use the weekly coupons or have a student or senior do the purchasing with their discounts.

Is your wedding a formal wedding, how many guests and is it a brunch, lunch or evening wedding?

[MrsSunshine]

there are alot of factors that we need to know to help you out more.. as others have said... formal/informal.. big/small wedding... morning/afternoon/evening..
some very important tips.. when your wedding is a memory.. down the road 5-10+ years. or more. the one thing you are going to have and look at or watch are pictures and videos.. once your flowers wilt, your dress is out of date.. whatever... thats what you'll have to remember. invest in the best photographer you can you'll never regret beautiful pictures or videos.
most items can be purchased/rented.. don't forget dollar stores/thrift stores, garage sales or kijiji esp. kijiji i always see someone selling their 'used' stuff on there.
if u can afford a wedding planner. get one...
once you post some more information. we'd all be glad to help you out.

[jasperandchar]

absolutely correct the candy bar that I tremendously enjoyed was open after the first dance and people bridesmaid were babysitting the candy table which was a GOOD idea for sure.

The weddings that have had candy bars we have really enjoyed. Some ppl get candy crazy so it is good if you can have parameters, like a sign that says candy bar open during dance or hours listed, one bag each. Although, watching bridesmaids scowl, refill and then police the area was entertaining for a nursing mom who was missing out on speeches.

[torontogal12]

Get married on a Friday. Best thing we ever did. We did an afternoon ceremony in church and evening reception in a hall. Saved us $10K on food and hall rental alone. Everything else is cheaper too because it is a low demand day so your photographer, florist, etc costs less. Our wedding cost about the same as my friend's and she was married in Barrie on a Saturday, which has a much lower cost of living than Toronto

You would be surprised how many of your loved ones would love to take a long weekend to go to your wedding. We were. We asked everyone beforehand and every single person said they'd come. And they did

Our wedding favours were all doen by hand by my mom. We bought a nice little dish and wrapped it in ribbons that we got on clearance for 50 cents after Easter (in pink) and some twist ties with a flower on them that came from the dollar store. We are Italian so got Jordan Almonds at Bulk Barn and some dollar store tulle and wrapped them up. She then placed the jordan almonds inside the dish. Very pretty and people got a dish they could use and candy they could eat.

My brother made placecards by hand using a template from Martha Stewart and I wrote each guest's name in gold pen.

Try to get a venue that doesn't need a lot of decorations. Decorators around here can cost about $5,000 which is a joke. We rented a hall that had gorgeous, GORGEOUS walls. Felt like a French palace. We needed ZERO decorations. Pocketed $5Gs.

Measure the head table and then go to Fabricland and buy some fabric to drape across it. Cost us $40 and we saved $500 on the drapings. Use the 50 cent ribbons to hold them up.

Don't let people upsell you. Our DJ tried to upsell us on lights that cost $1,000 extra. He said they would make the walls look "totally different." Except the whole reason why we booked the place was because I couldn't get enough of those walls. And I wasn't gonna spend $1,000 on temporary wallpaper. Pfft. There were some nice chairs that I really loved, which cost $600 to rent! We just went with their ugly hall chairs and rented chair covers instead for $1.50 or so each. Saved a bundle and who would ever remember the chairs anyway

Bridesmaid dresses/shoes etc, see if they can get them at a non-bridal store. Much cheaper.

I agree with MrsSunshine. Don't skimp on photos.

You may have luck getting a dress secondhand from a consignment shop or on kijiji/ebay

Invitations in toronto were being sold for $5 each. Are you nuts?!? We bought them online, spent $50 or so on them (I had a discount code). WeddingPaperdivas.com and they were very professional looking. I think I still have a $20 discount code for them in my email somewhere if you want it, let me know